Week 3 - Day 1

Week 3, Day 1 got our budding roboticists off to a great start with another round of design and revise exercises.  This time, campers designed a robot by sketching it and using the creative bricks to build it.  They then passed their designs to their neighbor, who then had to build it from the sketches they created.  The results were enlightening - and we discussed the challenges of using the designs of others to construct robots and other models. We met Alpha Trion, who taught us about programming and using sensors to make decisions.  He used his ultra-sonic sensor to stop before he ran into walls, or campers! We looked at robots performing functions, like these at the BMW car plant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R46x6k2wieU.  Next we began learning about sequential programming with the Mindstorms Labview environment, as we programmed our robot to travel certain distances before making a turn.  Finally, the 6-foot robot made another appearance as campers learned to program using psuedo-code.

Week 2 - Day 5

Battle Bots!  On day 5, campers designed and programmed robots to use their motors and sensors to  fight in the battle arena.  Using their knowledge of conditional statements and loops, they programmed the robots to automatically navigate the arena and attack when near objects.  Points were scored by overturning opponents, knocking over opponents' flags, or pushing opponents out of the arena.

Week 2 - Day 4

On day four our roboticists designed and played a game that was a combination of soccer and capture the flag.  Campers, built the playing field from PVC parts,  drove robots using the iPad Commander app and used the medium motor and arm they built on day 3 to retrieve the cargo box from the opponent's side and return it to the goal on the other side of the field.  Meanwhile, other campers built fortresses to defend against programmed ev3 robots using loops to repeatedly attack the strongholds.  We explored more sensors, including the color sensor.  Campers learned about lightwaves, amplitude, and frequency, and how the robot can make decisions based on that information.  Students also learned about conditional statements in programming, and wrote their own programs using conditional statements.

Week 2 - Day 3

Our campers started the day by reviewing the differences between people and robots.  We discussed how people use their sensors to make decisions, and so do robots!  We demonstrated how the robot could be programmed using conditional statements to navigate the course.  We made the course more difficult by adding a 45 degree angle turn at the end.  Most of the programs failed to get the robot to the end of the course, which allowed our roboticists to discuss the limitations of robots and their sensors.

Week 2 - Day 2

On day two, our campers learned how to navigate the robot through a two-turn course using sequential programming in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 Labview environment.  Teams experimented with adjusting the power to the motors and the angles for navigation.  Conclusion: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  Campers also learned about programming concepts using the iPad App Hopscotch. Finally, we built and installed the ultrasonic sensors in preparation for Day 3, where we'll use them to navigate the course using a sensor!

Week 2 - Day 1

Another Group of Bell Brick Bot Campers - Day 1

Our first day of Week 2 was a great one!  We covered the 3+1 laws of (Bell Brick) Robotics.  The 3 (+1) laws are, Respect Each Other, Take Turns, Listen, and Take Care of your Bots!  We talked about what a robot is.  How are robots different from one another?  What is their purpose?  How are they different from people?  What parts make up a robot?  Campers settled on the definition of a robot as "something created from technology that can help you with things".  We learned about sensors, programs, design, and revision.  Campers designed robots in groups, then built and revised them using the creative bricks.  We then shared our designs with one another, and met the teacher robot, Alpha Trion.  He's the EV3 bot that helps us learn about motors, sensors, programs, and computing.  At the end of the day, campers wrote programs to navigate a six-foot tall silver robot along a blue line on the floor.

Day 5

On our fifth and final day, campers built and programmed their robots to compete in robot battles.  Our roboticists competed with programmed robots, as well as remote controlled robots.  They wrote programs with loops and if/else statements, using the ultrasonic sensor to detect when walls, or other robots were nearby.  Points could be scored by knocking your opponent over, or outside the arena, as well as knocking down the robot's flag.  We wrapped up our day with Bell Brick Bot diplomas, and our graduates talked about what they learned and what the enjoyed about the camp.

Day 4

Today was a big one for our Bell Brick Roboticists, as they learned about loops and conditional statements.  They used sound clips and programmed them to repeat.  Campers also built and installed ultrasonic, touch, and color sensors on their robots.  Finally, using their programming and building skills, they divided into groups and built castles and destroyer bots.  The destroyer bots had to be programmed to navigate a course and ram the strongholds.  The stronghold/castle builders had to construct walls that could sustain impact from the attacking robots.  On our final days we'll be designing a game for our robot battles!

Day 3

We delved further into the worlds of computer science and mathematics, as our roboticists programmed their robots to negotiate a maze with a tricky 45 degree angle turn towards the end.  They had to calculate the number of times the wheels would need to turn before turning the robot in a new direction.  Using the iPad manual controls with the Commander app, campers raced the programmed robot to see if a human could outmaneuver a robot - sometimes they won, and sometimes the robot did.  They wrote scripts on paper to plan how they would create the programs in Labview, then executed them.  Some campers helped to build the tracks that we used to race, and others created a simulation using Hopscotch.

Day 2

Today we discussed what a program is, and our roboticists programmed their robots to avoid obstacles using the EV3 Labview programming environment.  Campers also worked with the iPad app Hopscotch to learn basic programming concepts.  Another activity involved building and racing the teacher bot around a PVC track.  The day wrapped up with each group building the medium motor driving base.  Tomorrow we're looking forward to more about programming including loops, sensors, and conditional statements.

Day 2 Topics:

Sequential programming, angles, comparing direct control and programming.

Day 1

Day 1!  Bell Brick Bots got off to a great start today, with an enrollment of 20 young brick roboticists!  We started the day by handing out our T-Shirts and reviewing the 3(plus) laws of Lego Robotics at Bellarmine.

After introductions, we discussed: What is a robot?  Our young roboticists then worked in their respective teams, Green, Yellow, Blue, and Red, to design a robot on paper.  They drew one part of the robot, then passed the paper to another group member, who then added another part.  I'll be posting images of those results tomorrow!  After the group design project, campers got to design a robot on their own, then build it using the creative bricks at each of their stations.  Their creations varied from dragons, to humnanoids, to cars and jets.  We talked about the purpose of a robot, and what all the parts are that make a robot a robot.  Then campers got to meet Alpha Trion - the EV3 teacher robot who they could send across the name circle and it would stop and greet each of them.  At the end of the day, each of our groups programmed the teacher bot to navigate a labyrinth of desks using different methods, including voice commands, gestures, serial code, and a script.  We'll be working more on programming tomorrow.

Day 1 Topics:

What's a robot?, What makes a robot a robot?, Designing a robot with a purpose, Programming a robot.

Day 1 Terms:

Computer, CPU, Sensor, Light, Sound, Touch, Motors, Servos

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Welcome!

Welcome to the Bellarmine Brick Bots blog.  This blog will follow the adventures of young roboticists on their quest for knowledge and fun.  This summer we'll be working with the Lego EV3 system.  Our roboticists will range from 1st through 4th grade, and will engage in a variety of challenges and activities to learn more about the nature of design and programming.