Saturday, June 28, 2014
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.
Friday, June 27, 2014
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!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
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.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
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 2 Topics:
Sequential programming, angles, comparing direct control and programming.
Monday, June 23, 2014
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
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
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.
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