2009 Mobile Robotics Notes
An outline of topics to be addressed each day is presented below. This list is not complete; additional items are covered for most classes. If students are absent, they should consult these pages and check with the instructor concerning material missed.
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Summer Session Classes |
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Visual Basic |
Astronomy |
Mobile Robotics |
C++ |
Java |
Web Development |
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08:10 to 09:00 |
09:10 to 10:00 |
10:15 to 12:05 |
12:40 to 13:30 |
13:40 to 14:30 |
14:40 to 15:30 |
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Course Notes |
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June 7th |
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June 14th |
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June 21st |
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June 28th |
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July 5th |
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July 12th |
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| Vacuum Tube: 1946-1958 | Transistor; 1959-1964 | Integrated Circuit: 1965-1970 | Microprocessor: 1971 - present |
¢ Policies
Ø Academy and Summer Session
Ø Those of the instructor - visits to see principal - then dismissal
è Not allowed during class: emails, surfing net, playing games, using cell phones
This is a computer science class - it is not a nursery
è No personal computers in classroom
è Do not leave personal items in classroom at end of class - they will be removed and you may lose them
è You cannot leave class early without written permission from parent in advance
è No visits to classroom by others unless approved in advance by both Summer Session and me
è Do not sit on desks or tables
è Do not change configuration of computers in any way
è Do not drop parts
è Do not bring personal robotics parts to class and do not remove robotics parts from class
è No hats, caps or sound devices etc. on head
è All violations will be recorded in my notebook and appropriate action will be taken - without further warnings
¢ 10 minute break at half way point of 2 hour classes
Ø Go outside to designated area
Ø Do not leave designated area
¢ Courses I teach at the Academy
¢ Class picture
¢ Introduction to the course
Ø The TA
Ø The site: Notes, manual, assignments
¢ Teaching philosophy - LCD
Ø Some have more background than others
Ø Be considerate if at times I am covering (perhaps repeating) something you think you already know
¢ Distribute Web site card
¢ Distribute and initial for receipt of texts
¢ Lego NXT and visit to lab - room 143
Ø Labs conducted in room 143
Ø Each team will have access to a computer in room 143 that has all robotics software loaded
¢ Selection of 5 teams
Ø 4 teams with 3 members, one team with 2 members
Ø Each team (ideally) should have at least 1 member with some related experience - if not, then no problem
Ø For fairness in the competitions and other reasons, teams may change later
¢ Lego NXT Videos
¢ Remember my warning about paying attention and not assuming you know more than you do
¢ Distribute class picture - students complete
¢ Locomotion
Ø Options
Ø Examples
¢ Reasoning about the Environment
¢ In room 143 next class - in this classroom next Monday
¢ Start or continue construction of racer in room 143
¢ Start or continue construction of racer
¢ Wheeled Racer race
¢ There will be a short review exercise later in the class - student with highest score wins a robotics text on NXT
¢ Distribute passwords and students log on
¢ You may want to consider reading, bringing, and referring to your text for the remainder of the projects - competitions
Ø Using the code on the CD and the PCs
] Look at the Program List (directory) and find the Figure you want to see the code for - a name of the code will be given
] Find the code in the Programs directory
¢ Carnegie Mellon Video: NXT Code Examples
¢ NXT Programming Blocks (Text and Manuals, NXT Manuals)
Ø Project 1 was a simple construction and demonstration: Exercise 1
Ø Project 2 was a race
Ø Project 3: Line Follower Race - Exercise 11
Note: There is a link that includes construction details and the code. There is also some line following code in your text - I have installed the code on the PCs
¢ Follow the explanations - we are getting into some Computer Science Topics in more depth. This is not the Walmart toy section course...
¢ NXT code examples: Loops and Switches
¢ Look at the examples provided using NXT LabView software
¢ Will discuss line following programs tomorrow after the movie
¢ Here tomorrow for a robotics movie
¢ Movie: History of Robots - first part only
¢ Start Project 3: Line Follower Race - Exercise 11
¢ Work on Line Follower Race - Exercise 11
¢ Competition is tomorrow.
¢ Line Follower competition
¢ Upon entering classroom or lab (for Mobile Robotics) each day
Ø Keyboards and mice are sanitized - disinfected each afternoon
Ø TA will place hand sanitizer - disinfectant in your palm upon entering the lab each class
Ø Must be used before touching a keyboard
¢ Upon entering classroom or lab (for Mobile Robotics) each day
Ø Keyboards and mice are sanitized - disinfected each afternoon
Ø TA will place hand sanitizer - disinfectant in your palm upon entering the lab each class
Ø Must be used before touching a keyboard
¢ Movie: Robots Alive - 60 minutes
¢ Touch Sensor: Chapter 7: Discuss and students demonstrate the following programs from the Bishop text
Ø Delay Start
Ø Bumper1
¢ Navigation using touch sensor - Exercise 3
¢ Navigation using touch sensor - Exercise 3
¢ Navigation using touch sensor - Exercise 3
¢ Contest completion Monday and Tuesday
¢ Navigation using touch sensor - Exercise 3
¢ Navigation using touch sensor - Exercise 3 - completion
¢ The next contest - Robot Billiards - some pictures from last year and how the contest is scored
Ø We are using this for remote operations
Ø No programs will be written for this contest
Ø It incorporates remote operations (as opposed to the semi-autonomous operations with NXT that we have been using)
¢ Score sheet for the contest - copy for each team
¢ New batteries - for the RIS and for the remote
¢ Until now the activities have been autonomous - robot relies on programs only. In actual practice the robot uses a combination of autonomous operations with
human intervention - remote control.
¢ The next lab will focus on remote control - no programming
¢ The next contest - Robot Billiards - some pictures from last year and how the contest is scored
Ø We are using this for remote operations
Ø No programs will be written for this contest
Ø It incorporates remote operations (as opposed to the semi-autonomous operations with NXT that we have been using)
¢ Score sheet for the contest - copy for each team
¢ Construct robot for Robot Billiards contest
¢ Construct robot for Robot Billiards contest
¢ Construct robot for Robot Billiards contest - practice
¢ Status of Assignments and Projects
¢ Status of Assignments and Projects
¢ Status of Assignments and Projects
¢ Status of Assignments and Projects
¢ Prepare robots for open house
Work on final project
¢ Review of course
What we are trying to do in robotics
Major components: brain, sensors, end effectors, locomotion
NXT
sensors and considerations in use
light
sound
ultrasonic sound
touch
servo motors - what servo means
programming approach
programming components
good introduction to high-level languages such as C++, Java, and Visual Basic
loops
switches
timers
RCX for remote operations and more involved construction
Power supply options
Locomotion options
Plan before you build
Importance of teamwork
¢ Some thoughts in conclusion
ð The game of life and the scrap heap of history
ð The fallacy of osmosis as a learning approach
ð A useful experience or a lost opportunity
¢ Summer Session PowerPoint pictures