UDL Lego Robotics Introduction

UDL Robotics Introduction

Welcome to learning about Robotics using Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0

This picture is an example of a robot built with Lego Mindstorms NXT.

This book and lesson has been created to get you started with Lego's Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Education kit. The companion wiki to this book is available at:

http://udlinrobotics.pbworks.com/

You can probably adapt it to the retail version too.

To discover more about Mindstorms, visit the following site:

http://mindstorms.lego.com/

Check out the coaches below (Bot, Monty, and Hali)

What is Robotics?

Robots are loosely defined as a machine that imitates the actions we are capable of.

There are a few things they are usually able to do:

1. Think autonomously.
2. Receive information about its surroundings .
3. Manipulate or move something (or itself) in physical space.

Check out the following link to learn more about Robotics.This website gives us lots of cool history about Robotics.

http://www.thetech.org/robotics/universal/index.html

We're going to begin by building our first LEGO robot.

The user guide for the entire kit is found here:

http://cache.lego.com/downloads/education/9797_LME_UserGuide_US_low.pdf

To find guidebook in your box that looks the picture seen above, you'll need to find the individual build guides.

They are available here:

http://www.lego.com/education/school/default.asp?locale=2057&pagename=dsnxt&l2id=3_2&l3id=3_2_5&l4id=3_2_5_3

The Driving Base that you see above, without the sensors can be obtained from here:

http://cache.lego.com/downloads/education/BI_Driving_Base.pdf

1. Look at all the different pieces!

2. Discover what fits with what.

3. Is it like any other Lego you've ever used?

This image was taken from Page 8 of the Mindstorms 2.0 Guidebook.

The following pages will give you hints and tips, along with the final creation.

If you'd like to create the robot yourself (without the instructions), go ahead. Just go to the next page to see what it looks like, and what it needs to do.

Even if you are going through the step by step instructions, please continue until this book tells you to start.

Here is the robot that you will need to build.

In addition to what you see, you will need to mount the following sensors:

• Ultrasonic (motion) sensor
• Sound sensor

When you are done, skip to page 11 of this book. (To do this, type in the page number in the box at the top of this window... change the 7 to a 11)

If you would like some hints on putting together this robot, please continue on.

Carefully jiggle the axle into the servo-motor . It's a very tight fit in some of the servo-motors .

You can get it in, but you need to be persistent . Don't force it, just try to work different angles or swap axles.

Do you notice how it says 1:1 beside each of the parts?

That's the scale. If you place the Lego piece overtop of the picture, it should be the exact same size.

1:1 means 1 to 1. Check out what bot says about scales.

This is what the bottom looks like when you have it finally assembled. Becareful of the orientation , it's a little tricky.

The next step! Welcome to the Minefield Challenge.

Here is your mission:

1. Attach touch, sound, and ultrasonic sensors (also found in the NXT 2.0 Guidebook) to your robot.
2. Adapt and program the robot to perform the minefield challenge.

Here are the rules for the Minefield:

• You will design and program your robot to navigate through an obstacle course, which will have many metal washers.

• On your robot, you can place a magnet provided to your team. You can tape this magnet onto any part of your robot.

• Using the touch, sound, and ultrasonic sensors you can cue your robot to move the magnet over any of the washers.

• You may not pickup or touch your robot once you have started it in the minefield.

• You will have five minutes to pick up as many mines as possible.

Use Inspiration or Smart Ideas to Brainstorm with your group what your robot needs to do, who will be assigned to adapting and who will be assigned to programming.

Variation of Minefield Challenge - 1

Put more than one mindstorms robot in the maze. Design your robot to both pick up the mines and steal them from your opponent.

Variation #2 - Capture and Release

Pick up your mines and then drop them and them (optionally your magnet) into a designated capture area.

Same five minute time limit.

Additional Resources

Check out the following ideas and links:

The companion wiki to this UDL Book.

http://udlinrobotics.pbworks.com/

The example brainstorm activity in the wiki:

http://udlinrobotics.pbworks.com/Wiki+-+Collaborative+Space