Student "edition" found at {csi dot journalspace dot com}.

Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

In the first meetings of my Introduction to Robotics classes for the seventh week of the third term, they continued their work on their Rover Robot to make it fit inside the maze for use in their second project.

Some have decided on the design where the brain box of the robot is vertical, while others have stuck to the horizontal design with the motors and wheels directly below the assembly. The advantage for one group of the first design was that they were the only ones whose robot could turn around in the one-lane hallway.

The original double bumpers for the Rover Robot had to be scrapped because it would not fit in the maze, so they all made their own designs for new bumpers, but all still using the rubber bands with the kit.

One group was thinking of using three touch sensors instead of two, to check the front of the maze as well, to find out when they can make the car run in reverse.

But since all groups are only given two touch sensors each, and there was a huge doubt that the other groups would trade anything for them, some had to do with other methods.

There was a group, for instance, that just put a rounded bumper in front that is connected to both touch sensors, and added a clause in their program for a different action if both sensors are pressed at the same time.

Another group went for a front wheel drive design, with the two back wheels being as free as those of a shopping cart. The problem with this was that it gave an element of randomness whenever the robot was reversing. They might want it to go to the left, and only one of the two front wheels may turn, but because of the position of the back wheels, it may go in a completely opposite direction.

Yet a fourth group asked if they could just hold their brain box above the maze connected to the car by the longest wires that comes with the kit. I said I would allow that, but only if the brain box itself is also tied to a rope and suspended – absolutely not near anyone’s fingers for a possible manual steering.

Session 1005 needed lacked a third touch sensor, but had an extra motor. Class dismissed.