Robotics and Control Technology Robotics with Lego Mindstorms NXT Loops and Logic with the Taskbot -...

Robotics and Control TechnologyRobotics with Lego Mindstorms NXTLoops and Logic with the Taskbot - Level 2

© Creative Learning

Systemswww.creativelearningsyst

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© Creative Learning Systems

www.creativelearningsystems.com

What You’ll Learn… How to use a loop command. How to use a switch command. How to manage data flow.

Stuff You’ll Need… A Taskbot from your activities in Level 1. If you don’t

have it available, make one using the instructions from the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Engineering, Volume 1 CD.



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Stuff You’ll Need… A Lego Mindstorms NXT kit

A computer with the Mindstorms NXT software installed.

Materials as specified for the activity you choose.

Carnegie Mellon Robotics Engineering CD,Volume 2, Introduction to Mobile Robotics



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ePortfolio Suggestions… Before you begin the activities in this Learning Launcher, write down anything

you already know about loops and logic programming. List three things you learned from the “What You Should Know…” section. Describe how you and your partner decided on which project to complete. Complete the worksheet attached to the project. Write complete paragraphs

for your answers. Take screen captures of your programming work and explain the purpose of

each instruction. One way to do this is to put a comment at each block within the programming software, then take a screen capture.

Give a real-life example of how a programming loop might be used. Take a video of your robot attempting a task. With the camera running, give

a commentary of what worked and what didn’t. Explain how you will improve the performance or fix a problem.



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What You Should Know… You should already be familiar with Lego Mindstorms

NXT programming. If you aren’t familiar with this software, review the “What You Should Know..” section of the Level 1 – Exploring Robotics with the Taskbot Learning Launcher.



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What You Should Know…In computer programming, there are three different ways decisions are made by the computer. These are called logic structures.

One of the ways is selection. In this approach, the computer is directed to respond to an “if – then – otherwise” situation. So, if A is true, then do X, otherwise do Y. In the NXT programming, you’ll do this with a switch block.

Another way is sequence. With sequence, the computer is directed to complete one task before moving onto the next one.

Finally, there is the loop logic structure. Loops constitute one of the most basic and powerful programming concepts. The robot is directed to repeat the question/decision commands either a designated number of times or indefinitely.



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Do It! In the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Engineering CD Volume II, click

on the “Advanced” button.

Using your Taskbot, complete the activities for “Loops”, “Switch Blocks”, and “Data Flow” found in the left-hand box.

Be sure to do all three activities!



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Do It! Next, click on the “Projects” button, and choose one of

the projects to learn about and complete. Remember that you can have the Robotics Engineering window and the NXT Mindstorms software window open at the same time so you can easily refer to each program.



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Extend Yourself… Make a maze for your robot to follow. Learn about logic flowcharts, and draw a yes-no logic flowchart that

starts with one question and ends with eight outcomes. Go online to learn more about how robotics are used in our

world today. Find a news article about recent discoveries or uses for robots. Complete an activity from Level 2 – More Taskbot Investigations

Learning Launcher. Attach a pencil or marker to your robot and program it to write the word

“yes” or “no”. You can find a plan for attaching the pencil or marker on the “Measured Turns” activity in the “Investigations” menu.

Choose and complete another one of the activities from the “Projects” menu.

Check out the Lego NXT website for more challenges. See what other NXT wizards are doing and post your projects!

Robotics and Control Technology Robotics with Lego Mindstorms NXT Loops and Logic with the Taskbot -...

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