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Peter Vogel / homeworkV

Homework V

Part I

Study the following RoboLab program and the picture of the robot that runs it:

Now answer the following questions:

What is the effect of turning one motor off while leaving the other running?
What do you think a robot running this program does? (Don’t explain each programming icon. Instead, describe the overall behavior of the robot. There is an example of what I am seeking on the reverse of this page.)

Part II

Attached is a printed version of a web page by an extremely talented LEGO® Technic™ builder from England. http://www.telepresence.strath.ac.uk/jen/lego/ls160.htm Read the page and answer the following questions:

What were some of the challenges Jennifer faced in designing a LEGO® model of the skid-steer loader?
Was Jennifer able to build the model directly from her ideas on the first try?

Part III

We will begin intra-team competitions next week. The first competition will involve racing robot cars on the floor, with the winner being determined by a combination of the time the robot takes to get from the starting line to the finish line and how close to the finish line (a black line on the floor) the robot stops. In order to prepare for Tuesday, answer the following questions:

List at least two ways you could improve the speed of the bumper car robot you have already built. (It may be helpful to review portions of The Art of LEGO® Design.)
How can your robot “know” it has crossed the finish line and stop?

Example to accompany Part I

This robot watches for a bright light (> 59% light from the light sensor) and moves forward until the light can no longer be seen. When the light gets below 59%, the robot stops. The program runs continuously until stopped by pressing the “run” button.

Primary content in this document is © Peter Vogel. All other text, images, or trademarks in this document are the intellectual property of their respective owners.