Robots and Physical Computing

These little devices provide something different to a code. To see the coding interface go to  http://www.codebug.org.uk/  (or see figures 1 and 2) and click on create. Last two weeks Week 1  The code clubbers initially shared machines, playing with the CodeBug environment, practice downloading to the bug, writing a routine to scroll their short message. The challenge was then to develop a routine to have a smiley face and a grumpy face scroll across the screen. Week 2 All have access to the simulation and code generation on codebug.org.uk but this time they don’t have the CodeBug each, they have complete a challenge and run it on the simulation before get a CodeBug to try it. This week's challenge was to get the smiley and grumpy face from week 1 to be selected via the buttons (A and B) - so it involved a loop and conditional statements. Most of them picked it up very quickly. Two version were built - I reconstructed the ideas in f...

Experimenting with an Aldebaran NAO robot - nicknamed Smurf - to get the robot to deliver a short welcome. The video below show the robot being simulated using the code in figure 1 and then shows the 'Smurf' actually carrying out the routine (the bottom video show this bit without the simulator). The only difference in the code on the simulator and the one running on the actual robot was an extra command was added at the start of the one on the robot to only start when the top of the head is tapped. figure 1. Choregraphe program for the routine. All opinions in this blog are the Author's and should not in any way be seen as reflecting the views of any organisation the Author has any association with.

A simple transistor circuit is used here to get the CodeBug to control a small motor, turning it on or off. Drawn using Schemeit ( http://www.digikey.co.uk/schemeit/project/ )  The motor used here was a small cell-phone vibration motor, but it has been tried with other small motors. Using ‘leg 1’ to switch the motor on or off, +5v comes from the CodeBug PWR connector and GND come from the CodeBug. It can only drive the motor in one direction. In the code below Button A switches on the motor and Button B switches the motor off. All opinions in this blog are the Author's and should not in any way be seen as reflecting the views of any organisation the Author has any association with.

Codebug is great fun, the Blockly programming is more challenging than Scratch but that is ok.  As a test a Codebug was used to control two glowbugs (see  http://www.codebug.org.uk/learn/activity/74/glowbugs-wearables/#step446 for more details on Glowbugs and working with them on the Codebug).  Routine Repeat   Set the  Glowbugs 0 and 1 to yellow;   Scroll a message across the 5x5 grid saying yellow;   if button A is pressed     Set the Glowbugs 0 and 1 to red;     Scroll a message across the 5x5 saying red;   if button B is pressed     Set the Glowbug 0 to blue;     Scroll a message across the 5x5 saying blue;   All opinions in this blog are the Author's and should not in any way be seen as reflecting the views of any organisation the Author has any association with.

#TMPlaydate @UniNorthants bringing together arts and science with education for teachers. Looking forward to this duo pic.twitter.com/QPcAfO4r9N — Steve Taylor (@SteveTaylorArts) June 8, 2016 Red and Tom at #tmplaydate pic.twitter.com/ijGGMeSrFb — Scott Turner (@scottturneruon) June 8, 2016 Getting ready to talk about the Robot Arm project at #tmplaydate @santanderuk @UniNorthants pic.twitter.com/tpYbRM4WTP — Scott Turner (@scottturneruon) June 8, 2016 @JeanEd70 @scottturneruon I always wondered what your belly button was for... — Alan Calderwood (@calderwa) June 8, 2016 Red is showing offer 'her' tricks today - some of the time! #TMPlaydate pic.twitter.com/gNMuwFDT9A — Scott Turner (@scottturneruon) June 8, 2016 Robots, stop-go animation & multisensory learning. All part of tonight's #tmplaydate @HelenCaldwel @scottturneruon pic.twitter.com/HBrgm4DIJ8 — UniofNorthamptonNews (@UniNhantsNews) June 8, 2016 "We have...

Santander UK  recently provided the funding for a project I have want to do for a while; to loan robot arm kits, which are pretty much self-contained, out to schools to see what they come up with. The idea being to provide the kit for a year and the schools taking part write a blog post (or more than one), sharing what they have done.   The chosen kit is the  CBiS Education robot arm hub  because it comes with the robot arm, cables, raspberry pi, etc as well as screen, keyboard and mouse in one go (see the picture above). The kits should start going out some of the schools next week. I am grateful to Santander UK for the funding;  CBiS Education  for their support and advice so far; last but not least the schools who have enthusiastically expressed an interest in taking part. The blog is at:  http://robotschools.blogspot.co.uk/ All opinions in this blog are the Author's and should not in any way be seen as reflecting the views...