Robots and Physical Computing

For a few years, I have been a fan of Aframe and AR.js - these are fantastic tools for creating web-based Virtual and Augmented Reality.  Now AR.js has just got easier - no coding need with the Beta version of AR.js Studio https://ar-js-org.github.io/studio/ The start screen above gives you the option of location-based or Marker-based projects, I am selecting marker-based and then pressed Start building. I am going to use the premade marker but you can upload your own )there is a guide to what makes a good marker ). The premade marker you can download from the site using the download marker link underneath the marker. Apart from that, you don't have to do anything else to select the marker. Now you choose whether you want 3D object, image or video. So for this experiment, I going to use a free 3D model from  https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/duck-6e039c6c606c4c26a1359514352629fd  produced by likangning93 and released under a creative commons licence on Sketchfab . It i...

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In this series of posts, I am going to look at experimenting with a few  tools that allow robots to be simulated, programmed, these are ideally web-based, free and simple to use. In this post,the focus is on one that has been around for a while Makecode for the  LEGO Mindstorms EV3  robotics kit available at  https://makecode.mindstorms.com/#editor  another example of the flexible MakeCode format. A very useful guide to using this coding tool is available at  https://makecode.com/blog/lego/05-15-2018 This time it does not give you a built robot but a programmable simulation of the Brick, all the sensors and motors; which it automatically connects together depending on the code (see above). I like this idea it means it is flexible, as well as encouraging thinking about the design and operations of the programs before trying it out physically. So to experiment with it.  I played with a number of elements: When touch sensor is pressed (lo...

BBC micro bot - tweeting BBC Basic (updated) BBC Mirco Bot site  https://www.8bitkick.cc/bbc-micro-bot.html  - where you tweet  @bbcmicrobot  and run BBC Basic code on BBC Micro emulator. It returns a video of your code running. Programming Robots Virtually 1 - VEXcode VR For a number of years, I have been playing with robots as a means of developing programming/coding skills with students.  Coral Dev Board and Raspberry Pi This is the second of a planned occasional series of posts on playing with some of the current AI specific add-on processors for Intenet of  things (IoT) Programming Robots Virtually 2: iRobot Simulator In this series of posts, I am going to look at experimenting with a few  tools that allow robots to be simulated, programmed PS3 Controller to move a USB Robot Arm Guest Blogger Hiren Mistry, Nuffield Research Placement Student working at the University of Northampton. Ho...

In this series of posts, I am going to look at experimenting with a few  tools that allow robots to be simulated, programmed, ideally web-based, free and simple to use. In this post, I am looking at iRobots recently released free tool that can be used on computers, tablets and phone to program a simulated  iRobot Root robot  targetted at educational use. The initial inspiration for looking at this was through an  IEEE Spectrum online article ; the tool is web-based app and can be found at  https://code.irobot.com/#/   In my opinion, it's most interesting feature is the same code can be written in three different ways. The codes below were the same thing (touch the left sensor turns and draws left, similarly for the right sensor; and lastly when front bump sensor touched it moves forward and plays a C) on all three levels. You only need to write it in one and it is usually available in all three levels, potentially good for transitioning betwee...

For a number of years, I have been playing with robots as a means of developing programming/coding skills with students. The problem is when classes get larger or it is used as part of an assessment there is very rarely enough robots to satisfy all the students  Turner and Hill (2008) . So therefore, the search has been on for a tool that allows robots to be simulated, programmed, ideally web-based, free and simple to use. Lately, a number of interesting tools have arisen. In this series of posts, I am going to look at experimenting with a few of them. In this post, starting by looking at VEXCode VR - available at  https://vr.vex.com/ . VEXcode VR  https://vr.vex.com/   from VEX Robotics ( https://www.vexrobotics.com/ ) is a simulator and programming tool for their Scratch-like programming tool VEXCode - at the time of writing is free. If you can do Scratch this is a nice next stage, consisting of the simulator (playground) and the programming environment (s...

I assume others have been playing with it for a while, but yesterday I can across the BBC Mirco Bot site  https://www.8bitkick.cc/bbc-micro-bot.html  - where you tweet  @bbcmicrobot  and run BBC Basic code on BBC Micro emulator. It returns a video of your code running.  For those of us, who either had (I didn't - ahh) or wanted a BBC Micro (that is me) it is a cool thing; combining tweeting and programming on one go. I had a go yesterday Last try @bbcmicrobot 10 REM Area of a circle 20 Radius=5 30 MODE 8 40 FOR loop=1 TO 20 50 MOVE 150,200 60 PLOT 145,Radius*loop,0 70 NEXT 80 RUN — Dr Scott Turner (@scottturneruon) April 2, 2020 This was returned pic.twitter.com/hGnijtpx0T — BBC Micro 🦉 bot (@bbcmicrobot) April 2, 2020 Have a go it is fun. @bbcmicrobot 10 MODE 18 15 FOR i=1 TO 15 20 COLOUR 128+i 30 PRINT TAB(29,10);"Twitterchats Rock " 50 PRINT TAB(36,10);" #LTHEchat #CASChat " 70 NEXT i — Dr Scott Turner (@scottturneruon...