Silly Cozmo videos (updated)

As a bit of fun some videos using Anki's Cozmo.




Did really mean for this one to be as dark as this.


Moody Cozmo - Normally happy, but just don't put it on it's side.



Related link: http://robotsandphysicalcomputing.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/cozmo.html 

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. Twitter @scottturneruon

Bigtrak's little sibling - Rover

Recently bought a Bigtrak Rover, kind of the smaller 'sibling' of a Bigtrak (see above). 

Mobile Phone
It has the some of the same functionality as the Bigtrak, though no cannon sound. Control is via an iPhone or Android phone app, giving the same direction and number of steps functions (see below) found on the larger Bigtrak.

Control via another device.

What is different to the Bigtrak is it can be controlled remotely from a PC, Mac or Tablet via a web interface. It also uses the phone's camera to provide a video stream and remote control via on-screen controls. What it doesn't have is programmable control (or I haven't found it yet). The web interface is Flash based; so there may be problems running this on iPads.

Overall
A Nice, little robot that use the phone to control the robot.  A set of cones gives the option of setting up an obstacle course. Once the app is installed it is very easy to get going with this. Would have liked programming from a PC or Mac. At the price, this is a good fun piece of kit. 


Related Links

• Phiro Pro Robots
• Kamibot

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. Twitter @scottturneruon

CBiS Education Micro:Bit based Robot Car

At PiWars 2017 (1st-2nd April 2017), thanks to the generosity of CBiS Education, I now have one of their BBC micro:bit RobotCar^™ . It is a sturdy bit of kit, encased in an aluminum chassis with a clear acrylic screen - it feels substantial when you pick it up. 

It is based around fours motors, control by a Micro:Bit, via L298N based motor controller/shield. Batteries power, 8 AAs, the motors and a Lithium powerbank to power the Micro:Bit - all included. 

More information about the technical details and example software can be found on their site https://www.cbis.education/robotic-car-kit# including further details on the L298N based motor controller/shield, which I found useful for programming it. 

I have experimented briefly with programming it in Python (micropython), getting it to it move forward, backward; to the right and left, using the Mu editor. 

The code is shown below for those who want to try it:

from microbit import *


def forward(n):
    pin13.write_digital(1)
    pin16.write_digital(1)
    sleep(n)
    
def backward(n):
    pin14.write_digital(1)
    pin15.write_digital(1)
    sleep(n)

def stopit(n):
    pin13.write_digital(0)
    pin14.write_digital(0)
    pin15.write_digital(0)
    pin16.write_digital(0)
    sleep(n)

def spinLeft(n):
    pin13.write_digital(1)
    pin15.write_digital(1)
    sleep(n)

def spinRight(n):
    pin14.write_digital(1)
    pin16.write_digital(1)
    sleep(n)


while True:
    forward(500)
    stopit(1000)
    backward(500)
    stopit(1000)
    spinRight(1000)
    stopit(1000)
    spinLeft(1000)
    stopit(1000)


This thing is quick. I like the feel of it, you pick it up and it doesn't feel like it is going to fall apart; because it comes all assembled - including batteries, it is ready to go. I look forward to trying some more ideas on it.

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. Twitter @scottturneruon

My photo experience at PiWars 2017

I was only able to stay at Pi Wars for a short while on Saturday 1st April. Even so, as a spectator, it was good fun. Here are a few pictures (and a video) for the day.




Skittles - The course designers don't make anything easy.

Golf Course

Obstacle Course 

It was not all robots, here is a Pi Controlled Drum Machine

My new toys

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. Twitter @scottturneruon

Micro:bit, PXT, Micro:pixel and Rainbows

Continuing to play with PXT (http://pxt.microbit.org) and the Micro:bit, I wanted to try this in combination with a Proto-Pic Micro-pixel board with its 32 neopixel LEDs.

The routine (shown in the screenshot below) use the Neopixels package (use the add package option on the menu to add it) to do two things:

• On pressing button B - cycle through the colours and shift the colour to the next pixel producing a shifting pattern.
• On pressing button  A - the pixels are cleared one by one.

Code is shown above, and thank you to Jonathan "Peli" de Halleux (@pelikhan) for pointing out the redundant code I had left in, it is appreciated.

The video below shows the system in action:




You can try the code out in the simulator below:

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. Twitter @scottturneruon

Micro:bit Hot-Cross Buns with Microsofts's PXT (with video)

Just been playing with Microsoft's PXT language for the Micro:bit - so had a go at 'Hot Cross Buns'. Nice to see it shows in the simulator the wiring connections to the speakers.

Hot-Cross Buns - runs on either button A or B being  pressed. 
By the way if the sound is anoying you, press the stop button on the simulator below.

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. Twitter @scottturneruon

Phiro Pro Robot - a little box of fun.

Phiro Pro is a recently released education robot kit from Robotix Learning Solutions. Designed to be flexible, you can add LEGO to it or work without it; sensors on the sides, front and bottom; built-in speaker and RGB controllable 'headlights'.

One of the other interesting features is the robot can be controlled in three general ways/modes:

• Using buttons on the robot to enter a sequence of moves - a bit like a Bigtrak; 
• Using swipe-cards (see the figures below)
• Programming using:
• Scratch - Mac or PC
• Snap4Phiro - Arduino programming PC/Mac/Linux basded.
• Pocketcode on smartphone.

The first two are fun and are also available on their lower-priced Phiro Unplugged version, but the real (for me any way) is programming it. So far I have only played with the Scratch instructions (see below) - getting it to move to key presses and to get the 'headlights' to cycle through a range of colours.

The software is free to download and there are numbers of lessons and activities on the site - the only criticism of the site is the manuals for the software were not very easy to find,  included in the section for the lesson  (though I might have missed another way to get to them).

Setting it up is up is relatively easy, but the instructions need to followed carefully - I set-up the software in the wrong folder (not following the instructions properly) and it delayed geeting it working. It is good fun to play with in all the modes (my favourite is programming though). 

The stated research backing is good to see on the website, but then I am biased (see the last one).

More about this robot kit can be found at http://www.robotixedu.com/phiro.aspx or Twitter at 

‎@RobotixLS

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. Twitter @scottturneruon