Lecture 7

tutor: Luisa Dal Pozzo
Preparation to the challenges at Venice

1. Presentation and discussion of the challenge 1: MAZE (60 mins) [download the file with rules and organization of this challenge]
• possible strategies
• sensor to use:
  • ultrasonic and gyro for the maze crossing
  • color for identify the tiles
  • infrared and touch for the victim
• structure updating
• individual approach
2. Presentation and discussion of the challenge 2: PENALTY (60 mins) [download the file with rules and organization of this challenge]
• possible strategies
• sensor to use:
  • gyro to drive the path
  • color to follow the supporting line
  • touch to feel the ball
  • infrared to score the goal
• structure updating
• individual approach
3. Presentation and discussion of the challenge 3: SOCCER (60 mins) [download the file with rules and organization of this challenge]
• discussion of the rules
• possible strategies
• sensor to use:
  • IR beacon to send the commands
  • infrared to receive the commands
  • gyro for the maze crossing
• structure updating
• individual approach
4. Presentation and discussion of the possible structures of the robot in the different challenges [download the file]

Lecture 6

tutor: Luisa Dal Pozzo

1. Lesson 8: How to do a challenge
• Example of challenge: avoid an obstacle keeping the same direction
  • initial brainstorming:
    • presentation of the challenge
    • identification of the problems
    • evaluation of the sensors to use
• divide et impera:
  • breaking up the challenge into pieces that individually raise less difficults
• preliminary steps:
  1. run straight in your direction until 10 cm from the obstacle
  2. soft stop
  3. turn 180° around the obstacle
  4. run again in the original direction
• tasks testings
• feedback:
  1. every team presents the software solutions and the obtained results
  2. common discussion
  3. pros and cons of each strategy

Lecture 5

tutor: Luisa Dal Pozzo

1. Lesson 5: More about Sensors: ultrasonic, color and gyro
• Ultrasonic sensor, accuracy and range, distance reading
  • elements conditioning the reading
  • example of wall following
• Color sensor and line follower
  • reflecting mode or color identification mode?
  • line follower (the problems of the use of only one-sensor)
  • effect and use of the proportional approach
  • effect and use of the derivative approach
  • effect and use of the integral approach
• challenge on PID line follower

Extra lecture (in preparation of the Lithuanian meeting

tutor: Alessandro Memo

1. Lesson 5: Sensors (2): ultrasonic, infrared and gyro
• Ultrasonic sensor, technology, range, experimental evaluation, sensor's mode
• example 25: run against a wall until, and discussion of the suggested code
• example 26: run away from a wall (5 min)
• discussion of the proposed possible solution
• example 27: soft approach to a wall (15 min)
• example 28: hand controlled robot
• comment of the proposed possible solution
• Challenge: arounf the tower 2, modify the robot structure
• comment of the obtained results and problems, and discussion of the proposed possible solution
• Infrared sensor, technology, comparing to the ultrasonic sensor
• ir proximity mode, accuracy, reading method
• ir seeker mode, polar coordinators
• Challenge: radar emulation (30 min), introduction of images on the PC screen
• comment of the obtained results, and discussion of the proposed possible solution
• ir remote control mode
• Challenge: R/C robot (15 min)
• comment of the obtained results, and discussion of the proposed possible solution
• Challenge: mixed maze (25 min)
• comment of the obtained results, and discussion of the proposed possible solution
• Gyro sensor, precautions, the reset action
• gyro angle mode, how to reads, test program
• Challenge: around the tower 3 (20 min)
• comment of the obtained results, and discussion of the proposed possible solution
• example 36: go straight with gyro, and discussion of the proposed solution
• Challenge: maze solving (40 min)
• comment of the obtained results, and discussion of the proposed possible solution

Lecture 4

date: 18 February 2016 tutor: Alessandro Memo

1. Lesson 4: Sensors (1): touch & color
• 3-levels Line follower
• comment of the proposed solution, the difficulties to adjust the parameters
• 3-levels Line follower, another solution introducing a soft/sharp control
• comment of the proposed solution, a smoother movement
• the proportional approach to the line follower, more the error stronger the correction
• example 16 (v2): test of this method, and comment of the obtained results
• PID: Proportional, Integrative Derivative approach
• example 16 (v3): PID line follower
• challenge: follow a curved line in the faster way(20 min)
• comment on the previous challenge
• challenge: sequential movements(10 min)
• comment on the previous challenge and discussion of a possible solution
• color sensor in ambient mode, simple examples
• example 18: flash controlled robot (10 min)
• color sensor in color recognition mode
• example 19: color identification, presentation of a possible solution and introduction to the array initialization
• challenge: slalom (30 min)
• comment of the results obtained in the previous challenge
• challenge: around the tower (30 min)
• comment of the results obtained in the previous challenge and discussion on the proposed solution
• short hits on the RGB mode of the color sensor
• challenge: color components (10 min)
• comment of the results obtained in the previous challenge and discussion on the proposed solution
• challenge: garbage cleaner (30 min)
• comment of the results obtained in the previous challenge and discussion on the proposed solution
• challenge: object recognition (30 min)
• only proposed
• challenge: rescue mission (40 min)
• comment of the results obtained in the previous challenge

Comments:Good partecipation and interest, expecially for the students directly involved in the incoming meeting.

Lecture 3

date: 4 February 2016 tutor: Alessandro Memo

1. Lesson 3: Motors
• previously on motors
2. Lesson 4: Sensors (1): touch & color
• Sensor methods, generalised approach, raw and percentage readings, operational modes
• Touch sensor
• Robot assembly to use the touch sensor to detect an obstacle
• example: four walls (30 mins)
• comment of a proposed solution of the previous example 13, the init section, variable initialization section, main section
• Color sensor, operational modes, technology, LEDs, RGB.
• Color sensor: reflected mode, different colored surfaces,
• 2-levels Line follower, the threshold value
• file management on PC and on brick, CSV file, example of subroutine, differences between function and subroutine, comment of the example 14, introduction of the flow-chart rappresentation
• hints on 3-levels Line follower

Comments:Some students do very quickly the submitted examples and challenges. Time schedule respected.

Lecture 2

date: 28 January 2016 tutor: Alessandro Memo

1. Lesson 2: Brick I/O (completion)
• the LED under the bottons, the command (summary)
• the speaker, commands to generate tone, notes and sound files (summary)
• how to use EV3Explorer to upload the programs on the brick
2. Lesson 3: Motors (presentation ppt, see materials)
• parameters: speed vs power, how the motor controller keeps constant speed or power
• parameters: blocking vs returning, wait for the end of the command or return the control immediately to the next instruction
• parameters: control of the different speeds of two motors
• parameters: acceleration, running, deceleration
• example: up and down arm (5 mins)
• example: move straight 50 cm (10 mins)
• comment of a proposed solution of the previous example 7, the geometry of the robot, angular speed (degree) approach vs time approach; the sections of a good program, initial commenting section, variable initialization section, main section
• challenge: take an object at 40 cm (15 mins)
• example: sequence; comment of a proposed solution introducing the subroutines, global variables, particular functionality of the subroutines in EV3Basic
• turning movement using only one motor
• turning movement on the place using two motors
• turning movement of different angles using two motors
• example: turn right 90 degrees, on the place (5 mins)
• comment of a proposed solution of the previous example 10, self evaluation of the parameters
• challenge: squared path (15 mins)

Comments: Good interaction and partecipation, good results. Most of the students have send their photo (as requested) while all the students have proposed their blog. To evaluate. Time schedule respected.

per la lezione del 28 Gennaio

ATTENZIONE a tutti gli studenti!
Ricordatevi che per la prossima lezione dovete:

1. mandare una vostra foto, possibilmente aggiornata, da inserire in questo blog, al prof. Memo (a.memo@tin.it). Per favore, non di dimensioni assurde (dimensioni perfette: 120 x 150 pixels)
2. creare un blog, in uno spazio a vostra scelta, dove riportare i commenti ed i materiali della lezione precedente

Lecture 1

date: 21 January 2016 tutor: Alessandro Memo

1. course introduction and rules
2. Lesson 1: intro (presentation ppt, see materials)
• installation problems (.NET framework compatibility)
• use of SmallBasic user interface
• description of the differences between LEGO visual programming and EV3Basic, compatibility with the LEGO brick, necessity to download the compiled program from PC to Brick. The description of the use of the utility EV3Explorer was postponed to the next lesson because the software was not already installed in the PCs.
• comment of an easy example of the use of the conditional command (If ... Then ... Else ... EndIf)
• exercise: show in order two strings entered by keyboard (5 mins)
• exercise: show a comment on the temperature entered by keyboard, suggesting the use of the keyword ElseIf; the students have to discover the use of the help of the IDE(10 mins)
• comment of a proposed solution of the previous example
• comment of two easy examples of the use of the loop commands (For ... To ... Step ... EndFor)
3. Lesson 2: Brick I/O (presentation ppt, see materials)
• exercise: the display in Text Mode, sliding text (10 mins)
• comment of a proposed solution of the previous example 2 and introduction to the program style (insertion of comments, declaration zone at the beginning of the program, indent, try changes to learn, action - reaction of a program)
• exercise: the display in Graph Mode, a pattern with a single loop (10 mins)
• comment of a proposed solution of the previous example 3
• the buttons, asynchronous mode (when the moment of program's reading is different by the moment of the physical change) and synchronous mode (when the program read the current status of the buttons)
• exercise: move the robot with the buttons
• comment of a proposed solution of the previous example 4, two different approaches, elegance of the software

Comments: The interest and the reaction of the students to the lesson has been very good, so I have had the possibility to accelerate during the exercises, to mantein a high level of partecipation for the whole lesson. We'll see the results (remember or forgot?) in the next lesson.