Robots are cool!
Here's your chance to build one of your own!
Project Choices
Pick a robot, either from the list of ideas you came up with or from ideas you got elsewhere. Getting an idea from an already-existing robot is fine, but YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO COPY IT! Look at the robot, study it for a bit, but then don’t refer to the already-existing robot again for your project.
You will need to build and program your robot pretty much on your own. I will help if you need it, but this should be your project.
Definition of a Robot
Whatever choice you make for your robot, it must satisfy our definition of a robot:
A robot is an autonomous device that reacts to its environment and performs a useful task.
If you could do the same thing with only motors and timers, it’s not a robot!
Art bot
Build a robot that draws pictures
Poking holes in a sheet of tinfoil
Drawing on a whiteboard
Make pictures some other way on some other media
Remember, though: your robot must react to its environment.
Music Bot
Build a robot that plays a musical instrument
Xylophone or Toy Piano
Guitar
Drums
Wind instrument?
Chore Bot
Build a robot that does a very simple chore
Stir your coffee (or hot chocolate)
Turn a page of a book
Set one side of a table with paper plates and plastic cutlery
Water plants each day
Pick up toys or dirty clothes off the floor
Sweep or mop the floor
Etc.
Pet Bot
Build a robot that helps take care of your pet
Feeds your pet
Cleans your pet’s cage
Etc.
Candy Dispenser Bot
Build a robot that can recognize a coin and dispense candy
Clock Bot
Build a robot that does something related to time
An alarm clock that MAKES you get up
Perhaps by running away from you
Perhaps by pulling your blanket from your bed
Perhaps by opening the blinds or curtains
A clock that displays the time without using the screen
A calendar robot that displays the day of week and month without using the screen
Somehow your robot must react to its environment!
Game Bot
Build a robot that plays a simple game
Tic tac toe
Connect-4
A board game
Climb Bot
Build a robot that can climb something
A wall
A rope
A pipe
A window
A flight of stairs
Sport Bot
Build a robot that plays a sport
Soccer
Tennis
Ping pong
Etc.
Domino Bot
Build a robot that stacks dominos
Walker Bot
Build a robot that can walk
2 legs
3 legs
4 legs
More?
It needs to be able to turn/change direction, perhaps following a line, or the wall or something.
React to the environment
Racer Bot
Build a robot that does really fast line following or drives on a gradient to know where the ‘road’ is
Train Bot
Build a robot that controls multiple LEGO trains on the same ‘rail line’
Prevent collisions
You need to have at least a couple of LEGO trains and track to do this one
Construction Bot
Build a construction-themed robot
Crane
Dump truck
Front end loader
Fork lift
Grader
Etc.
React to the environement!
Finder Bot
Build a robot that finds a specific (predetermined) object in a room
Navigate around the obstacles until it finds the object
Clear Table Bot
Build a robot that clears a table without falling off the table!
Paper Towel Bot
Build a robot that dispenses paper towels and can handle common problems
Besides just watching for someone to wave, you could also react to things like:
Out of paper
Paper jam
Stacker Bot
Build a robot that can neatly stack objects either horizontally or vertically
Hanoi Bot
Build a robot that can show the proper sequence of moves for an arbitrary “Towers of Hanoi”
Toilet Nanny Bot
Build a robot that flushes the toilet and/or lowers the seat if you forgot
Other Ideas
Mini-challenges from http://www.lugnet.com/org/us/smart/~48/ideas/future_challenges_long
You-Tube Videos
Search for “NXT”, or “LEGO robot”
There are 1000s of videos of robots that others have built
Remember – you can’t COPY the robot, but you CAN use the idea
Once you’ve watched the video, if you like it or think it’s a good idea, write down what you want your robot to do, and how it might do it. Then DON’T refer to the video again until after your own robot is done
Part One of Your Project
Pick a specific robot to build
Give it a name
Write out what your robot idea is
Write a couple of sentences about what the robot will do
Write a few sentences about how your robot will do it
You have a few weeks to choose, so think about it
Part Two of Your Project
By April 28th you should have at least a partially working robot. I’ll provide in-class help as we get close to that day. As you finish, you’ll give a presentation of your robot.
Presentations should be 3 to 5 minutes
Show your robot
Explain what it does and how
Describe what difficulties you had
Tell us what you learned while building it
Have a Plan
Both building and programming will likely require multiple attempts. Don’t be frustrated by this!
Often it’s best to work on the hardest part first. Is there a gripper? Some complicated steering mechanism? Something mechanically tricky? Work on that first, then build the rest of your robot around it