3.1.5 Robo Pro: Variable Funcitons

This really prepared me for the later projects because it helped me learn how to use variables to help me in more advanced projects

In this program, we were supposed to write a program that uses variables to control the number of times a light turns on and off. We learned that variables can represent anything that has a value so we applied that to our program.

3.1.4 Robo Pro: Branch Functions

This was a packet in which we learned how to connect multiple things and programs and basically how to use an on and off switch to make a lamp turn on and off. This packet really helped when we were doing activity 3.1.7 in that we had to use switches and a lot of connected programs to make the program actually work. We also learned how to make a program go back to a certain point until it is done correctly. Also, we learned how to use a potentiometer and how it can  be used almost as a switch.
below is a picture of our program and hardware.

Activity 3.1.7 Robo Pro: Machine Control Design

This section of Robo Pro tasked us to create two different machines that did different things. The two machines that we created were the Cookie Dropper,
Problem 7: Chocolate Cookie Topper (Hardware Level 4 Software Level 2) 
A cookie factory needs your team to design a device that will put a chocolate drop 
on top of their peanut butter cookies. The machine must position a cookie on a 
separate device that will then move it into position for a dropper to descend and 
dispense the chocolate drop. The cookie with the chocolate drop should then move 
to another position where it will be placed with other finished cookies to await 
inspection and packaging. 

and the Delivery Control Vehicle
Problem 3: Delivery Vehicle Control (Hardware Level 2 Software Level 4)
An assembly plant would like for your team to design a vehicle to drive in a straight
line back and forth to deliver batches of parts. The vehicle must travel back and forth
based on input from a potentiometer. For safety reasons you must include an
emergency shutoff in case the vehicle travels too far in either direction.

Activity 3.1.6 Robo Pro: Closed Circuits

This project was to create a car that traveled back and forth on a track that turned by using buttons and sensors. This one was the first real project that was hard, but it was still fun to create. Here is a picture of our hardware and the software we used to make it go.

The first one used buttons, by turning the car the other direction when one of the buttons was pressed. The other one sensed when a light sensor was blocked from its light source by the car, and trigger the car to change directions until it hit the other sensor.

Activity 1.3 Basic Programming: Robo Pro

To get an introduction to the Robopro software and hardware, we had to write a program to turn on a motor for 3 seconds and then turn it off again. This was really easy to write, and the hardware wasn't very hard either.

Activity 3.1.1. Inputs and Outputs

In class on Thursday 18 of April, Dylan B., Daniel D., and I worked on a programming activity in which was our intro into our robotics project. 
Here are some pictures of the activity pages!

This was a picture of the final process in the activity in which we used a lamp, a photoresistor, and a phototransister to make the lamp give readings into the robo program!

GATE Game

Gate is a game where you have to move a robot to an exit using logic gates, which teaches rudimentary programming. I got to level 14, which I could not get past no matter how I tried. Here are is a picture of the game:

This game helped to teach me to think critically, and introduced me to the programming idea of flowcharting. I worked with Dylan Baker and Daniel Dedina to solve the puzzles.

Toothpick Bridge Challenge

In class, for about a week, groups were created and tasked with the challenge of creating a bridge out of toothpicks. The point of the bridge was trying to make a bridge with the best weight to strength ratio; weight of the bridge to the weight of the batteries it can hold. My group was made up of Daniel D. , Dylan B., John R., and I. My group had a 72/1 ratio, strength to weight.

Here were the Criteria and Constraints:

Criteria (Goal!)
Build the bridge with the highest strength to weight ratio (most weight prior to breaking vs the weight of the design).

Constraints(Toothpick version)
-Bridge may not weigh more than 50 grams.
-Bridge must span a 12” gap.
-Bridge must be at least one toothpick length wide.
-Bridge must be at least one toothpick length in height.
-No more than 8 toothpicks touching in parallel at any point.
-Materials:
Construction Materials:
-One pack of 800 Count “Royal” toothpicks.
-Glue guns and glue
-Fabrication materials:
-cardboard and wax paper to prevent glue mess.
-graphpaper to layout design.
-Keep your workspace clean!
-Clean any messes you make!

My team came in third place with the 72/1 ratio; the first place had around a 400/1 ratio(insane) and then the second place team had around a 120/1 ratio.


 Here is a picture of the batteries and our bridge after we first tested it!

Here is a picture of our bridge while it was still in the process of being made! Our rival team leader was in this picture.

Shopping Cart Design

This is the design that our group made for the Shopping Cart Design Challenge. It was created using www.buildwithchrome.com, an app made by Google and Lego. It was very easy and fun to use, and it made a simple 3D model for our design.

Our goal for this cart was to make a "Shopping cart for the 21st century," that is both easy to use and functional. We included 4 battery powered wheels for ease of access and buttons on the handle to control the turns. The pack in front is a cheap, compact battery to power the motors, which would be able to be plugged into a wall to recharge. We also included a screen on the front for directions around the store. You would be able to search for a food, or look up recipes and nutritional values on the cart. There would be a map aisles, showing where food is and how much it costs. This screen uses an antenna on the front communicate its location for navigation and in case they get stolen. 

Pros and Cons

+ Very easy to use because of powered wheels and navigation

- Probably very expensive

+ Easily adaptable for any disabled customers

- Target of theft because of expensive equipment

+ Recipes and Nutritional Values help keep user health conscientious

- Not as environmentally friendly as a normal cart

Lego Mindstorm Tug a War

This week in engineering we had a challenge to make a car out of Lego Mindstorm pieces to compete against other teams. My group was Daniel, Dylan (Baker), Dylan (Lektorich), and I. Our car ended up being able to beat Marshall's car, but could not defeat either Tommy's, or Allistair's, putting us around 3rd or 4th place in the classroom. Here are some pictures:

(Unfortunately our first iteration was taken apart so this is a replica)

+We had a driveshaft that spooled the string that helped to accelerate the game

-The spool sometimes worked against us

+The 3 wheels looked cool

-It was not heavy enough to really pull hard enough to beat many cars

+The big wheels had some good traction

-

Ping Pong Ball Bridge

Today in engineering we had a design build challenge to build a way to get a ping pong ball across a two foot gap using a system of currency, with only 12 thousand dollars and 18 minutes. I was in a group with Marshall Alldredge and Caleb Woodson. Our idea was to build a bridge using two "stringers" of straws stuck into each other, propped up on one side by a cup. It worked really well on the first try, and was so cheap that we ended up decorating it with our leftover money.

Here are some pictures:

Superbowl Commercial

Superbowl Commercial

This Superbowl, even though the Broncos were being beat into the ground by the Seahawks, a ton of really funny commercials were aired. My favorite one of all of them would definitely be the Radioshack's 80's commercial, where they get a call from the 80's, and characters retake the store. 

To air a Superbowl commercial, it costs 4 million per thirty seconds, making this one cost around 8 million, not factoring in the cost of actors, equipment, song rights, and a studio.To break even on the cost of airing, they would have to sell around forty thousand phones at 200 dollars each, and probably around 45 thousand to pay for the complete costs.

This is the commercial that they aired.

Lego Mindstorm Cars

This week in engineering we made cars with the Lego Mindstorm kits. They were supposed to go around a U shaped track without any help from us. MY group was Mike Mulvey, Tommy Hardy and I, and we decided to make a tricycle based car. The biggest problem that we had was making it turn, but after Tommy worked on it for a day or two it finally started to work. In the end, it went around the track perfectly. While Tommy was working on programming it, Mulvey and I put a rubber band launcher on the top just in case we get attacked on the course.

This is our car without the brick

This is an action shot of Tommy working on it

This is our brainstorm of car designs.