There is a new version (1.5) of the german NXC Tutorial available at the Roberta website.
Now with support for the motor-rotation counter and the NXT 2.0 color-sensor.
There is a new version (1.5) of the german NXC Tutorial available at the Roberta website.
Now with support for the motor-rotation counter and the NXT 2.0 color-sensor.
Here are some Videos, found at the Roberta Youtube-Channel. They show a new robot-arm with 4 DOF, completely build of Lego. For more information about Roberta, take a loot at: http://www.roberta-home.de
Press the left or right arrow-button at the side of the video frame to switch between the videos.
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Currently I’m participating at the workshop of Safety, Security and Rescue Robots 2010 in Bremen.
The first day is now gone and a lot of interesting talks have been given:
Tetsuya Kinugasa has shown a Flexible Displacement Sensor in his talk of „Measurement of Flexed Posture for Mono-tread Mobile Track Using New Flexible Displacement Sensor„. His group develops and uses this sensor to control the posture of a robot which is a combination of snake, worm and tank.
Jimmy Tran presented his works on „Canine Assisted Robot Deployment for Urban Search and Rescue„. The basic idea is as simple as brilliant, use a equipped dog to find victims and to inform operators about him. So, dogs are well used in rescue and they have a high mobility. They can easily overcome huge rubles and are able to carry video cameras or rescue material. So, his approach is to use the dogs to deploy a small robot next to a victim, which would allow to investigate medical status of the person. The idea is hilarious.
„Development of leg-track hybrid locomotion to traverse loose slopes and irregular terrain“ is so far the most interesting technical approach of this workshop. It shows a way how a tracked like vehicle can be combined with a semi-Walker.
Donny Kurnia Sutantyo presented his work on „Multi-Robot Searching Algorithm Using Levy Flight and Artificial Potential Field„, while Julian de Hoog showed a solution for team exploration in „Dynamic Team Hierarchies in Communication-Limited Multi-Robot Exploration“.
The invited speaker Bernardo Wagner showed the outcomes of his department. The Leibniz University of Hannover has worked intensively in the field of „Perception and Navigation with 3D Laser Range Data in Challenging Environments„.
„Potential Field based Approach for Coordinate Exploration with a Multi-Robot Team“ is topic of Alessandro Renzaglia.
Bin Li showed another nice approach of a shape shifting robot. His robot is able to shape shift it self by rearranging its three motion segments. „Cooperative Reconfiguration between Two Specific Configurations for A Shape-shifting Robot“
Jorge Bruno Silva presented a approach of trajectory planing while respecting time constrains in „Generating Trajectories With Temporal Constraints for an Autonomous Robot“
Noritaka Sato closed the day by presenting novel a HMI approach for teleoperation. Instead of showing only the direct camera image his group uses temporal shifted images to generate an artificial bird eye view, like it is given in computer car games. „Teleoperation System Using Past Image Records Considering Moving Objects“
I am looking forward to listen to the next talks.
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New Roberta-Experiment „Braitenberg Vehicle“ is now online and free downloadable for registered Roberta-Teachers http://www.roberta-home.de/de/aktuelles/neues-roberta-material
At the Roberta-Homeage you can now download an overview of robotic-systems for schools. It sums up the features of different systems and points out prices, age recommendations and the pros and cons.
The program code for the balancing Roberta robot „Philippe Petit“ is now available for download at the Roberta-Homepage. The download is available for all Roberta Teachers at the internal download section. Videos are available at the Roberta Youtube-Channel.
A Beginner’s Guide to LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0
San Francisco, CA, April 22, 2010—The LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT 2.0 set brings robot building to a wide range of hobbyists. But the NXT kit doesn’t come with a how-to guide and it only includes building instructions for four robots. Users new to building complex LEGO models or lacking experience with the NXT programming language need guidance to help them reach the next level. The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book is the introductory book that they’ve been waiting for.
In The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book (No Starch Press, May 2010, 320 pp., $29.95, ISBN 9781593272111), readers learn how to harness the capabilities of the NXT 2.0 set to build and program their own robots. Author Laurens Valk begins by walking readers through the set, describing the pieces and explaining how to get started with the software used to program NXT robots. Once readers understand the basics of the NXT programming language, the book’s tutorials show them how to build robots that move, monitor sensors, and use advanced programming techniques like data wires and variables. With crystal clear, step-by-step instructions, readers will find it easy to create working robots in no time. The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book features:
All of the robots in the book require just one NXT 2.0 set to build; there are no extra pieces required.
„The NXT set can be complicated. Sure, you can build some sort of robot, but can you actually make it do anything interesting?“ said No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock. „This is the introductory MINDSTORMS 2.0 book that everyone needs; the one book that will make sure that that pricey MINDSTORMS kit won’t end up gathering dust in a shoebox somewhere.“
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Collecting the Equipment for Your Robot
Chapter 2: Building Your First Robot
Chapter 3: Creating and Modifying Programs
Chapter 4: Working with Programming Blocks: Move, Sound, and Display
Chapter 5: Waiting, Repeating and Other Programming Techniques
Chapter 6: Understanding Sensors
Chapter 7: Using the Touch, Color, and Rotation Sensors
Chapter 8: Shot-Roller: A Robotic Defense System
Chapter 9: Strider: The Six-Legged Walking Creature
Chapter 10: Using Data Hubs and Data Wires
Chapter 11: Using Data Blocks and Using Data Wires with Loops and Switches
Chapter 12: Using Variables, Constants, and Playing Games on the NXT
Chapter 13: Snatcher: The Autonomous Robotic Arm
Chapter 14: Hybrid Brick Sorter: Sort Bricks by Color and Size
Chapter 15: CCC: The Compact Chimney Climber
Appendix: Transferring Programs to the NXT with USB or Bluetooth
About the Author
Laurens Valk is a member of the MINDSTORMS Community Partners who help test and develop new NXT products. He has been inventing robots with the MINDSTORMS NXT sets since their introduction, and one of his robot designs appears on the NXT 2.0 packaging. Valk is a co-author of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders (No Starch Press) and a contributor to The NXT Step Blog. He lives in the Netherlands where he teaches robotics.