line following!

here's a little look at what our picoblocks program looks like...

The idea behind our program is that if we consistently start the robot on one side of the taped line, it will only ever have to turn in one direction if it moves off the line. Technically, this is more of an edge following technique rather then line following... but it has the same effect basically. Using a light sensor, we programmed our cyborg to go forward within specific values of the light sensor- when it was half on the tape and half on the masonite. When the path curves off to the left, the robot will end up on the masonite, which has a different value than the tape+masonite. Thus, we programmed it to turn to the left until it found the tape+masonite again. However, if the tape path veers to the right, then the robot will find itself on just the taped path, which also has a different value from the masonite+tape and masonite alone. Thus, we programmed it to turn to the right until it found the tape+masonite values again. 

picoblocks !

feedback & control.

After lots of building and tinkering with actual physical objects, we're now moving into a less physical (but equally exciting) block of EXTD160...

programming!

Using Picoblocks, an interesting, and very visually pleasing programming language, we are now writing programs for cyborgs... All named after disney princesses of course.

Meet Pocahontas.

She's very persistent. Well, we programmed her that way.

In the above video, we played around with the touch sensor; We programmed our cyborg to move forward until the touch sensor was activated; then we told it to back up for a small amount of time before heading forward again. Pretty useless program, but it was amusing. We changed it up a bit afterwards though, commanding Pocahontas to back up and then turn for a little bit after hitting something.

off on a tangent

This was my final art project last semester. What's the "idea" behind it, you ask?

Well, I'll answer that next week!

transforming motion

 Here are two examples of how rotary motion can be turned into rectilinear motion...

What I find interesting is that in Figure 114, they were able to create a "back and forth" linear motion by just removing the right number of teeth on the gear. Basically, the little "pinion" only acts on one side of the rack at a time, which forces entire rack to move in one direction, rectilinearly. Then when it runs through the entire side of one rack in less than a full revolution, it starts acting on the other side of the rack, and forces the entire rack to move in the opposite direction. 

In contrast, Figure 115 uses two pinions to help move a larger rack at once. While I can't quite picture what 115 does when it reaches the end of the rack...But I do see how it would drive the rack with equal force and velocity on both sides, which seems more reliable than just having one side being push/pulled by the mutilated pinion in Fig. 114!