Robot C Ready, SET, Go! Workshop SDSU, Fall 2013

Programming is Fun!  Tell the Robot exactly what to do & watch it run.  Be Specific!  Use Loops to repeat statements.  Put several actions together to make a dance!  Put several Robots together and watch the patterns

How Specific?  Robots aren’t very smart … not nearly as smart as people.  … be VERY specific.  Direct someone to enter a room and sit down.

The ‘C’ Programming Language  Used for many low-level applications.  Is a ‘compiled’ language.  Compile for a specific Operating System, then run the program on computers using that OS.  Function named ‘main’ is first to run.  main is the ‘boss’. It’s statements happen in order when you run the program.  main tells other functions when to run.

Robot C  Robot C is a version of the C programming language.  We’ll use Robot C to program LEGO’s Mindstorms Robots

Simple Moves  Download the SimpleMoves.c file and save it on your desktop.  Start ROBOTC  File / Open & Compile / Browse to the desktop and open SimpleMoves.c  Check out the code  The comments (in green) explain what’s happening  The statements (in blue & red) tell the robot what to do

Is your Robot ready to roll?  Connect the battery pack and wheel motor cables (pages 19-23).  Turn your Robot on with the orange button.  Connect your Robot to your Computer with the USB cable.  In ROBOTC, choose Robot/Compile and Download Program.  Change the Refresh setting in the debug pop-up box from ‘continuous’ to ‘paused’.  Unplug your Robot from the Computer and set it on the FLOOR!  Use the Orange button and arrow keys to find your program and run it.

Test & Debug  Change the commands in your program and repeat the steps to download and test the revised program:  Connect your Robot to your Computer with the USB cable.  In ROBOTC, choose Robot/Compile and Download Program.  Change the Refresh setting in the debug pop-up box from ‘continuous’ to ‘paused’.  Unplug your Robot from the Computer and set it on the FLOOR!  Use the Orange button and arrow keys to find your program and run it.  See if you can finish the program and get your Robot to move forward and backward and turn left and right.

Functions  Download the Functions.c file and save it on your desktop.  Start ROBOTC  File / Open & Compile / Browse to the desktop and open Functions.c  Check out the code  The comments (in green) explain what’s happening  The statements (in blue & red) tell the robot what to do  How many functions are there?  What does each function do?

Functions - too  Call the functions from main as many times as you want to move your Robot in a pattern. (You choose the pattern.)  Can we use just one function for spin left and spin right?

Loops  Download the Loops.c file and save it on your desktop.  Start ROBOTC  File / Open & Compile / Browse to the desktop and open Functions.c  Check out the code  The comments (in green) explain what’s happening  The statements (in blue & red) tell the robot what to do  Can you find the loop?  How many times does it repeat?  How does it know when to stop?

Loops - too  Can you put a loop into your functions program to repeat some function calls?  Can you use several loops to repeat different groups of function calls different numbers of times?

Let’s Dance  Can you make a dance?  Can you work with another team to have your robots do the same dance?  Can you work with several teams to do a group dance?  Can you make 2 robots dance together? (One moves forward, the other moves back, etc.)

Clean Up  Put the Robots and Books back.  Remove the cables and battery pack and put the pieces in the tray.  Plug the battery packs in to re-charge.  THANK YOU!!!  HOPE YOU HAD FUN!!!