2. Project Overview Introduction & Product Analysis
Drawing & communication
Sensing abilities in robots
Programming Robots
Mechanisms and Systems
Designing new products & Packaging
Presentation and Rendering
Biomimicry
Concept Modelling
Concept presentations

3. LESSON 04

4. LEARNING ABOUT PROGRAMMING
LESSON 1 STARTER
Learning objective: Learn about programming robots to operate autonomously, making use of time, motion and sensors. Design a new HEXBUG robot which operates differently to others!
LEARNING ABOUT PROGRAMMING
What is programming? Some HEXBUG’s are already autonomous. This means they are able to move freely without any human intervention. They respond to other HEXBUG’s as well as the environment they are placed in.
Look at these HEXBUG’s, what sort of decisions are they making to make them autonomous?
New words: autonomous, decision, environment

5. Programming Your Friends
Activity Part 1 For this activity you will need to work in pairs.
One person will need to be blindfolded or close their eyes
Your partner must give you instructions on how to get you from one place in the room to another, ONLY ONE INSTRUCTION AT A TIME
You must use the following “code”:
CODE
START
STOP
FORWARD
REVERSE
TURN CLOCKWISE
TURN ANTICLOCKWISE

6. Programming Your Friends
Activity Part 2 This time, the code gets a little more complex
CODE
START
STOP
FORWARD
REVERSE
TURN RIGHT
TURN LEFT
MEASUREMENTS
ANGLE DEGREES
SECONDS
STEPS
CLOCKWISE
ANTICLOCKWISE

7. Programming Your Friends
Activity Part 3
Now you have to program them fully before they set off and you are not allowed to speak to them while they are in operation.
CODE
START
STOP
FORWARD
REVERSE
TURN RIGHT
TURN LEFT
MEASUREMENTS
ANGLE DEGREES
SECONDS
STEPS
CLOCKWISE
ANTICLOCKWISE

8. What is Psuedocode?
Example: Make a robot turn 360 degrees and end up where it started:
MOVE FORWARD 1 SECOND
TURN CLOCKWISE 90 DEGREES
What is Psuedocode? You have actually just been programming using psudocode in your teams.
Psudocode is ordinary language used by programmers before they choose a computer language.
Psuedocode is the “starting point” for programming robots!
New words: psuedocode, computer language, degrees

9. Sensors?
Sensing: Thinking back to the “Sensors” lesson, which Hexbug was able to sense what?

10. Programming with PsuedocodeB C D E 1 2 3 4 5
Activity Create psuedocode for the HEXBUG NANO so:
Starts in A1
Finishes in E5

11. Programming with PsuedocodeB C D E 1 2 3 4 5
Activity Create psuedocode for the HEXBUG LARVA so:
Starts in A1
Finishes in A1
Detects the Wall

12. Programming with PsuedocodeB C D E 1 2 3 4 5
Activity Create psuedocode for the HEXBUG ANT so:
Starts in A1
Detects the Wall
Sticks in a LOOP

13. New Hexbug Design Brief
You are required to design your own Hexbug using whichever and how many sensors you want.
You need to think about where the sensors will be placed and what the new Hexbug will do?
You will need to produce pseudocode coding to help you explain this.

14. LESSON 4 PLENARY
As a class, let us consider the following questions? A. What is pseudo code? B. What do we measure angles with? C. Why do sensors make products more expensive? D. How does programming and code work together to create a working product?

15. Summary Today you have:
Learning objective: Learn about programming robots to operate autonomously, making use of time, motion and sensors. Design a new HEXBUG robot which operates differently to others!
Today you have:
Learnt what psudocode is and how it can be used by programmers and coders in robotics
Program your “Friends” and other “Hexbug’s” using psuedocode and make them become autonomous
Develop a new Hexbug that you have yourself programmed selecting the appropriate sensors you want!