Projects Based Learning: Exploring Robotics Through Python

(based on Robotics Club participation)

Lesson
Code Objective
1 to 2 As with any new language, you have
to first learn the basics before you
can move on to more complicated
material. The objective of my first
code was to navigate the maze using
the commands moveRight, Left, Up
or Down. The second code
introduced how to make my robot
draw shapes. Using Python logic, I
was able to draw uppercase and
lowercase letters, and shapes in
various colors and sizes. I forgot to
save the code for both of these
lessons, so it will not appear in the
coding section of this project.

Narrative
I started off learning about my robot and how to program it
through simulation programs. In other words, rather than first
working with a real world robot, I was able to test out my
ideas on a virtual model. There was a document I was required
to read before each lesson which told me more about my
robot, and taught me the skills I needed to progress. Each
lesson's simulation had a number of different puzzles and
activities I could do. Like programing my virtual robot to
navigate a digital maze, or programming my virtual robot to
follow a light source, or move when I press a certain button on
the keyboard. There was one activity that taught me how to
make my own text "choose your own adventure" game.

3 The objective of lesson 3 was to

make my first brain program, and
create my own maze by telling the
simulator to put blocks in specific
places using the X and Y coordinates.

After learning the basics of my robot, where it's sensors are,

how it moves, and how to program it using python; I moved
on to something a little more complex: brain programs. A
brain program is a simple AI (artificial intelligence). I made my
brain program so my virtual robot could navigate the virtual
mazes by itself.

4 The objective of my lesson 4 code

was to make it so my virtual robot
would follow a virtual light, which I
could control with my arrow keys.

The hardest part about this program was the fact that the
robot could only detect light in a limited field of view. If the
light wasn't almost perfectly in front of the robot, it wouldn't
follow it. This was a problem since when I tried to get the
robot to turn left or right, it wouldn't see the light and kept
going straight forward off the screen.

Lesson
Code Objective
5 to 6 The Controllers code contains all the
simulation worlds I used through
lessons 5-6, and are either selected
or unselected using a hashtag symbol
in front of the line of code. All of the
programs I made for each of the
simulations are also in the code.
Lesson/
Project

Code Objective
7 The objective of this was to practice
with a real life robot, and to play
around with different self-controlled
projects.

Narrative
In lessons 5 and 6 things got more interesting. There were
more virtual puzzles for me to solve, programs for me to write,
and I was almost ready to work with my very own robot. In
fact, I could have started using real life robots then and there;
however I decided to complete all the virtual puzzles first.

Narrative
It was finally time for me to use my robot which meant that
the lesson portion of my training had become project-based.
At first I was surprised at how similar the real robot was to the
virtual one; however, I quickly learned that the fact that the
sensors on each robot were different made things much
harder. The thing I liked most about using a real robot was I
was able to do whatever I wanted with it. There weren't any
restraints on what I could do. All I had to do was start
something, and I would get supported and helped along the
way. There were even some people who were developing a
tablet game with Python. At first I ran the robot through some
simple duct tape mazes, then I started building my own mazes
out of poster board and Velcro. After a couple weeks of
practice and perfecting, I came up with my navigateWall
command, which was made the robot able to navigate almost
any maze, though it had a problem with turning corners.

Lesson/
Project

Code Objective
8 The objective of this project was to
modify my Findwall program so it
was able to make a virtual map. It
tracked where my robots had been in
a maze. My robot found the best way
through the maze by remembering
where it had been, and could trace
itself back to any given point.

Narrative
The development of this program was the last thing I did in
robotics club. It was very difficult, and required very precise
measurements and calculations using trigonometry, and
geometry. The first thing I did was measure out the
parameters determining where each of the robots sensors
could detect things. I used my CheckSensos command in order
to figure out which robots preformed the best. Next, I created
a window which would write a line in accordance with where
my robot had travelled. To do that I had to greatly modify my
navigateWall command until it turned into a different
command entirely. The entire process of making sure the
computer knew where my robot was and writing a precise line
wherever my robot went took about 2 months. I ended up
having to measure not only the x,y coordinates, but also the
angle of the robot. I also had to trace where the robot was in
space. I ended up learning lots of tricks, and commands in the
process. In the end, I was able to make the virtual map
precisely trace the robot's path. In addition, I improved the
FindWall command so the robot can navigate through mazes
and make sharp turns around corners. Believe me, this was a
feat in itself. Unfortunately, I ran out of time and never got to
make it so the robot could use the map to return to a
designated point in the maze or find the best route through
the maze.