The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Discovery Book by Valk, Laurens -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

The LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 Discovery Book: a beginner’s guide to building and programming robots about the author about the technical reviewer acknowledgments introduction

why this book? is this book for you? how does this book work?

the discoveries

estimating difficulty and time finding solutions

what to expect in each chapter

part I: getting started part II: programming robots with sensors part III: robot building techniques part IV: vehicle and animal robots part V: creating advanced programs part VI: machine and humanoid robots

the companion website

conclusion

I. getting started

1. preparing your EV3 set

what’s in the box?

the EV3 brick sorting Technic elements the mission pad

controlling your robot downloading and installing the EV3 programming software conclusion

2. building your first robot

using the building instructions building the EXPLOR3R output ports, input ports, and cables navigating the EV3 brick

turning the EV3 on and off selecting and running programs

making your robot move with the remote control conclusion

3. creating and modifying programs

a quick first program creating a basic program

1. programming palette 2. start block 3. programming canvas 4. hardware page

downloading and running a program manually running a program downloading a program without running it running selected blocks

projects and programs

5. file organization

saving projects and programs renaming projects and programs finding projects and programs on the EV3 brick modifying project properties

6. toolbar

using select, pan, and zoom tools using the comment tool duplicating one or more blocks help documentation

7. content editor

building the official EV3 robots and bonus models conclusion

4. working with programming blocks: action blocks

how do programming blocks work? the move steering block

the move steering block in action understanding modes and settings

ports steering power rotations, seconds, or degrees brake at end

making accurate turns

the sound block

understanding the sound block settings

file name volume play type note or tone duration

seeing the sound block in action

understanding the SoundCheck program

the display block

understanding the display block settings

sub modes file name clear screen radius and fill color text and font size x, y, column, and row

the display block in action

understanding the DisplayTest program

the brick status light block the on and off modes in move blocks move tank, large motor, and medium motor blocks further exploration

5. waiting, repeating, my blocks, and multitasking

the wait block

using the wait block settings seeing the wait block in action understanding the WaitDisplay program

the loop block

using the loop block seeing the loop block in action using loop blocks within loop blocks

making your own blocks: the my block

creating my blocks using my blocks in programs editing my blocks managing my blocks in projects

multitasking

using multiple start blocks splitting the sequence wire avoiding resource conflicts

further exploration

II. programming robots with sensors

6. understanding sensors

what are sensors?

understanding the sensors in the EV3 set understanding the touch sensor creating the bumper with the touch sensor viewing sensor values

programming with sensors

sensors and the wait block

sensors and the wait block in action avoiding obstacles with the touch sensor using change mode

sensors and the loop block sensors and the switch block

configuring a switch block sensors and the switch block in action adding blocks to a switch block using flat view and tabbed view repeating switches

understanding compare, change, and measure mode

compare mode change mode measure mode configuring the modes

further exploration

7. using the color sensor

attaching the color sensor color mode

staying inside a colored line

creating the test track creating the program

following a line the switch block in measure mode

reflected light intensity mode

setting the threshold value comparing sensor values with a threshold following a line more smoothly

ambient light intensity mode

measuring ambient light intensity a morse code program

further exploration

8. using the infrared sensor

proximity mode

avoiding obstacles combining sensors

remote mode beacon proximity mode beacon heading mode combining sensor operation modes further exploration

9. using the brick buttons and rotation sensors

using the brick buttons using the rotation sensor

motor position resetting the motor position rotational speed

calculating the rotational speed measuring rotational speed in a program

understanding speed regulation

seeing speed regulation in action stopping a stalled motor

further exploration

III. robot-building techniques

10. building with beams, axles, connector blocks, and motors

using beams and frames

extending beams using frames using beams to reinforce structures using angled beams

using the LEGO unit grid using axles and cross holes using connector blocks

extending axles connecting parallel beams connecting beams at right angles securing parallel beams using half LEGO units using thin elements

creating flexible structures building with motors and sensors

building with the large motor

connecting wheels and treads connecting beams to the motor shaft

building with the medium motor building with sensors

miscellaneous elements further exploration

11. building with gears

gearing essentials

taking a closer look at gears calculating the gear ratio for two gears

calculating output speed calculating the required gear ratio

decreasing and increasing rotational speed what is torque?

when do you increase torque? decreasing torque

creating longer gear trains

calculating the compound gear ratio further increasing torque and decreasing speed balancing speed and torque

friction and backlash

using the gears in the EV3 set

working with the unit grid

gears and half units gear trains around a corner using improper combinations

using bevel and double-bevel gears

perpendicular connections on the unit grid connecting perpendicular axles

using knob wheels using worm gears

constructing sturdy gear trains

bracing gears with beams preventing axles from twisting reversing direction of rotation

building with gears and EV3 motors further exploration

IV. vehicle and animal robots

12. Formula EV3: a racing robot

building the Formula EV3 Race Car driving and steering

creating my blocks for steering

my block #1: reset my block #2: left my block #3: right my block #4: center

testing the my blocks

creating a remote control program racing autonomously further exploration

13. ANTY: the robotic ant

understanding the walking mechanism building ANTY making ANTY walk

creating the opposite my block avoiding obstacles

programming behavior

finding food sensing the environment

no color: sitting still green: safety yellow: food blue: predators red: aggression

further exploration

V. creating advanced programs

14. using data wires

building SK3TCHBOT getting started with data wires working with data wires

seeing the value in a data wire deleting a data wire data wires across a program using multiple data wires repeating blocks with data wires

data wire types

numeric data wire logic data wire text data wire numeric array and logic array type conversion

converting logic values to numeric values displaying numbers on the EV3 screen

using sensor blocks

measure mode compare mode

compare mode and beacon values compare mode and the touch sensor

data wire value range

advanced features of flow blocks

data wires and the wait block data wires and the loop block

using the loop index ending a loop in logic mode

data wires and the switch block

logic mode numeric mode connecting data wires to blocks inside switch blocks

the loop interrupt block

breaking a loop from the inside breaking a loop from the outside

further exploration

15. using data operations blocks and my blocks with data wires

using data operations blocks

the math block

the math block in action using advanced mode practicing with the math block

the random block the compare block the logic operations block

logic operations not mode

the range block the round block the text block

creating my blocks with data wires

a my block with input editing my blocks a my block with output a my block with input and output strategies for making my blocks starting points for my blocks sharing my blocks between projects

further exploration

16. using constants and variables

using constants using variables

defining a variable using the variable block

defining variables with the variable block creating a program with a variable

changing and incrementing variable values initializing variables calculating an average

further exploration

17. playing games on the EV3

step 1: creating basic drawings

my block #1: clear my block #2: coordinates completing the basic program

step 2: adding pencil controls

moving the pencil without drawing turning the pencil into an eraser clearing the screen setting the pencil size

further exploration

VI. machine and humanoid robots

18. the SNATCH3R: the autonomous robotic arm

understanding the grabber

the grabber mechanism the lifting mechanism

building the SNATCH3R controlling the grabber

my block #1: grab my block #2: reset my block #3: release creating the remote control program troubleshooting the grabber

searching for the IR beacon

building the IR bug my block #4: search

understanding the sensor measurements understanding the search algorithm creating and testing the search my block

creating the final program

finding the beacon driving toward the beacon lifting and moving the IR bug

further exploration

19. LAVA R3X: the humanoid that walks and talks

building the legs making the robot walk

my block #1: reset my block #2: return my block #3: onsync my block #4: left taking the first steps

building the head and arms controlling the head and arms

my block #5: head avoiding obstacles and responding to handshakes

resetting the legs and making the head move walking until one of two sensors is triggered responding to the triggered sensor

further exploration

A. troubleshooting programs, the EV3 brick, and wireless connections

troubleshooting compilation errors

missing my blocks errors in programming blocks missing variable definitions

troubleshooting a running program troubleshooting the EV3

using the hardware page

managing connections managing the EV3’s memory

solving problems with the USB connection restarting the EV3 brick updating the EV3 firmware avoiding data loss using a microSD card

programming the EV3 wirelessly

using Bluetooth to download programs to the EV3

finding a Bluetooth dongle connecting to the EV3 with Bluetooth

using Wi-Fi to download programs to the EV3 choosing between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

summary

B. creating on brick programs

creating, saving, and running an on brick program

adding blocks to the loop

replacing a block deleting a block

configuring a block’s setting running a program saving and opening a program

using the on brick programming blocks importing on brick programs summary

Index About the Author Copyright

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