Student "edition" found at {csi dot journalspace dot com}.

Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

In the meetings of my Intermediate Robotics classes for the sixth week of the second term, the groups had to finalize their cooperative robot creations. For most of the classes their designs (including the base of the candy sorter) are already finished, and they just have to complete the programming when the robots are supposed to start and stop moving left to right (and back), and when the conveyor belt is supposed to move towards the robot (accepting the "package") and when it moves away from the robot (to give away the package).

We also had to revise the dimensions of the package from four units length by four units width by four units height to six units length, otherwise the package just rolled in between the conveyor belts between any two of the robots facing each other.

So the robot is supposed to be at default facing the left, which the groups have decided means that the conveyor belt is going to be moving towards the robot all that time waiting.

Then when it receives the package at the end of the belt, either from a light sensor (since the package is black) or a touch sensor attached there, then it starts moving to the right.

Some groups have decided to let the robot move to the right by a specific time of rotation of the second motor, which at least one of the groups has made it with two touch sensors below the arm that are at a 180 degree distance from each other, so that they will stop when already facing either directly left or right.

Then the conveyor belt will now pass the package out by moving away from the robot. Afterwards (after a given time interval when it is assumed the package has already been passed), it will then face left again and wait for the next package to be delivered.

The brain box of the kit allows the students to only attach three motors and three sensors to the programmable machine. At least one of the groups has used four sensors, one for each side of the conveyor arm to stop the left or right facing, one at the end of the conveyor belt, and another one at the end of the conveyor belt to determine if the robot is already facing another robot to either start the conveyor belt reception, or to stop the conveyor belt passing the package.

Session 1365 wants to take more allowable supplies than they are given. Class dismissed.