Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Light Bot Reflection

The light bot game gives a clear example of how robots follow the commands given. The Game gives the sense that when programing you don't give commands from your point of view but from the robots point of view other wise the robot most likely won't preform very well. I think this relates to our class because the robot helps explain the basics of programing and how every step must be carefully examined and thought through, if not then you must go through trail and error, or get frustrated and take out the battery.

NXT Introduction questions

1. Fill in the Blank
The heart of the NXT System is the NXT brick. Its a full 16bit microprocessor. You can plug sensors in along the _________ and motors in along the ___________.
Bottom, top2. Open-Ended
What are the four sensors it discusses and what do they measure?
The four sensors are; the light sensor which measures how much light is in the room, the ultrasonic sensor which measures distance, the sound sensor which measures sound levels, and the touch sensor which responds to press and release.3. Short Answer
How does the NXT Brick know how many rotations the motor has made?
The NXT Brick has a sensor that measures the speed and rotation per second of each motor plugged in to make sure that the motor does the correct command.4. Short Answer: Step-by-Step
How would I make the robot run the program I wrote? 
First power on the NXT brick then press the center button when the my files option in selected, next press the center button when the software files are selected, after that your programs will be listed in order of when they were uploaded, find the program you wish to run based on name and press the center button once you have selected the program you wish to run.5. Short Answer: Step-by-Step
How do I turn off the NXT brick?
Hold down the button which is under the center button then you should get the option to turn off then select yes then press the center button.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Isaac Asimov

 Isaac is a significant figure in the world of robotics because he has developed the stereotype of what robots should be used for. What he wrote about became the standard idea of robotics, this was that robot are used to help humans and be be almost their servants. His three rules of robotics are:
1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by a human being except where such orders would conflict with the First law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second law.