USAR robot (Nasa/CMU photo)
Why use robots for search and rescue (SAR)?
One important use for robots is to perform search and rescue operations in areas that would be too dangerous for humans. For example, if a building collapses, how can you search the unsafe structure to find the trapped victims? Police and soldiers often use remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) and robots to stay out of harm's way. Exploring hard-to-reach places on Earth, the Moon, Mars, and beyond is done by robots.
Individual Braitenberg & Wall Following Challenges
Find a partner (you will also work on the Egg Hunt toghether) and choose one of the two tasks below for each partner to complete by Friday, December 19th. These are individual assignments, but support each other and get to know each other as you start planning for the Egg Hunt challenge!
- Braitenberg Vehicle: Find the light!
You must program the Create to search the robotics lab for a bright light, approach the light, and do something interesting (using the servo motor) when you reach the light. You are simulating a randon search of a building, perhaps looking for signs of life (the light) and offering aid when you find the victim.
- Wall Following: Find your way out!?
If you are trapped in a building with no lights. how do you find your way in (or out)?
Demonstrate your skills...
- Planning
- Develop a strategy for solving the task
- Develop a flow chart based on your strategy
- Develop a nice wiki page that includes your strategy and flowchart
- Link the page in an easy-to-find location to your student page
- If your strategy changes, update your wiki page
- Use new techniques...
- Programming & Debugging
- Code should be neat and should follow your strategy/flowchart (no flowchart = no help)
- Code should be indented properly (no help otherwise)
- Code should be commented properly (no help otherwise)
- No infinite loops, little or no use of delays or breaks, no excess updates
- Use proper debugging techniques
- Re-using (rather than re-writing) blocks of code from earlier tasks
- Writing and testing code in logical "chunks"
- Always using the LCD display (no help otherwise)
- Use of LEDs and sounds to keep track of your program
- etc.
- Finding errors on your own by using the debugging tools we discussed in class and reviewing the "Top 10 Programming Errors" list
When you create your team page, make sure you use the "Student" Group, not in the "Robots" (e.g., make your link to your new page look like this: [[Student.OurTeamPageName]]). Your team name must follow the wiki page naming convention--it must be unique!!
