Refresh your memory first...

Review the Mataric text (photo sensors and Braitenberg vehicles)
Look for other internet Braitenberg resources
I have Braitenberg's book...somewhere!

Task Description

Make the Create find and go to a bright light in the lab (lab's lights are on). You will not know where the light will be positioned. When you reach the light, you must stop within 30 cm, and perform some action using a servo motor and play a nice song to soothe the victim.

Note: you may use any strategy to find the light (not necessarily Braitenberg's proposed method). Think outside the box!! If you want an extra servo motor, they are available if you have a demonstrated need!

You should have a 3 minute timer and standard "wait for play" and safety features enabled. If your robot needs more time, it should beep once before the time runs out, allowing the user to press an external pushbutton to add 3 more mintues to the current time. Make sure the LCD display is always showing key values (NO delays and NO LCD resets).

Bonus if you ...

incorporate randomness
incorporate proportional control
finish the task within 3 minutes

(both would be very useful) and if you and finiget to the light within 3 minutes. search the lab for a bright source of light. ...

(a) home in on a light source (turning lamp) and STOP at the source (photophilic)

(b) avoid (run from) a light source and searches for the darkest/dimmest safe area and STOP when it does (photophobic)

(c) the user should be able to use the create's buttons to select the mode in which the create will operate and to pause/resume operation (and be safe!!)

(d) demonstrate good use of debugging tools!

(e) Bonus:

Implement effective P or PD or PID control (each worth more)
Can your robot turn off the light?? We'll put a jelly bean switch on top of the light.
Find the rotating light rather than the incandesent light.

Wall Following: Make the Create...

What does wall following mean? Try out the Create Demo mode #1 to see an example of wall following. Generally speaking, the robot should follow a path parallel to the outer edge of the wall. The robot should not "scrape along the wall" or jam itself into corners--the Create should only touch the wall occasionally, if at all. When it does touch, it should not "push" against the wall (our wall are "mobile" so you should not hit them hard enough to move them).

(a) Follow the outside edge of the hallway. Bonus: Can you do it in either direction???

(b) Find its way though a maze ("single" path maze) (Advanced: what if a wall is missing/red tape on floor instead?)

(c) the user should be able to use the create's buttons to select the mode in which the create will operate and to pause/resume operation (and be safe!!)

(d) demonstrate good use of debugging tools!

(e) Bonus:

Can you get the distance sensors to display the "actual" distance on the Cricket Display??
Implement effective P or PD or PID control (each worth more)
Can you program your robot to find a wall in an efficient manner? (suppose you start in an open area)

Part 2: Team Search and Rescue Mission

Due to time contraints, part 2 has been changed to an optional alternative assignment to give you more time to work on the Egg Hunt.