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What sort of robot would do well if it lived on a white table? How could it sense the edge and stop itself from tumbling over? If the robot had to keep moving, what sort of abilities would it need to keep from driving off? If the table were to change shape over time… or the robot were to be placed on a different table, what kind of robot rules would help it avoid a variety of edge shapes and angles of approach? How would it look? Could you reprogram the Cubelets to help ensure the survival of a table dwelling robot? These are the questions that guided the creation of the Cliff Scout.
Since the Cliff Scout will need to continuously move around the table, we can use two Drive Cubelets to create a robot that can travel and change directions. We could attempt to solve this problem by creating a robot that drives in a tight circle. Unfortunately, builders will discover that Cubelets robots will drift over time, and this may cause their robot to fall off the theoretical table.
So, we’ll need to reprogram the Drive Cubelets so they can spin in both directions and we’ll need to create some sort of triggering pattern to tell the robot when to turn. To detect the edge of a table, the Distance Sense Cubelets are placed at the front edges of the robot. This placement ensures that the robot can sense the edge as early as possible to avoid falling off. Placing the Distance Senses near the edges of the robot helps it avoid falls if it approaches an edge at an angle. The Distance Senses face down and are oriented in a way that allows them to detect the table edge quicker, giving the robot more time to react.
The C files for each Drive Cubelet are available for download by clicking HERE and HERE. Use Cubelets Flash to reprogram each Drive Cubelet. Ensure that you flash Drive Program 1 to one Drive Cubelet and Drive Program 2 to the other. If you don’t, your robot won’t turn properly.
In order for the Drive Cubelets to respond to table edge detections, you will need to update the Block IDs so that they match your two Distance Sensors.
Happy Building and stay tuned for more intensive robot activities!
Note: When you’re done playing with the Cliff Scout, you can restore your Cubelets to their default programming with Cubelets Flash. Just reconnect your robot, then select the Cubelet you’d like to restore. Then click “Restore Default Firmware.” Select the next Cubelet you’d like to restore and repeat.