This book will walk you through six different projects:
- Security Tank, which uses an infrared sensor to follow a beacon and aim its turret. This robot demonstrates the use of infrared technology for tracking a beacon, as well using proportional logic for a smooth feedback system.
- Omnilander, which can climb up steep slopes using its heavy-duty tank tracks. Special hardware gives it the ability to scale vertical obstacles. This project demonstrates the effectiveness of tracks for all-terrain navigation and shows specialized mechanisms, such as worm gears, rack-and-pinion, and clutches in action.
- Timmyton, an interactive robotic shark that features a custom GUI that allows the user to select multiple programs from within one main program. This project demonstrates features that can be incorporated into a robot to create a fun interactive experience. It also shows how computers use a GUI to allow the user to navigate between different programs through a more user-friendly interface.
- Grunt, a quirky bipedal robot with a mind of his own! This robot uses an array of sensors to detect and react to nearby people. This project demonstrates how nested programming switches can enable a robot to have smooth, lifelike decision making and create a rich interactive experience. Special programming and careful visual design give this whimsical creation a unique personality.
- Falcon, a fast race car that is controlled using the infrared remote and receiver. It showcases some of the mechanical concepts that are at work in real-world cars and features an intelligent return-to-center steering program.
- GPS car, which incorporates a GPS receiver and a digital magnetic compass. The user can input coordinates, and this robot will navigate to the destination. This project demonstrates the principles of GPS navigation and shows how GPS helps an autonomous car in the real world get to where it needs to go.
Each of these EV3 robots is a small-scale smart machine that demonstrates concepts that are applicable to a real-world smart robot. As you complete the projects, you will not only learn about the robots themselves but also about how smart robots are built and programmed in the real world. You will learn about the engineering concepts that work behind the scenes to allow these robots to complete their tasks.
