Lego Com Mindstorms Software Mission 01

Today, I review the get-go robot of the new LEGO Mindstorms EV3: Track3r.

I think LEGO has supervene upon due east for 3 in a promise to brand their models expect cooler which I recall it is manifestly stupid as they are already cool enough… merely well… LEGO does, I build. Here is the robot.

Tracker is a small robot with uses the different sensors the Mindstorms EV3 comes with, all but the touch sensor. It features a tracked base using both 50-motors that attach at the sides of the NXT Brick. It has also a IR sensor on the back of the robot ( or the front, still not really sure ) as well as a set of tools that are build using the 1000-motor and that are easy to supplant.

So let's review the different stages.

For the first model there is a printed manual on the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 box that let you build it. It isn't a claiming at all and the building procedure is quite straight forrard.

And then, once yous are done y'all are on your own… well, not really. You are supposed to download the new LEGO Mindstorms software and install it. Once y'all open up it you volition see this screen.

Choose the Track3r robot and follow me in the review.

Track3r Mission 01 – Alloy It with Precision

The goal on this mission is to remove a tire from the mission pad. This mission testify you how to control both 50-motors and Grand-motor, and so basically the chore is about completing the robot and coding an small program that makes the robot movement forward and and so turns two rotations its K-motor.

EV3 Program

As you encounter it is a quite simple program with a block to move B+C motors offset forward, then movement the A motor two complete rotations and finally move B+C backwards.

Problems with Track3r Mission one

Problem: My Track3r doesn't motion

If your robot doesn't move the problem tin be that the batteries are empty ( I have suffered this one more than in one case ) and or that you didn't connected the cables from motors to brick in the right way. Refer to the instructions book and set information technology.

Problem: My Track3r doesn't move on a directly line

If it is something serious y'all maybe miscoded the robot. Brand certain yous set both motors at the same speed or use the new Tracked Vehicle box on the EV3 software.

If it is something small it may be related to the fact that each motor can be slightly different so ane track may move slightly faster than the other. Y'all tin try to correct this by software because the alternative is to rebuild it in a unlike way. If it goes a bit to the left but make the left track moves slightly faster, merely 1%-2$ more. Most of times it does the trick.

Problem: My Track3r doesn't motion the blender to push the tire out

Again, the problem may be related to non connecting the cable correctly or to the fact that y'all may have forgotten to add the cake that operates the M-motor. Just making information technology perform ii complete rotations is enough to take the tire out.

Track3r Mission 02 – Blast It Abroad

You can now remove the blender from the front ( or dorsum ) of your robot. But you don't need to accept it apart, the rest of tools can be built with the remaining parts.
This fourth dimension nosotros are going to build a brawl launcher for our robot to striking tires places at two given places of our mission pad.

So basically we demand to build a brawl launcher that it is like to the new available at Mindstorms NXT ii.0. It is pretty interesting how the large gear is used to move the beam that push the brawl out.

Here is a video of the model working.

EV3 Program

The trouble with this program if you want to build information technology yourself is just to measure the bending the robot needs to turn and and so movement left, shoot, move right twice the distance and shoot again.

Bug with Track3r Mission ii

Problem: My Track3r doesn't plow

Checked the batteries? Are the cables connected? Did you add together the cake to turn the tracked vehicle? Sounds really foreign. I would double cheque the cables.

Problem: My Track3r doesn't turn too much or too little

Yous can do the math hither or you can only discover it using try and error. The problem is that you lot need to plough your robot simply 10 degrees to marshal the tires heap.

Trouble: My Track3r doesn't shoot

Oh, I have had this i also. Start of all rule out the simple causes. Check cables.
Are they balls in the shooter? Is there any brawl on the shooter that block the residual?
In my case the gear where the axle that button the brawl out is connected was placed in such a mode that a single rotation sometimes didn't shoot a brawl. So endeavour calculation more than than one rotation ( two for example ) to make certain something came out of the robot'southward gun.

Other issues

Do you lot have another problem? Drop me a line on the comments and permit me help y'all.

Track3r Mission 03 Accept Them Abroad

So nosotros remove the brawl shooter and build the next accessory that it is something like to a claw. We will employ this hook to take hold of tires from the mission pad and place them on special designated areas.

This is the commencement tool that actually caught my attentions. The Claw is actually cool and it is very nice the way it has been designed.

Here you have the model working

EV3 Program

Here you have some other instance of measuring. In this example you demand to measure how many rotations you demand to get to the first wheel, how much to turn to be over the pad area designated to driblet the cycle and so the aforementioned affair for the next wheel. Then Track3r returns to the mission pad's starting point.

So let'due south view the program. The first M-motor block opens the claw and then the loop is a job that it is repeated twice: Move forward, two rotations, close claw, exercise a sound, movement frontwards slightly to the correct, open the claw and move backward slightly to the correct once more.

The final block moves the robot to the mission pad's entry point.

Issues with Track3r Mission 3

Trouble: My Track3r turns to the wrong side

I know this one! I know! Yous either crossed the motor's cables or you but coded the Tracked Vehicle cake to plow to the incorrect side. Information technology is easy to prepare. I suggest yous cheque the cables first… if I would have a cent each time I did information technology wrong…

Trouble: My Track3r doesn't open the claw

Is the Thou-motor correctly plugged? Make sure that you are not rotating the motor in the wrong management.

Problem: My Track3r completely missed the wheel

Equally in the previous mission it is all a thing of measuring the distances and angles. You either do the math or you just notice them by try and error.

Track3r Mission 04 Tactical Defense Organisation

In this mission yous take some interesting things like the IR Sensor. You have to build a tool that looks very much like a hammer and you volition use it to crush the easily that cartel get about your Track3r back.

The hammer is easy to build, just brand sure you lot add the condom bands or yous volition terminate upward with a few broken LEGO bricks.

EV3 Program

This plan is the showtime that really needs a loop, and you take two in fact. It is a chip big but information technology isn't very complex.

The first One thousand-motor cake moves the Hammer dorsum and and then the real loop begins. As you can see on the correct side of the screen the loops runs forever. So next thing inside the loop is a comparing using the IR Sensor distance bank check. If there is anything below 25cm it will execute the upper branch on any other instance it will execute the lower co-operative.

The upper branch, shows an image on the screen, rotates 360º, that is 1000 degrees of the motors B+C, and so moves the 1000-motor equally fast every bit possible foward for 0.3 seconds, express mirth and motility information technology back.

The lower co-operative on the other hand coded the behaviour for patrolling and moving a bit, merely a bit, the hammer.

Bug with Track3r Mission 4

Problem: My Track3r doesn't turn

Is it correctly plugged? Did you code the L-motor cake to turn?

Problem: My Track3r doesn't move its hammer

Make sure the Chiliad-motor is still plug and that there is nothing in the big gears that are supposes to launch the hammer forward.

Trouble: My Track3r doesn't detect my hand

Is the IR sensor plugged? Did you coded the behaviour virtually what to do when detecting an object nigh the back of the robot?

Track3r Mission 05 Time Trial

In this mission, yous will control TRACK3R with the Infrared Beacon to pass through all the checkpoints on the Mission Pad before time runs out! When you consummate the task you will get a score.

EV3 Programme

Well, in that location is zilch to build here but this is mayhap the most fun use of the brick I accept seen. LEGO has created a block that does the score count and the fourth dimension checks. Personally, I didn't even tried to write the lawmaking as it is quite big.

This plan is a great example of parallel execution as you have several task running at the aforementioned time.
The first thread is the ane running all the program logic… exercise double click on it at your own responsibleness :P
The second thread is the i that cease the blender when you step on a red line and make the alarm goes.
Finally the tertiary thread is the one that keeps track of each color yous scanned and finally decide if you did information technology or if the fourth dimension ran out.

Overview

So here is my review of the first LEGO Mindstorms EV3 model: Track3r.

Miguel says 7.5/10

Building experience
Value for money
Playability
Parts

Information technology is not a bad mission but personally I actually expected more from a "toy" that was worth £300 ( a bit less at Amazon.co.united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, effectually £249 commonly )

Pros

Although several of the first missions are a consummate lose of fourth dimension missions 04 and 05 are really absurd.
The playability of the last mission is something boggling. I spend myself around twoscore minutes trying and trying…

Cons

Personally I call back the commencement missions are too scripted.