Computing at School Resource: Lego Junkbot

Details of the LEGO Junkbot (combining the control of LEGO Mindstorm NXT with Junkbots) can now be found on the Computing At School (CAS) website: http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/resources/3399


The idea behind the LEGO Mindstorms Junkbots is to bring together the motors of the LEGO and use them to power the robot which is otherwise created from junk. The key aims of the project are; - To give children at a KS2 primary school level an insight into what can be achieved through the use of simple programming. - To provide a fun and engaging activity for children to be creative and design their own robots. - To use the robots and programming software to achieve basic movements of the Junkbots.
The original junkbots project combined the idea of using motors and vibrations to move the bots with limited control however the new project uses the idea of programming to add a further element of control and as such the simplicity of the self contained NXT device was decided upon as a branch of this.
Aiming the project at KS1 and KS2 gives the opportunity to introduce basic programming from a young age and demonstrate just one of the interesting possibilities that comes from it.


Developed by Hayden Tetley and Scott Turner. Hayden’s time was paid for through the Nuffield Research Placements Scheme (http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/nuffield-research-placements).





If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with.

Controlling junk with LEGO

In a recent post (http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/physical-computing-junkbots-with-brain.html)  adding Mindstorm NXT brick and motors to a drinks can to produce a junkbot was consider as an idea. As a new stage for the Junkbots project (http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/ ) some preliminary work has been done into this.

Up to this point the junk bot building has largely being about building a moving (or drawing) 'bot' moved by vibration - limited control, but fun. A Nuffield funded bursary student, Hayden Tetley,  has being working within staff from the University of Northampton on whether LEGO NXT or Raspberry Pi based solutions can be incorporated with the bot to add some control of the movement (still by vibration).


Idea One 

Is to add a LEGO NXT brick, to move a junkbot similar.The motor and broken propeller combination in the earlier junkbots is replaced with the NXT brick and LEGO motor. A good potential feature is it a self-contained unit with power and control together, as well as being potentially fairly simple to set-up. This is the focus of this post. 

Here are some videos showing idea one in action using LEGO motors, brick and the software that comes with the LEGO Mindstorms NXT (LEGO):





For more information on how this was done go to: http://legojunkbots.weebly.com/uploads/3/7/2/2/37227791/nuffield_nxt_mindstorms.docx or http://legojunkbots.weebly.com/

Idea Two

Is to do a similar approach as idea one but keep the motor and broken propeller combination but control the motors via a Raspberry Pi. This will be discussed in another post.

Details of the work will be published on the Junkbots Blog (htttp://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/ ) as the project progresses.

Physical Computing: Junkbots with a brain!

Figure 1

A new stage for the Junkbots project (http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/ ) starts this week. Up to this point the junk bot building has largely being about building a moving (or drawing) 'bot' moved by vibration - limited control, but fun.

This week, A Nuffield funded bursary student starts working on investigating whether LEGO NXT or Raspberry Pi based solutions can be incorporated with the bot to add some control of the movement (still by vibration).


Idea One 

Is to add a LEGO NXT brick, plus motors that are made to vibrate, to a junkbot similar to one shown in figure 1. The motor and broken propeller combination being replaced with the NXT brick and LEGO motor. A good potential feature is it a self-contained unit with power and control together, as well as being potentially fairly simple to set-up.


Idea Two

Is to do a similar approach as idea one but keep the motor and broken propeller combination but control the motors via a Raspberry Pi.



For both approaches there are questions to be considered including 

• Will the additions be too heavy? 
• If it is too heavy could it be done with a single controlled motor?
• What is the best programming choice?
• For idea one is it the language that comes with the NXT or other programming language?
• For idea two Scratch or Python?
• How much control is there?
• For idea two is this too complex to be taken into schools.

It is hoped that in the end, there will be some resource for others to use, that involves relatively simple 'robot' programming of a junk-based robot.

Deatils of the work will be published on the Junkbots Blog (http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/ ) as the project progresses.

Robot workshop

Work within the School of Science and Technology, University of Northampton was presented at a recent workshop,  Robotics Workshop: Bot Shop! 28th October 2011 at the University of Derby.

The work presented discussed using Lego Robots to support the learning of Neural Networks on an artificial intelligence module.The aim being to use the advantages of using robots, their visual and physical nature, as a way of making the slightly abstract nature of the neurons and multi-layer perceptrons more concrete by examples.

Derby presentation

View more presentations from Scott Turner

For more details on the Workshop go to: http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/events/displayevent.php?id=260

Robots, junk and 3D

Two students from Rushden Community College and Bishops Stopford Sixth Form, Kettering, have undertaken four week placements with The University of Northampton's School of Science and Technology, by the Nuffield Science Bursaries scheme .

3D modelling

Ben Durrant (Rushden Community College) has been working on 3D modelling and creative design with the NVision team; NVision is a state-of-the-art facility with specialist services to help companies develop and promote their products using the latest 3D modelling and visualisation capabilities, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Junkbots

Hayley Stevenson (Bishops Stopford)  has been working with Dr Scott Turner, Senior Lecturer in Computing, and Dr Margaret Bates, Manager of the Centre for Sustainable Wastes Management, on the Junkbots programme. Junkbots is a challenge for schoolchildren to use waste materials to create, and then program, simple robots, and the scheme has reached out to hundreds of children across Northamptonshire. 

As producing several 'robots' from junk, the work culminated in a  lego controlled junkbot  been produced. It is a a walking model from straws and cotton, combined twith two motors from LEGO NXT set and some java code to get it to move. More details can be found at: http://junkbots-hayleystevenson.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-18-my-last-day.html including video of it working.

LEGO arrangement

The walking model

This has new junkbot is very much in-line with the ideas behind the project, combining engineering, waste and computing to produce something new.


For more detail about what Hayley did see her blog (including videos and pictures of her work):  http://junkbots-hayleystevenson.blogspot.com/

For more detail see the full article at: http://www.northampton.ac.uk/news/article/206/science-bursary-students-work-with-3d-modelling-and-robots

Lego Mindstorms – Sentry Robots

Sameer Kumar Shrestha

The report presents the dissertation on title Prototype of Sentry Robots for Advanced Security which includes the use of LEGO robots showing interaction between each other with the help of wireless communication medium in Bluetooth. The purpose of the work is to build a communication between multiple LEGO robots using the wireless technology. For this task, the NXT version of LEGO Mindstorms has been selected. It is because there is need of complex communication which is possible through wireless medium such as Bluetooth and also a suitable processing device for the proposed task which is present in the LEGO Mindstorms NXT. The report has also focused on the background information about the NXT system and its great flexibility with LeJOS NXJ as the programming platform. The outcome is the implementation of developed work with the use LEGO Mindstorms NXT and the LeJOS NXJ as programming platform. The task was approached with one LEGO NXT robot maintaining the distance between the object in the environment and searching the object by rotating in case of lost. After the completion of the first task, the next task was to study the communication behavior of multiple robots communicating with each other to fulfill the same job. For this, three NXT robots were taken and programmed in such a way that they form the shape of triangle and keep tracking the object.  All three of them send and wait for the information from each other and process this information to produce a suitable output, i.e. to respond to the action from each other. Thus, it was found that the implementation of several processes to multiple LEGO based communication had faults, due to the technical hitches with the communication technology and limitations of the NXT systems.

BSc and HND Computing Provision (click on the links below for more details of the courses)

• BSc (Hons) Computing (also available part-time)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Computer Systems Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Graphics and Visualisation)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Mobile Computing)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Software Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing - One Year Top-up
• BSc  Computer Games Development
• HNC Computing (part-time)
• HND Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• HND Computing (Computer Systems Engineering)
• HND Computing (Graphics and Visualisation)
• HND Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• HND Computing (Mobile Computing)
• HND Computing (Software Engineering) 
• HND Computing
• HND Computer Games Development

The University of Northampton's, Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies offers five courses within the MSc Computing postgraduate provision (shown below) all available either part-time or full-time. 

• MSc Computing
• MSc Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• MSc Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Software Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Immersive Technologies)

Lego Mindstorms – Rubik’s Cube Solver

Lego  Mindstorms – Rubik’s Cube Solver

Alexandru Safcencu

The Swedish programmer Hans Anderssen has designed in 2008 a robot, using Lego Mindstorms NXT 1 kit, that solved a Rubik’s cube autonomously via Herbert Kociemba’s Two-Phase Algorithm. Over the time, other programmers attempted to build robots such as his and have proven to be faster and better at detecting the colors of the cube.

Inspired by Anderssen’s creation, the author of this dissertation took the challenge of  improving Andersson’s initial project so that it could match the performances of other similar projects, only using original Lego hardware.

To reach that goal, the author of this dissertation proposed to swap the Lego light sensor, used by Anderssen, with Lego’s latest color sensor. After doing some research, the author of this dissertation realised that the color sensor would indeed solve the color detection problem and thus it would be a useful implementation.

While Anderssen’s robot was able to solve a cube in approximately five minutes, his competition managed to build robots that would do it in less than a minute. To solve that problem, the author of this dissertation proposed that he would build a Java application which would make computing a solution considerably faster. The author also suggested that he would base the Java application on the Bluetooth connectivity.

While Anderssen’s robot could not calculate a solution for a cube using heuristic methods due the limited computing power available, building a Java solution that would run on a computer would allow the implementation of a more optimal algorithm. This approach would lower the time it takes the robot to solve the cube in two ways:

1) The java application on the computer can make use of the powerful processor and compute a solution in a couple of seconds.

2) Because the java application has a heuristic algorithm implemented (still based in Two-Phase algorithm) it could compute a shorter solution of up to twenty moves. A shorter solution would mean less moves for the robot to perform and a shorter overall time of execution.

Out of these objectives, the author of the dissertation has managed to fully implement the Lego color sensor and partially implement the Java application. The robot can solve a Rubik’s cube autonomously using the color sensor but it cannot receive a solution from the Java Application. Up to this point, the author of this dissertation has managed to implement the Bluetooth connectivity within the Java application which successfully connects the computer to the robot. 

BSc and HND Computing Provision (click on the links below for more details of the courses)

• BSc (Hons) Computing (also available part-time)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Computer Systems Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Graphics and Visualisation)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Mobile Computing)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Software Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing - One Year Top-up
• BSc  Computer Games Development
• HNC Computing (part-time)
• HND Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• HND Computing (Computer Systems Engineering)
• HND Computing (Graphics and Visualisation)
• HND Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• HND Computing (Mobile Computing)
• HND Computing (Software Engineering) 
• HND Computing
• HND Computer Games Development

The University of Northampton's, Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies offers five courses within the MSc Computing postgraduate provision (shown below) all available either part-time or full-time. 

• MSc Computing
• MSc Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• MSc Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Software Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Immersive Technologies)

Problem-solving and robots

Scott Turner and Gary Hill from the Division of Computing (along with Jonathan Adams from the Division of Engineering on a related project) have been investigating teaching and developing problem solving skills as a first step developing programming skills through the use of LEGO-based robots and graphics based programming.

Turner S and Hill G(2008) "Robots within the Teaching of Problem-Solving" ITALICS vol. 7 No. 1 June 2008 pp 108-119 ISSN 1473-7507 http://dx.doi.org/10.11120/ital.2008.07010108 

Work on problem-solving has been on-going in the School of Science and Technology (was School of Applied Sciences) for the last four years looking at the concept of teaching and developing problem-solving first, then programming. The main vehicle for developing the problem-solving skills has been LEGO Mindstorms robotics kits and series of gradually more challenging robot-based tasks.

Lawhead et al (2003) stated that robots “…provide entry level programming students with a physical model to visually demonstrate concepts” and “the most important benefit of using robots in teaching introductory courses is the focus provided on learning language independent, persistent truths about programming and programming techniques. Robots readily illustrate the idea of computation as interaction”. Synergies can be made with our work and those one on pre-object programming and simulation of robots for teaching programming as a visual approach to the teaching of the widely used programming language  Java.

The main benefits that the students stated of this approach was they  believe robots provide a method to visually and physically see the outcome of a problem. The approach taken the module has been visually-orientated. The appropriateness of this seems to be borne out by the student comments. Student satisfaction  for a module based around this approach is over 92%. One of the comments made was that the linking of the problem-solving robot task and the programming assignment was liked. This feedback is similar to that reported by other authors when teaching programming using robots (Williams et al, 2003).  There is enough scope in this approach to have different levels of complexity/functionality within an assignment task offering a basic ‘pass’ level for a particular task, but also the scope for those students that desire more of a challenge.


To learn more please contact: Scott Turner

Reference
Lawhead PB, Bland CG, Barnes DJ, Duncan ME, Goldweber M, Hollingsworth RG,
Schep M (2003), A Road Map for Teaching Introductory Programming Using
LEGO Mindstorms Robots SIGCSE Bulletin, 35(2): 191-201.
Williams AB (2003) The Qualitative Impact of Using LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot
to Teach Computer Engineering IEEE Trans. Educ. Vol. 46 pp 206.


Publications

• Turner S, Hill G, Adams J (2009) "Robots in problem solving in programming" 9th 1-day Teaching of Programming Workshop, University of Bath, 6th April 2009.  
• Turner S and Hill G(2008) "Robots within the Teaching of Problem-Solving" ITALICS vol. 7 No. 1 June 2008 pp 108-119 ISSN 1473-7507 http://dx.doi.org/10.11120/ital.2008.07010108 
• Turner S and Adams J (2008) "Robots and Problem Solving" 9th Higher Education Academy-ICS Annual Conference, Liverpool Hope University, 26th August - 28th August 2008. pp. 14 ISBN 978-0-9559676-0-3. 
• Adams, J. and Turner, S., (2008) Problem Solving and Creativity for Undergraduate Computing and Engineering students: the use of robots as a development tool Creating Contemporary Student Learning Environments 2008, Northampton, UK. 
• Adams, J. and Turner, S., (2008) Problem Solving and Creativity for Undergraduate Engineers: process or product? International Conference on Innovation, Good Practice and Research in Engineering Education 2008, Loughborough, UK. 
• Adams, J., Turner, S., Kaczmarczyk, S., Picton, P. and Demian, P.,(2008). Problem Solving and Creativity for Undergraduate Engineers: findings of an action research project involving robots International Conference on Engineering Education ICEE 2008, Budapest, Hungary. 
• Turner S and Hill G(2007) Robots in Problem-Solving and Programming 8th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, University of Southampton, 28th - 30th August 2007, pp 82-85 ISBN 0-978-0-9552005-7-1 
• Turner S (2007) Developing problem-solving teaching material based upon Microsoft Robotics Studio. 8th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, University of Southampton, 28th - 30th August 2007 pp 151 ISBN 0-978-0-9552005-7-1 
• Turner S (2007) Developing problem-solving teaching materials based upon Microsoft Robotics Studio. Innovative Teaching Development Fund Dissemination Day 1st March 2007 Microsoft:London 
• Turner S and Hill G (2006) The Inclusion Of Robots Within The Teaching Of Problemsolving: Preliminary Results Proceedings of 7th Annual Conference of the ICS HE Academy Trinity College, Dublin, 29th - 31st August 2006 Proceedings pg 241-242 ISBN 0-9552005-3-9 

Junkbots

The School of Science and Technology at the University of Northampton have been working with local schools to create robots made from junk. This is an initiative by the University to introduce environmental sustainability, engineering and computing to students and has been been funded by Northampton Enterprise Limitedand east midlands development agency (emda).



This project sets out to engage pupils with a set of activities over four three-hour sessions that provides an insight into STEM subjects. The workshops will be structured in the following way:
(a)Session 1: Introduction to waste management, its impact, recycling and reuse. An introduction to the idea of making robots from rubbish.
(b)Two sessions involving guided exercises.
· Session 2: Involves some problem-solving exercises (approx. ½ hour), then in groups investigate adding ‘junk’ with a new electrical components such as batteries and motors to use vibrations to move the robots.
· Session 3: To apply some of the ideas on problem solving and use of materials developed previously to build a little junk-clearing robot.
· Lego based robots are provided with two light sensors;
· a play area (containing borders and area for the junk to be placed);
The facilitators will help with programming the robots and the instructions to be used.
(c) The final session will involve the students, with the help of the facilitators, demonstrating and presenting their group’s solutions.
a. Each group will present their work to the other groups in a way they feel is most appropriate- with facilitators help if needed.
b. An hour tinkering time before the presentation will be given to solve any last minute problems.
The project aims to provide an opportunity for year 9 or 10 pupils to meet a range of people working or training in STEM subjects; the selection of the facilitators aims to have diverse mix of ethnicity to attempt to dispel stereotypes of scientists and engineers.

Details can be found at theproject site including some example exercises.

For further details please contact: Scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk or +44 1604 893028