Video tutorials

Build a robot base to use in the course. You can use the robot base provided by us or you can build one yourself. 

Don't limit yourself to the box and think of different ways to lift the robot. 

How to organize the different robots and group of students when working on lifting the robot.

Where should you lift the robot? Especially if you don`t have the mission model that we are using

How should an instructor use this course when working with students and a group of students in school

We've already build a number of resources for lifting at FLLCasts.com. But at the end of this course we would have a robot that lifts itself and hangs on the mission model.

The FIRST LEGO League competition is similar each year. With a little experience you could accomplish most of mission. The goal of this episode is to introduce you to the course, its purpose and approach.  

In this episode we combine in a single program the previous two programs for moving forward and backward. 

Now that we know how to make the robot move forward let's see we can make it move backward. 

In the RobotC software we could make the robot wait for a couple of seconds by using the wait function. This will give the motors a chance to work and this will actually move the robot. 

We are ready to build the first program for moving the robot forward and backward. We learn how to build simple programs for moving the program. But it is not that easy...downloading to the robot does not always result in the robot moving. 

The comunication between the motors and the controller should be configured in the RobotC software. Each motor could be connected on a different port and the goal of the video is to show you how.

Conenct the motors of the VEX EDR motor to the VEX Corted Controller. For connecting we need the motor drivers. 

Let's move with the VEX EDR robot using its motors, the wheels and some RobotC programming. We devide the program in three parts - Connect the motors, program the controller and turning.

After we've download the software we must install it and most importantly configure it. Without propertly configuring the software it would be difficult to use the Cortex Controller.

To control the VEX Cortex controller we must use a software. In this episode we would download the software from the VEX site. Strange thing is that you must select your region correctly even if you are not in this region

Unpacking the VEX EDR set and learning the names of the different parts included in the set

We will cover the typical reasons why your robot is not moving at all.

When you first start the EV3 brick, you see the recent programs menu. Let's see what it is all about.

How to help students implement long programs. 

Let's make a program that moves the robot forward and then backward.

We will demonstrate an alternative way to make the robot move backward

There are number of settings in a Move block and now we will focus on the rotations setting

Sometimes a good teacher needs a few tricks in his sleeve, so that he can surprise and entertain his students.

A note why we give the challenge at the start of the lesson.

The challenge is to make the robot move back and forth with ever decreasing distance.

Here are some guidelines for assigning tasks to students:

Clearly mark the starting position

Use visible references on the floor. If the floor is tiled, use the tiles. If there are lines, use them as guides. Always clearly mark both the starting point and the finish line.

Students may forget where the start and end points are, so it is important for you, as the teacher, to mark them clearly.

Organize turns

Use one testing area for every 10–12 students and teach them to wait their turn in line. This helps keep the activity organized and fair for everyone.

Choosing the distance and defining success

A task distance of around 50 cm (20 inches) works well. You can also choose a different distance or decide together with the students. Any distance can work, especially if it has meaning.

For example, you can use a meaningful challenge like: “Move the robot as far as your height.”

Be consistent with task criteria

Decide in advance what counts as a successful result. For example, is 42 cm acceptable? Is 49 cm enough? Is 55 cm too far?

Set clear expectations and help students understand the importance of precision. At the same time, encourage them to try again and improve their results.