Learning to Make Robots Scream

This past seven weeks we have been learning to code in "Blocks", an entry-level general coding software. This coding language operates by connecting "blocks" that represent functions, as to create a programme.

In order to learn how to use blocks coding, we had to start by going on code.org, and using some of their activities/games to understand the fundamentals of coding in blocks, and sometimes even Java. I learnt the fundamentals of block coding, and how it operates. I learnt to correctly distinguish the functions of each block of code, and connect them together in succession, which gave me an advantage when it was time to eventually use the Sphero bots.

Sphero bots are small, often spherical robots that operate in two programming languages: Blocks, and Java. Mr. Carter gave us a task to famililiarise ourselves further with blocks code. He drew up mazes along the floor, and challenged us with coding our Spheroes to maneuvere through the course, and back, while staying in-bounds of the blue tape, and not going over, or touching the outside. This allowed us to practice moving our Sphero, which would be an invaluable skill for the programmes we were yet to create.

We created three more programmes after that.
A toss game,
A hot potato game,
and a spinning top.

Mr. Carter's task

These three programmes taught us how to effectively use controls, comparators, sensors, variables and operators, all skills that we were going to require for making our own programme. Mr. Carter tasked us with getting creative, and designing a programme for a sphero from the ground up. It had to use a number of the skills we had just learnt, and could do anything we wanted. Many students in my class decided to create some sort of game with the Sphero, but I picked something else.
I decided to programme my sphero to react differently, depending on how it was handled. (i.e. spinning the sphero would cause it to 'vomit'.) The catch was, that if the sphero was dropped, it would initiate a sequence imitating that of a timebomb. The sphero would begin by sounding a siren, then counting down from five, before making an explosion sound, flashing it's lights, and using raw motors to have a spasm, exiting the programme afterward. You can find this programme written in blocks here, or in text here.

We are now moving on to topic three of Digital Technology's first semester programme on robotics. I'd highly reccomend tihs programme to anybody interested in learning about programming, robotics, or making programmable inanimate objects experience pain.