Lego Mindstorm Flipping Gymnast

Date:  Aug 30, 2014

Jay Jay has enrolled into the Young Robotics Engineers class @ WondersWork at Liang Court.

And yes, he is now using Lego Mindstorm EV3 to program his robots.

Below is the info of the Robotics class he is attending.

  

Young Robotics Engineers (Age 8 & above)

This program is suitable for children aged 8 and above. Students will build more advanced robotics projects using Lego Mindstorm NXT2.0, Lego Mindstorm EV3 (age 10 & above, completed at least 8 lessons of Nxt2.0) robot kits. 

WondersWork:  http://www.wonderswork.com.sg/programs.php 

 

Let’s check out what he designed this week.

He needs to build & program a flipping Gymnast.

Teacher Enzo is explaining to him, why his gymnast cannot flip properly, because of the strength of the robot’s leg is too weak.  So, he has to think of a way to properly understand how a gymnast will need to do to flip a few times.

This is his Flipping Gymnast. 

I also get to see his coding.  HaHaHaHa… Keep on cut and paste so to do the flipping.  So, I can see his code become so long.

Nice try Jay Jay!  hahahaha

Later, I think teacher Enzo corrected him so that he uses a “loop” to repeat the flipping action.

OK.  Let’s see it!

I like this project!

 

 Now, let’s look at the Slow Motion.  Kind of cool!

Some friends ask me, why I keep sending my son to this course for so long.

Here is my thoughts...

1)  To let Jay have 2 hours during weekend to play with toys he love, i.e. Lego.

2)  Lego is building block.  It is imagination that is needed to build and design the robot.  Although there are a instruction pages to follow, but most of the time, Jay Jay likes to do it differently and have a lot of excuses and reasons.

3)  The programming is done on a Windows laptop.  So, this is the only way to let Jay Jay get in touch more with a Windows operating system.  As my home is completely Apple  Mac friendly.  Yeap!  Have not been using Windows for a long time.  I found that Jay Jay is quite well verse on operating a Windows OS.  And at home, he also know how to operate a iMac computer.

4)  He learned about math, and physics in this class.   All these are necessary to design the robot’s movement.

5)  He can play with his friends too.

6)  He can socialise with more classmates here.

7)  So far I see that 98% of the project are new project.  The design of the course is actually quit good.

8)  It make Jay focus, and think.

 

Robotics Using Lego Mindstorms EV3

Date:  Aug 16, 2014

Today at Wonders Work at Liang Court, Jay & Riandy had their first experience with Lego Mindstorms EV3.

Enzo (the instructor) decided to let them both try the EV3.  Previously, they uses NXT. 

This week project is a motorcycle that rides around the EV3 controller.  The motor sits on the controller itself and it rotates the wheels.

The programming style is different from the NXT.  So, they spent quite a bit of time to understand the interface, and trying to get their motorcycle working.

Everything seems new to them today.

Final check on the code and design.

 OK.  Finally, he got it to work.  But he has to keep pressing the controller so to stabilise the controller.  Otherwise, when the motorcycle turn round and round, it will flip the controller.

Here is another quick look at this week project.

Cool!  Jay was very happy today.

Letting the kid to have fun in some class that he likes seems to make the kid always looking forward to this class.  Jay always eager wanted to make new things, learn new things.  Slowly, he will learn a lot of things that is not going to be taught in the normal Primary syllabus.  I think this skill will be very useful when he grew up.

Robotics: A Helicopter

Date:  Jan 4, 2014

The robotics project today at the WonderWorks @ Liang Court getting more interesting.

The project is to create and design programs for a helicopter.

This is Jay Jay’s helicopter.

So, what does it do?

When the helicopter is landed on the table, the propeller stop spinning.

When you take the helicopter off the table slowly, the propeller spin slowly.

When you take the helicopter higher and higher, the propeller spin faster and faster.

Huh?  I blurr..

How this work har?

Oh, there is a ultrasonic sensor build in below of the helicopter.

The ultrasonic sensor will measure the distance of the sensor against the obstacle (table).

When the distance is relative zero, the motor not moving.

When the distance is small, the motor rotate slowly.

When the distance is bigger, the motor will rotate faster.

As simple as that.

Cool project Jay!

Wonder's Work Space Invention Camp - Day 3

Date:  Dec 5, 2013

It is the last day of Wonder’s Work Space Invention Camp.

It’s graduation day!

The Yellow team - Aiden, Jay, Riandi, & Brayden.

 

Yes, I am a rocket scientist now!

 

Here is the badge I earn.  Rocket Scientist.

All the kids are very happy taking photos.

Let’s take another photos with all the trainers.

Today is the Computer Programming day.  So, all the kids learn how to program the Webo.  I thought they will be using the Mindstorms.  Instead they use the Webo to teach.

 Those kids who has completed the computer programming, gets to watch youtube.

 Ah… NASA Johnson Style.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/2Sar5WT76kE

All of them suit up to receive their rocket scientist badge.

 

 OK.  Rocket Scientist, show me what have you all design today?

An UFO?

 

That comes with a switch.  Simply a cardboard, with two paper clip on each side to conduct electricity.  Wow.. Cool.

Jay explaining the UFO.

Wow… switch to turn the power on.

 Jay really have lots of fun!

This course has taught him a lot of science knowledge and team work.

He is proud of becoming a Rocket Scientist.

Wonder's Work Space Invention Camp - Day 2

Date:  Dec 4, 2013

Day 2 @ Wonderswork space Invention Camp.  The teacher is showing videos of space junks.

I overhead she is teaching “What is Newton Law?"

haHaHa… I doubt very much the kids at young P1 age will understand that yet.  hahaha

The kids look at the video with extreme attention.

These are their’s rocket ships.  They will launched these later.  And both the rockets in Yellow Team Won!  According to Jay, only their two rocket flew into the sky and successfully deploy the parachutes.  So, they won!  Well done boys.  

Today, they make robotics arm.

So, the kids are demo the robotic arms.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/33cHwx0_Nbc

Seems they are having fun again at the camp on Day 2.

They try to show us their work today.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/U7dYCv0CCa8

OK.  Let’s check out what they did in the Camp.

A robot arm that picks up space trash or space junks in space.

You can control it to pick up anything (light).

Lift it ...

And drop it!

Let’s see it in action.  I am impressed!  A paper robotics arm.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/CKLRDBk0nKY

After they launched their Coca-cola bottle rocket ship at the park, opposite, they made yet another rocket ship.

A balloon rocket ship.

Wee… Here it goes...

It flies.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/RZ1G6dlnF_s

Jay Jay definitely are very happy!   The last day of the class involves designing a real space invention using Lego Mindstorms.  I think they will be thrill.

Wonder's Work Space Invention Camp - Day 1

Date:  Dec 4, 2013

I did an Radio Interview with FM95.8 few weeks ago.  We talked about Wonder’s work.

FM95.8:  http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/11/fm958-interview.html

So, here, yet is another program I signed up Jay Jay for his holiday’s camp.  To kill time and to learn something different.

 

OK.  Let’s suit up!  The kids are given each an astronaut costumes.

Here is his “I’m an Inventor” name tag.

Jay Jay enrolled the class together with 3 other Kindergarden's friends, Riyandi, Aiden & Brayden.

All of them is going to sit together in the yellow group.

A class size of about 16-20 students ranging from 6 years old to 12 years old.

OK.  Let’s check out what they have learned from the first day of class.

A rocket launcher.  This is most probably the most impressive toy that they have made in class today.

 

Using a straw, add the wings with tapes, and put some blue tag on it.  That’s it, your rocket.  And you put the rocket at one end of the straw launcher.

 

The straw launcher is hold still by a cloth hanger clip. What is that piece of paper over there???

Oh…. it is a small piece of paper teaching and reminding the kids to remember that if you shoot the rocket 45 degree you can shoot it far.  And they taught them the concept of angles.

At the end, it is attached to the tube and pump.  Oh, this will supply the air and launch the rocket at the other end.  

Quite cool!  Why didn’t I think of this?

OK.  Let’s see how this rocket goes into action.  

45 degree, and do a lot of pre-launching check.  As you can see how he carefully check thru each sequence, and then, he punch the pump and the rocket fly very straight at 45 degree.  OK.  That’s it, I will go buy more pumps and tubes so that Jay & Kay can build this rocket launcher at home to play with their domino or Jenga target.  Cool ideas!

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/pbfsXBp4M_Q

Then, they taught them to build strange plane.  This kind of planes can fly??

See cannot fly.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/idEr5fH2zPI

Some robot.

 

But the main event is to build the big rocket using Coke Bottle.  As described by Jay Jay, the rocket has wings below.  And a cap on top.  Where a ping pong ball is placed inside.  A parachute is designed so that the rocket can safely come back to earth.  So, two boys form a team, each group has 2 rocket to launch.  Because it was rainy day yesterday, so, they did not get to launch the rocket yesterday.  Today, they will attempt to launch it again.  But looking at the sky, I think the chances are slim.  May drag to Thursday.

So far the kids likes it a lot.  Space, is the next frontier.

Those who are interested, there are still Camp #3 & Camp #4 you can signed up.  This is the third holidays that they offer such program.  It is getting quite popular.  And it is good to learn things from outside text books  Here are the info.