Robotics

 For our robotics unit in our STEAM class, my partner and I worked with a VEX IQ Clawbot. We started by building the Clawbot from pieces and parts per the provided instructions. If my memory is serving me, it took about two to three days to fully build the robot. In order to make the process go more smoothly, we discovered it was most efficient if one of us found the needed parts and one of us attached them to the robot for the next step. We had a system going where each set of parts for the next step would be put into a styrofoam bowl in order to stay organized and keep the steps in order- "The Bowl Method," as we called it. 

(our finished VEX IQ robot) 

To get the full experience, we alternated who found the parts and who built the robot. Overall, our method was pretty successful and we had very few minor slip ups. The only things that really posed much of an issue were the parts themselves and inconsistencies between the directions and the pieces we were working with. For example, many of the pieces looked very similar to each other which made it hard at times to differentiate between which piece we were supposed to use. Additionally, we found ourselves on a couple of "wild goose chases" trying to find pieces that simply weren't available in our box but could be easily replaced with other parts we had. 

After building the robot, it was time to start programming. Luckily enough, VEX IQ has an incredibly user-friendly scratch-based interface to work with. Just as with our building process, my partner and I took turns with programming. 

(VEX IQ Scratch-based interface) 

It was super easy to use because, at least for us, programming with Scratch is rather intuitive, so instead of spending time refreshing ourselves with Python or another programming language, we could focus on completing our challenges.  

Speaking of which, we had a blast working on the guided projects with the robot. After getting more comfortable with the programming, we even added a little "celebration" at the end of each of our challenges which usually called for the robot to go through a series of sounds and color changes. 

(example of one of our 
"celebrations" at the
end of a challenge) 

After working with the first few challenges, everything else fell into place and we breezed through the projects. That being said, towards the end of the challenges list we were required to use a color sensor that would allow the robot to follow a specifically colored line. I found some difficulty with this project because the color sensor had to be reprogrammed, and even after that, it didn't seem to detect the colored line underneath the robot. To make matters worse, my partner wasn't able to be present for this day of programming, but nevertheless, I figured out that the artificial fluorescent lights were affecting the color sensor's functionality. To solve this issue, I found two alternative situations to work: the robot would be able to detect the colored line if the lights were off or if the robot was taken outside in natural light. 

Additionally, after working with the programming enough, we figured out that the scratch-based interface allowed us to simplify a few things with some shortcuts. For example, we quickly realized that loops could be incredibly useful when we needed to repeat an action, as opposed to listing the action several times. 

(we used the loop feature to allow the robot 
to travel the perimeter of a 36" square) 

We made a few adjustments to our original robot after seeing where there was room for improvement. For example, we restructured a platform on the back of the robot that could be used to hold blocks that were being carried but not currently being held by the claw. 

Overall, in working with the robot, I would say that it was a pretty gratifying process; it was super satisfying when we were able to program a series of steps for the robot to perform and everything went according to plan. 

I will say that it was a bit frustrating when things weren't as precise or when we ran into errors that required troubleshooting; sometimes we really had to think outside of the box to try and solve issues that came up during programming. 

Combined with this robotics project, I also researched the use of robots in the medical field and education. I think knowing what I know now, it's clear that they have so many more uses than what I might've previously thought. For example, I had no idea that the robots could "learn" from their environment and grow to pick up habits from humans. A part of me sees this as dystopian, and yet, with this innovation, the possibilities for the future are endless; if robots don't necessarily need to be designed and controlled by a human but instead can adapt to their surroundings, then as long as there are reliable human role models, robots can become essential assets to numerous fields including medicine and education. As computer scientist Alan Kay put it, 

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."