Servo - September 2010

Figure 2

Educator” exercises available on the right side of the screen.

With the basics down, let’s move on to programming Eddie from the computer for the first time.

Eddie’s First [Real] Program: • Open the NXT software on your computer.

• Name your program “Eddie’s First Program” in the text field below “Start New Program” before clicking “Go >>”.

• Our first program will be just one step long with a programming “block” from the “Common Palette.” • From the Common Palette, click and drag a “Move” block as the first step of the program.

Quick Recap

We just did a quick first program in the NXT computer software both to introduce the software and make sure that our robot is configured correctly. Remember: Because our gear train is reversing the direction of the motor output, making a motor go forward means the robot will go backwards, and vice versa. That’s why by programming the motors to go backwards, the robot ultimately moves forward.

Now that you understand the basics, let’s get right into things by adding a touch sensor. First, you’ll need to build the touch sensor attachment. Follow the instructions to get it ready for action.

Figure 1

Touch Sensor Attachment Building Instructions

NOTE: This attachment snaps easily in and out of the front of Eddie — the robot we designed last month. You’ll have a choice between a lower height so Eddie detects smaller objects, or a higher height — encouraging Eddie to drive right over small obstacles.