LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT-G Programming Guide, Second Edition (Practical Projects)

James Kelly’s LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT-G Programming Guide, Second Edition is a fountain of wisdom and ideas for those looking to master the art of programming LEGO’s MINDSTORMS NXT robotics kits. This second edition is fully-updated to cover all the latest features and parts in the NXT 2.0 series. It also includes exercises at the end of each chapter and other content suggestions from educators and other readers of the first edition. LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT-G Programming Guide, Second Edition focuses on the NXT-G programming language. Readers 10 years old and up learn to apply NXT-G to real-life problems such as moving and turning, locating objects based upon their color, making decisions, and much more. Perfect for for those who are new to programming, the book covers the language, the underlying mathematics, and explains how to calibrate and adjust robots for best execution of their programming. Provides programming techniques and easy-to-follow examples for each and every programming block Includes homework-style exercises for use by educators Gives clear instructions on how to build a test robot for use in running the example programs Please note: the print version of this title is black & white; the eBook is full color. What you’ll learn Understand the basics of computer and robotic programming Easily program your robot using the NXT-G 1.0 and 2.0 visual programming languages Learn real-world techniques for moving, waiting, deciding, and much more. Get familiar with new hardware such as the color sensor included in the NXT 2.0 kit Control your robot manually from a remote control device Learn basic math principles that will make you a better programmer Who this book is for This book is for people 10 years old and up who are new to programming, or who are new to the NXT-G programming language. The book also appeals to educators who use NXT-G as a vehicle for teaching about robotics and programming principles. Table of Contents Robots and Programs Program Structure Hello World! Get Movin’ Record and Playback Make Some Noise! Wired! True or False? Feedback Wait for It! Round and Round Decisions, Decisions Stop It! Pick a Card, Any Card Apples and Oranges Inside or Out? Yes? No? Maybe? Title = Anything You Like Basic Text Basic Math Staying Alive Your Own Filing Cabinet Calibration Motoring Messages My Block Is Your Block Cover......Page 1 Contents at a Glance......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 About the Author......Page 17 About the Technical Reviewer......Page 18 Acknowledgments......Page 19 Introduction......Page 20 What Is a Program?......Page 21 Programs are Merely Instructions......Page 23 The Challenge of Programming......Page 24 NXT-G......Page 25 Planning Your Program’s Structure......Page 31 Moving Into Real Code......Page 33 Exercise 2-2. Place Objects at Corners......Page 34 Exercise 2-2......Page 35 Programming the DISPLAY Block......Page 37 Waiting for the Results......Page 40 Doing More with DISPLAY......Page 41 Understanding Data Hubs......Page 43 Exercise 3-2: Draw a Rectangle......Page 46 Exercise 3-1......Page 47 Exercise 3-2......Page 48 The MOVE block......Page 51 Moving Forward and Backward......Page 52 Stopping......Page 54 Power Settings......Page 55 Duration Settings......Page 56 Braking and Coasting......Page 57 Exercise 4-1. Drive in a Circle......Page 58 Exercise 4-1......Page 59 Exercise 4-2......Page 60 Record and Playback......Page 63 The RECORD/PLAY Block......Page 64 Recording Movement......Page 65 Replaying Movement......Page 66 Exercise 5-2: Roll Forwards and Backwards First......Page 67 Exercise 8......Page 68 The SOUND Block......Page 71 Tone......Page 72 Volume Settings......Page 73 Wait Settings......Page 74 Custom Sounds......Page 76 Exercise 6-1......Page 79 Exercise 6-2......Page 80 The Problem......Page 83 A Simple Solution......Page 84 The NXT-G Solution......Page 85 An Example......Page 89 Types of Data......Page 91 A Real NXT-G Block......Page 92 What’s Next?......Page 94 One or the Other......Page 95 Sensors: Yes or No......Page 96 Variables and the Logic Type......Page 97 Using Logic to Configure Settings......Page 100 Exercise 11......Page 102 Exercise Solution......Page 103 What’s Your Condition?......Page 105 Configuring the Sensors......Page 106 NXT Touch Sensor......Page 107 RIS Touch Sensor......Page 109 NXT Light Sensor......Page 110 NXT Ultrasonic Sensor......Page 111 RIS Rotation Sensor......Page 112 NXT Color Sensor......Page 113 Other Input Types......Page 114 Data Hub Power......Page 116 Exercise 9-1......Page 117 Exercise Solution......Page 118 The WAIT Block......Page 121 The LIGHT SENSOR WAIT Block......Page 124 The NXT BUTTONS WAIT Block......Page 125 The SOUND SENSOR WAIT Block......Page 126 The TOUCH SENSOR WAIT Block......Page 127 The ULTRASONIC SENSOR WAIT Block......Page 128 Exercise 10-1......Page 129 Exercise Solution......Page 130 Do It Again and Again and Again . . .......Page 133 Nested Loops......Page 141 Exercise 11-1......Page 144 Exercise Solution......Page 148 Left or Right? Door One or Door Two?......Page 151 Flat and Tabbed Views......Page 153 Choices......Page 155 More Than Two Conditions......Page 157 Default Decisions......Page 162 Execution!......Page 163 Exercise Solution......Page 164 A Looping Example......Page 167 A SWITCH to a STOP......Page 169 STOP for Testing......Page 170 What’s Next?......Page 171 The RANDOM Block......Page 173 The NUMBER TO TEXT Block......Page 175 Exercise Solution......Page 179 A Random Example......Page 183 The COMPARE Block......Page 186 The Display of Logic Values......Page 189 A Test Run......Page 192 What’s Next?......Page 193 Exercise Solution......Page 194 The RANGE Block......Page 197 Exercise Solution......Page 207 The LOGIC Block......Page 211 Exercise Solution......Page 218 The VARIABLE Block......Page 221 Exploring the VARIABLE Block......Page 222 Reading from a VARIABLE......Page 224 Writing to a VARIABLE......Page 225 Storing Many Values......Page 226 Solving the Example Problem......Page 229 The CONSTANT Block......Page 234 What’s Next?......Page 240 The TEXT Block......Page 241 Exercise 19-1: Counting Characters......Page 244 Exercise Solution......Page 245 The MATH Block......Page 249 Exercise Solution......Page 252 The KEEP ALIVE Block......Page 257 Exercise Solution......Page 259 Introducing the FILE ACCESS Block......Page 261 Exercise Solution......Page 267 The CALIBRATE Block......Page 273 Put the CALIBRATE Block to Work......Page 274 The Calibrate Sensors Tool......Page 276 What’s Next?......Page 278 The MOTOR Block......Page 279 The RESET MOTOR Block......Page 281 What’s Next?......Page 283 Exercise Solution......Page 284 Some Preliminaries......Page 287 Configuring a Connection......Page 288 Initiating a Connection......Page 290 The SEND MESSAGE Block......Page 291 What’s Next?......Page 296 Creating a My Block......Page 297 Exercise Solution......Page 304 Converting Between Degrees and Rotations......Page 309 Converting Degrees and Rotations into Distances......Page 310 The X/Y Coordinate System in NXT......Page 311 SPOT Building Instructions......Page 313 Opening an Image......Page 325 Modifying an Image......Page 327 Saving an Image......Page 328 Using Your Image......Page 329 Index......Page 331