Video tutorials

Would you like to resolve all the problems with the light/color sensors that you have? And to make all of them work in a predictable, stable way even when using more than one MINDSTORMS colour sensors. 

When using Color sensors it is important to calibrate them depending on the light conditions in your venue. In this way, the calibrated sensor will show values between 0 and 100 independent of the light conditions. But using the default EV3 colour calibration available in the colour sensor block could lead to unpredicted problems that are difficult to track and resolved especially when used with multiple Color sensors. So in this series of tutorial we implement the calibration ourselves discussing the principles of colour sensor calibration.

The integral part "remembers" the errors that the robot has made in the past and we can compensate for those errors. This will make the robot return back to the line that we would like to keep it aligned. 

It's inevitable. While following this gapped line we would reach a gap. The robot must somehow understand that there is a gap and must make a decision on what to do. For detecting the gap we use the Rotation Sensor. Not the most popular, but very convenient in many cases. Check out the video.

We should multiply the error by a certain number and then add it to the steering of the LEGO Mindstorms Steering block. In this way, by changing the coefficient we change how much/fast should the proportional part influence the steering of the robot. 

The LEGO EV3 Mindstorms brick can be programmed from the brick itself. The motors can be moved forward/backward and even simple programs could be implemented without even touching the EV3-G software at the computer

First time programming the motors of the robot using the EV3-G software installed on a computer. We would explore how to move forward/backward and turn with the robot.

In this video tutorial, we would do a few experiments with the coefficients for the Integral compensation. There are actually two coefficients - "c" and "b"

In this video tutorial I give a step-by-step explanation of how to implement a block for aligning to a line. The block was first used in lesson 28. Aligning to lines is probably the most powerfull way to know the position of the robot on the FLL Competition field and to be able to execute the missions precisely at 100% of the time.

Follow an object using the LEGO Mindstorms Ultrasonic Sensor. Object moves away, the robot moves with the object. The program is very useful if you are doing STEM classes and you want to demonstrate results. People react very well to a robot following you like a dog for example. 

The robot detects an object. After the object is remove we want to make the LEGO robot move forward.

Have you even tried to move the robot not in rotations or degrees or seconds, but in metres. In this episode I am building a new block that could be used to move the robot a specific number of millimetres (mm). You could directly download and use it in your programs.

Complete introduction to the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Touch sensors from the very first step. In this video tutorial we program the robot to stop on touch sensor pressed. Again, this is based on your feedback that much of our tutorials in previous years were a little more advanced and that we have never made a proper introduction. A few more videos on touch sensor will follow after this

Stop on detecting an object with the Ultrasonic sensor and move after detecting there is no object. Join of the previous two video tutorials in one

Football with robots could be quite fun. Football with LEGO Mindstorms robots is one of the popular categories for competitions with LEGO Mindstorms Robots. 

This tutorial is about how to follow a wall with an ultrasonic sensor. The example is with a border from a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competition, but could also easily be applied to other competitions and problems.

We keep the robot orientation straight while moving, but when we stop the robot could be in a different orientation. This applies for both using the Mindstorms Gyro Sensor when moving straight or the Mindstorms Color sensor when following a line. In this video tutorial, we will do a few examples of when an how this could happen.

We've detected the gap. It's time to move over it. This is difficult because we have to detect where the line is after the 0.1 meters gap on the line following field.

We create a program for detecting when the Touch Sensor was Pressed/Released. Move until it is pressed, continue when it is released.

In the first LEGO tutorial we started following a wall with the Ultrasonic Sensor. In this tutorial we would improve the program, remove the zig zag movement and make it very smooth. 

The way sensors and programs work in a robotics system is sometimes not-intuitive for a beginner, but nevertheless very logical. Building a program for a touch sensors for "Press->Go->Press->Stop" using the EV3-G software could be quite challenging at the beginning even for experienced teachers, students and robot builders.

Scratch is a very good platform for you to start learning to program. Here's how you can start and what you need to know for your initial orientation.

"What is the light in the room?" - should it even matter. You can use one program for all lighting conditions by calibrating the color/light sensor of the LEGO Mindstorms EV3/NXT robots. 

Tasks for school STEM classes or home exersie. Try to solve them to submit your solutions below.

Experiment with moving the robot in different geometrical figures. The tasks could be used in STEM classes for introducing students to geometry and math. 

Move the robot using the Move Steering block. We explore what the different values for Steering mean and how to use them. We also explore how the motor is configured to run for a number of rotations or seconds and what is the difference. 

Next important state is Turn Right with our robot. This happens when we detect a line on the right. 

Tasks for STEM classroom and home exercise to get you used to using the LEGO Mindstorms Touch sensor.  Solve them, build a program, record a video and upload your solutions below.