Playlists -

• LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT

The idea behind our new 14-session course (1 session weekly) is to develop a solution to the Conway Game of Life where the robots would actually play the game. Students will construct the robots by instructions and lots of imagination. Initial programs will be provided by us and modified by students. The course is for students and classes of students. It is for Computer Science, Computer History, Robotics, Math. Different programming languages will be used for after class activities and solutions to problems.

Moving in a grid of objects. That's the large challenge of the World Robotics Olympiad 2015 Junior-High 2015. It's called Treasure Hunt. In this playlist we present an example solution to it. In the first video we would build a robot that can collect the boxes (treasures). The robot would also be able to move around the treasures.

This is a course for following lines that are crossed with other lines and have gaps. We start with a simple introduction of our strategy, the programming that is used and how it follows a State Machine programming pattern. The idea of the course is for students to learn how to program robots to follow a line and to use mode advance state machine programming.

This playlist of videos is about World Robotics Olympiad 2014 Elementary Challenge. Modules are positioned on different places on the fields. The robot must collect and bring the module near each other. The it must lift them and place them like they are ready for "rocket launching". In the mean time Humans must be collected and returned to the safety zone. We build a robot with a grabber and in interesting program for solving the missions. 

STEM, Physics and LEGO. We explore some of the basic physics laws and relations in this playlist. Energy is always conserved, but how do we calculate it and what is the energy of a rotating body - in this case LEGO wheels and how could we accumulate energy in a construction and use this energy at a later stage. We explore the relation between radians, angular velocity, inertia moment and energy. CHeck out the videos below

It is not a gear box. But most of the time with LEGO Mindstorms Constructions you do not need a gear box. You just need a way to switch between different axles and to change the direction of rotation of this axles. This short course is about such a mechanism. 

Why? - because it is a great way to learn to control motors in different configurations. How? - we place the motors in opposite directions. One forward and one backward. What? - the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 motors are placed in opposite directions, but we program it to move forward, turn, move in square and even do a Proportional Line Following. 

This is a collection of videos on how to use gears in the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 and NXT sets. They could be a powerfull tool for solving many challenges. 

Initially you build the base of a robot and then extend this base with different attachments. We have discussed many attachments at FLLCasts.com and in this course we would discuss five different chassis (also called bases). Find the instructions for building below each video. Try to construct  and use them for FIRST LEGO League or World Robotics Olympiad competitions. Do not forget the also check the playlist on FIRST LEGO League Competition -  constructions. 

In this playlist we have tried to show the process of developing a solution, by implementing each step, making a mistake, arriving at a solution and improving on this solution. Aligning to a wall is a useful concept in many robotics competitions and generally at different STEM problems. It shows a way to use two sensors at a time to get the robot position in space and take decisions based on this data,

You must dive. You must count. You must release. Well, not exactly you, but the robot. In this playlist we present an example solution to the WRO 2015 challenge along with some nice constructions for releasing balls while counting them with a robot. That sounds pretty easy, but could get quite challenging when the number of balls is large. 

One of the smoothest and most precise way to follow a line. It is also quite fast. The whole algorithm could be configured easily depending on the conditions in the room. Proportional Algorithm: This algorithm for following lines is called Proportional. It proportionally rotates the motors depending on how far from the line the robot is. If the robot is right above the line the proportion between the two motor is equal and they just continue forward. But as the robot looses the line, the algorithm would return it as quickly as possible proportionally to how far away the robot is. 

This playlist presents a complex attachment that performs many tasks at once. The idea is for the robot to go out of base as few times as possible and once outside the base of FLL,WRO fields to accomplish as many competition tasks as possible. This attachment uses rubber bands and number of interesting and carefully places levers and axles. It would be difficult to use the attachment directly as it is for other missions, but it gives nice, interesting and valuable ideas on robotics attachments. 

The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Gyro sensor was one of the new sensors in the EV3 sets. In this course we walk you through the basics of using and programming the sensor. The sensor detects when the robot construction turns at a particular angle, but there are a number of gotchas in using it. The Gyro Sensor is useful with almost any robot construction. If you use it during competitions like FIRST LEGO League (FLL) or World Robotics Olympiad (WRO) it would be much easier for you to accomplish more missions in the given time. What the sensor does is to detect the Angle of rotation of the construction and the Rate at which the robot is rotating. The rate is in Degrees per second. How fast is the robot moving. 

Beginners course for the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Ultrasonic Sensor. Detecting objects, following, running away from them are part of some of the tasks.

How do you follow a wall with LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Ultrasonic sensor. In this playlist we would explore a number of ways. You can use this at competitions like FIRST LEGO League (FLL), World Robotics Olympiad (WRO) and others to radically improve the behaviour of the robot.

It's pinless, it's simple and it works for most of the mission model on the competition field. Without much programming we are showing the principles of accomplishing the different mission models at the FIRST LEGO League 2014 World Class (FLL) competition. Most the tasks at LEGO competitions (WRO, FLL) could be "solved" with simple Mindstorms EV3/NXT attachment build from few parts and this here is one of this examples.

Introduction video tutorials for students, classes and teams that are just starting with the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robots. This course is quite different from previously build resources because it makes no assumption on any previous knowledge and tries to introduce everything step-by-step. Here we stop at only Building a robot and Programming it to move. 

List of tutorials on how to follow and align to lines. Most of the time following comes first, but when aligning is added to the program the robot becomes quite smart. Aligning, especially to lines, is also the most secure way to position the robot on a field. Covering the sensors and protecting them from different external light sources is also very important

Introduction to LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Touch sensor. You can use the sensor to detect objects around the robot. Step-by-step we explain the use of the sensor from the very basic programs and how the three states of "Pressed/Release/Bumped" are used. We also give a few tasks to do in STEM classes or in home to experiment with the sensor and to learn how to use it.

Course introducing students and teachers to the EV3 color sensor. In the course we solve some of the most basic problems and present a number of tasks for STEM classes.

Four video tutorials for the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competition on how to solve use Rubber Bands, some gear wheels, a few long part to accomplish the FIRST Lego League (FLL) Nature's Fury 2013 competition challenges, the Truck and the Ambulance. We build a robot the catches the Truck, catches the Ambulance, lifts them, moves them and releases them. All of this with a single motor. 

This series of video tutorials discuss the robot design category of the FIRST LEGO League competition. The videos are design both for judges to learn how to do a better interview and for team to learn how to prepare and what to expect from the interview.

With this robot attachment we integrate more of our knowledge into a single attachment. It is accumulating energy, conserving it and using it at the appropriate time. As a result you would learn what a Flywheel is and how to use it with a Rubber Bands. A must see for every good robot builder.

Video tutorials with programs and building instructions on how to solve the FIRST LEGO League 2014 World Class Competition missions. 

We have collected a number of video tutorials on solving different parts of the FIRST LEGO Leageu Senior Solution competition. Many times this year missions are very close to previous years and the ideas and nearly the same. 

This is a playlist with explanation and description of the FIRST LEGO League Trash Trek 2015 solution. The robot is the FLLCasts Competition robot and the attachments are build by the ELM team. These are example solutions with good tips and tricks along with some interesting strategies and videos directly from the team.