Skip to main content

C programming environment announced for NXT

Reader Bernard C. pointed me to this new posting... I'm pasting the original message below:

-----

The Botline
News & Information from the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Academy

* * *

Dear Robotics Educator,

Thank you for registering to receive the Robotics Academy Botline.

The Robotics Academy is pleased to announce the release of RobotC™ at http://www-education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/robotc/ RobotC is a new C-based programming environment designed to work on the RCX, the NXT, and the VEX robot controllers. It provides a common user interface regardless of the actual controller in use. Programs written for one platform can easily be ported to a different platform with little or no change.

Teaching C-based programming in today’s classroom can be very challenging… It becomes harder when you have to change programming languages and environments as new learners advance and migrate to more powerful controllers and robots. At the Robotics Academy we’re making the job easier. With the new RobotC programming solution, hobbyists, teachers and students move from the RCX to the NXT to Vex to the larger FIRST robot controllers using a single common programming environment.

RobotC is designed for both beginners and advanced users. Advanced features can be disabled and hidden from beginners under administrative control. A graphical drag-and-drop interface simplifies program creation. It includes an extensive library of how-to videos, sample programs, code ‘snippets’ and curriculum support now in development at the Robotics Academy.

The secret to RobotC’s cross-platform architecture is a small platform-specific Virtual Machine (VM) layer that provides the glue to each specific hardware platform. VM technology is the same architecture used by JAVA for its cross-platform support. It’s relatively easy to add future support for additional controllers to RobotC based on feedback and demand.

RobotC was successfully trialed in live classrooms this past winter semester. It’s ready for broader exposure and feedback. At http://www-education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/robotc/ you can download the software and take it for a test drive. At the site you will find sample code for multiple controllers, helper links, step-by-step videos, a bulletin board so that the larger community can compare notes, and a bug tracker which will enable the Robotics Academy to be responsive to your needs.

* * *

Robotics Academy Mission Statement

The Robotics Academy is a nonprofit whose mission is to use the motivational effects of robotics to teach mathematical competency and technological literacy. We feel that the best way to reach the largest number of children is through teachers.

Our vision involves:

· Classrooms where children learn by doing
· Content organizers designed to integrate both academic concepts and the development of workplace competencies
· Creating educational tools that simplify learning

Popular posts from this blog

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 3

The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these Fall and Winter remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with. Braill3 by Jerry Nicholls Braill3 is an EV3-based LEGO Braille bricks reader. This robot uses its fingertip, made from three touch switches, to read messages written using the LEGO Braille bricks and will speak out what it detected. If it sees a simple maths problem it will attempt to solve it and give the answer as well. To learn more about the process of creating this machine, read Jerry's blog . Braill3 can be viewed here . Set Review: The Braille Bricks set is well thought out. The ratios of the letters is suitable for general use and the addition of some punctuation and arithmetic operators is excellent. There is a card showing what bricks there are and their quantities, but no form of sort

Celebrating 25 Years of MINDSTORMS

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS, we take a trip through history. Please also visit ROBOTMAK3RS Community every week as we highlight different projects all through 2023 in celebration of the anniversary. Some of the early history is based on the content shared by  Coder Shah  in our  MINDSTORMS EV3 Community Group . Some of the text and links may have been edited from his original posts for consistency and clarity.  1984 - Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen watched a TV program called "Talking Turtle," where MIT professor Seymour Papert demonstrated how children could control robot "turtles" using LOGO, a programming language he developed. 1988 - The collaboration between MIT and LEGO resulted in LEGO TC Logo in 1988, which allowed students to control LEGO models using computer commands. The video shows Papert demonstrating TC Logo. 1990 - LEGO TC Logo was hampered since the robots you built had to be tethered to a personal computer. LEGO and MIT

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 2

The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these summer and fall remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with. Remote controlled material handle r by Jozua van Ravenhorst (aka Mr Jo) This remix combines the LEGO Technic Material Handler (42144) with MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313) It uses the power of pneumatic cylinders to move objects around. By using a bluetooth remote control, very precise movements can be made with this model. Touch sensors in the base chassis prevent the turret twisting the cables that go through the turntable to much. The program has several protections to prevent over pressurizing the system for each of the 3 individual pumps and valves that control the 2 booms and claws. The real version of this machine is mostly used in waste material sites to bring the material to machines that sort and