Execute the Code
Before you can upload the sketch to the PULSE, remember to check your
connections. Upload the sketch. The green LED will light up, indicating the code
is ready to execute. When this has occurred, disconnect the USB cable and set the
Codee Bot on the floor.
Place the Codee Bot so the wheels are at the front of the bot. If your robot goes
backward instead of forward, switch the DC motors’ cords in the ports on the
controller.
Press the green Start button to execute the sketch. Observe the direction and
duration of the Codee Bot’s motion. Press the red Stop/Reset button to end the
sketch. Based on the sketch comments, did the behavior match expectations?
Further Investigate
While this sketch does not use any new blocks, it should lead to a deeper
understanding of how motors work in unison to create a specified behavior.
All the blocks in this sketch work together to make the Codee Bot move in a circle.
Because you want the motors to always work together, the pulse Invert Motor block
is used only in the setup part of the loop. The pulse Set Motor Powers block tells
both motors to move at different speeds in a single function. One motor is set to
100% while the other is set to 50%, resulting in a circular motion.
Extension Activity
With the example as a reference, try creating a new sketch to move the Codee Bot
in a different-size circle. Remember what you have learned from your previous
activities and experiment with different parameters to make the circle diameter
larger or smaller. Challenge yourself to add behaviors. What would it take to make
your robot drive in an oval or a figure eight?
Real-World Link
If you’ve ridden by a golf course, you have probably seen automatic sprinklers
operating. These sprinklers go in a circle spraying water in a 360-degree radius.
These sprinklers are programmed to turn off and on at different times. It’s important
that the motor turn the sprinkler head so it covers the entire area of its range.
Careers: groundskeeper, farm equipment mechanic, irrigation engineer
STEM Connections
• Science
Ĕ Power
Ĕ Speed
• Technology
Ĕ Motor control
Ĕ Motor precision
• Engineering
Ĕ Machine design
Ĕ Geometric patterns
• Math
Ĕ Radius
Ĕ Diameter
Tip: The Codee Bot might
struggle to overcome the
friction of carpet. If possible,
test your bot on a smooth
surface.
Tip: You will need about six
feet, or two meters, of open
space on the floor for the
robot to complete a circle.
Building and Coding the PULSE CodeeBot 93
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