Foreword xxiii Introduction xxv Chapter 1 Introducing LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 1 Understanding the EV3 Set: It Begins When You Open the Box 2 EV3 Electronic Parts 2 EV3 Software 5 TECHNIC Building Parts 7 The Building Instructions and the Test Board 10 Comparing EV3 and NXT 11 Summary 11 Chapter 2 Building the Auto-Driver: A Starter Vehicle 13 Getting Started with the Auto-Driver 13 What You Can Do with the Auto-Driver 13 Assembling the Auto-Driver 15 Understanding the EV3 Brick Interface 29 Using the Brick Buttons 29 Exploring Four Basic Screens 30 Operating the Auto-Driver 36 Summary 37 Chapter 3 Getting Started with Programming 39 What Is Programming? 39 Communicating with Robots 40 Understanding Programming Languages 40 Previewing the EV3 Software System 41 Launching the EV3 Software 41 What Do You See on the Screen? 42 Understanding the Programming Interface and Graphic Languages 47 Getting Used to the Interface 49 Downloading Programs to a Robot 51 Connecting the EV3 Brick to a Computer 52 Reading the EV3 Brick on the Software 54 Summary 57 Chapter 4 Exploring Action Blocks Part 1: Programming Motors 59 Understanding the Basics of Block Programming 59 Rule 1: Use the Start Block 59 Rule 2: Respect the Program Flow 61 Overview of the Programming Block s Structure 62 Getting to Know the Input Values for the Motors 62 The Off, On, and On for Seconds Modes 63 The On for Degrees and On for Rotations Modes 64 Motor Power Input and the Direction of the Motor 67 Controlling Motors with the Large Motor Block and the Medium Motor Block 68 Working with the Large Motor Block 68 Creating Programs with the Large Motor Block 68 Controlling Two Motors with the Move Steering Block 73 Working with the Move Steering Block 73 Creating Programs with the Move Steering Block 76 Using the Move Tank Block to Control the Power Level of a Motor 82 Working with the Move Tank Block 82 Creating Programs with the Move Tank Block 83 Summary 84 Chapter 5 Exploring Action Blocks Part 2: Using Display, Sound and Brick Status Light Blocks 85 The Display Block 85 Displaying Text: The Text-Pixels and Grid Modes 87 Drawing Shapes: The Line, Circle, Rectangle, and Point Modes 94 Displaying Images: The Image Mode 97 Resetting the Display: The Reset Screen Mode 103 The Sound Block 103 Play File Mode 105 Play Tone Mode 107 Play Note Mode 108 Stop Mode 109 The Brick Status Light Block 110 The On Mode 110 The Off and Reset Modes 110 Summary 111 Chapter 6 Exploring Flow Blocks 113 The Start Block 114 Starting the Program 114 Demonstrating the Line of Code 114 The Wait Block 115 The Compare Mode in the Wait Block 116 The Change Mode in the Wait Block 117 The Time Mode 117 The Brick Buttons Mode 118 The Loop Block 121 The Unlimited, Count, and Time Modes 123 The Brick Button Mode 125 The Loop Interrupt Block 126 The Switch Block 127 The Compare Mode in the Switch Block 128 The Measure Mode in the Switch Block 130 Using a Value from a Data Wire 132 Summary 133 Chapter 7 Building the Spy Rabbit: A Robot That Can React to Its Surroundings 135 Understanding the Spy Rabbit 135 The Spy Rabbit s Personality 136 Assembling the Spy Rabbit 136 Testing the Moving Parts of the Spy Rabbit 158 Summary 159 Chapter 8 Sensing the Environments: Using the Infrared, Touch, and Color Sensors 161 Understanding Sensors 161 Intro to the EV3 Sensors 162 Using the Infrared Sensor and Remote Infrared Beacon 163 Remote Infrared Beacon 163 Remote Mode 164 Beacon Mode 169 Proximity Mode 170 Reading Values from the Port View with the Infrared Sensor 172 Programming with the Infrared Sensor and Remote Infrared 175 Using the Touch Sensor 179 Adding the Touch Sensor to the Spy Rabbit 181 Reading Values from the Port View with the Touch Sensor 182 Programming with the Touch Sensor 183 Using the Color Sensor 187 Color Mode 187 Reflected Light Intensity Mode 189 Ambient Light Intensity Mode 191 Adding the Color Sensor to the Spy Rabbit 192 Reading Values from the Port View with the Color Sensor 195 Programming with the Color Sensor 195 Summary 197 Chapter 9 Using the Timer and the Rotation Sensor 199 Understanding the Timer 199 Working with the Timer in Programming Blocks 201 Programming with the Timer 204 Understanding the Motor Rotation Sensor 206 Using the Motor Rotation Sensor in Programming Blocks 207 Programming with the Motor Rotation Sensor 210 Summary 215 Chapter 10 Building Mr. Turto: A Sea Turtle Robot 217 Understanding Mr. Turto 217 The Structure of Mr. Turto s Body 218 Assembling Mr. Turto 219 Testing Mr. Turto s Movements 247 Summary 248 Chapter 11 Programming with Data Wires and Using My Blocks 249 What Is a Data Wire? 249 How Do Data Wires Work? 250 Getting Started with Data Wire Programming 250 Using Block Input and Output 253 Understanding Data Types and Data Wire Types 254 Sensor Blocks and Data Wires 257 Setting Up the Sensor Blocks 258 Exercise 1: Yay! I Found Something 259 Exercise 2: Can You Hear Me? 261 Exercise 3: Bright Light Makes Mr. Turto Awake 262 Introducing My Blocks 264 Using the My Block Builder 264 Exporting and Importing My Blocks 268 Summary 270 Chapter 12 Using Data Operations Blocks 271 The Variable Block 272 What Is a Variable? 272 Setting Up the Variable Block 273 The Constant Block 278 The Constant Block s Many Modes 279 Constant Blocks in Action 279 The Array Operations Block 280 Append Mode 280 Read and Write at Index Modes 281 Length Mode 282 The Logic Operations Block 283 And Mode 283 Or Mode 284 XOR Mode 284 Not Mode 284 The Math and Round Blocks 286 The Math Block 286 The Round Block 288 The Compare, Range, and Random Blocks 289 The Compare Block 289 The Range Block 290 The Random Block 291 The Text Block 291 Summary 292 Chapter 13 Building the Big Belly Bot: A Robot That Eats and Poops 293 Understanding the Big Belly Bot 293 The Big Belly Bot s Personality 294 The Mechanisms of the Big Belly Bot 295 Assembling the Big Belly Bot 297 Programming the Big Belly Bot 316 Action 1 Standing Up Straight: Lean Backward to Improve Posture 316 Action 2 Eating: Check If His Belly Is Full When the Food Comes In. When He Feels Full, Say Uh-Oh 317 Action 3 Pooping: Bend Over, Open the Back End, Poop, and Shake the Body 318 Action 4 Close the Back End 319 Summary 319 Chapter 14 Design Your Own Robot: How Did Guapo, the Robotic Puppy, Come to Be? 321 Build Guapo, the Robotic Puppy 321 Set a Goal: What Do You Want to Build? 350 Collecting Inspirations for the Goal 350 Defi ning Your Robot s Actions: What Does It Do? 350 Decide on Moving Parts and Sensors 351 Planning by Sketching: The Way to Decide Which Parts Will Move 351 Adding Sensors: Where Sensors Will Be Most Useful 353 Build and Modify: From Core Sections to Decorative Sections 356 Time to Program 358 Summary 360 Appendix Using Bluetooth and WiFi with the EV3 Brick 361 Using Bluetooth with the EV3 Brick 361 Connecting the EV3 Brick to a Computer 362 Using WiFi to Download a Program to the EV3 Brick 364 Using Apple iOS Devices with the EV3 Brick 365 Index 367
