Building Smart LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Robots

<Building Smart LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Robots> ▶Book Description
Smart robots are an ever-increasing part of our daily lives. With LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, you can now prototype your very own small-scale smart robot that uses specialized programming and hardware to complete a mission. EV3 is a robotics platform for enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels that makes prototyping robots accessible to all.

This book will walk you through six different projects that range from intermediate to advanced level. The projects will show you building and programming techniques that are used by engineers in the real world, which will help you build your own smart robot.

You'll see how to make the most of the EV3 robotics platform and build some awesome smart robots. The book starts by introducing some real-world examples of smart robots. Then, we'll walk you through six different projects and explain the features that allow these robots to make intelligent decisions. The book will guide you as you build your own object-tracking tank, a box-climbing robot, an interactive robotic shark, a quirky bipedal robot, a speedy remote control race car, and a GPS-navigating robot.

By the end of this book, you'll have the skills necessary to build and program your own smart robots with EV3.

▶What You Will Learn
- Understand the characteristics that make a robot smart
- Grasp proportional beacon following and use proximity sensors to track an object
- Discover how mechanisms such as rack-and-pinion and the worm gear work
- Program a custom GUI to make a robot more user friendly
- Make a fun and quirky interactive robot that has its own personality
- Get to know the principles of remote control and programming car-style steering
- Understand some of the mechanisms that enable a car to drive
- Navigate to a destination with a GPS receiver

▶Key Features
- Efficiently build smart robots with the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3
- Discover building techniques and programming concepts that are used by engineers to prototype robots in the real world
- This project-based guide will teach you how to build exciting projects such as the objecta-tracking tank, ultimate all-terrain vehicle, remote control race car, or even a GPS-navigating autonomous vehicle

▶Who This Book Is For
This book is for hobbyists, robotic engineers, and programmers who understand the basics of the EV3 programming language and are familiar with building with LEGO Technic and want to try some advanced projects. If you want to learn some new engineering techniques and take your experience with the EV3 to the next level, then this book is for you.

▶What this book covers
- Chapter 1, Introduction to Smart Robots, explains what qualities a robot must have in order to be considered smart and discusses two examples of smart robots in the real world. Then, it introduces the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robotics platform and summarizes the six projects included in this book.
- Chapter 2, Security Tank –. Object-Tracking Robot, explains how tank-style driving works; introduces mechanisms such as gear ratios, turntables, cams, and EV3's infrared sensor; explores the advantages of using proportional logic in a smart robot, and outlines how to make a beacon following program that applies proportional logic.
- Chapter 3, Omnilander –. Ultimate All-Terrain Vehicle, reapplies tank tracks for a rugged offroad application; introduces advanced mechanisms such as the worm gear, rack-and-pinion gears, and clutches; describes how to make a remote control program for a tank-style robot; and explains how to use proximity sensors to make an autonomous collision avoidance program.
- Chapter 4, Timmyton –. Interactive Robotic Shark, covers the original one-kit-wonder's compact mechanical design, its innovative custom GUI that incorporates several programs into one, programming the color sensor, and the myriad of programming features that make this robotic shark come to life.
- Chapter 5, Grunt - Quirky Bipedal Robot, demonstrates a simple walking mechanism that can be used in an EV3 project, shows how a robot's cosmetic design can develop its personality, describes how nested switches can enable a robot to make decision making, and lists the programming features that lend Grunt its rich interactive qualities.
- Chapter 6, Falcon - Remote Control Race Car, explains how to build a drivetrain and steering system that are modeled after those found in a real-world car, shows how to program carstyle steering that automatically returns to the center, describes how to create a remote control program for a car-style robot, and introduces the basics of MyBlocks.
- Chapter 7, GPS Car - Autonomous EV3 Navigation, introduces two navigation sensors (the GPS receiver and the magnetic compass) and outlines the basic knowledge necessary for using them. Then, it describes how to modify the Falcon to incorporate these sensors and explains how to program the car to use the sensors to autonomously navigate to a pair of GPS coordinates defined by the user.