Robotics and Control Technology
Robotics with Lego Mindstorms NXT
Exploring Robotics with the Taskbot - Level 1
What You’ll Learn…
 What is a robot?
 The history of robots and robotics
 How robots are used in industry
and life.
 How to build a simple robot using
Lego Mindstorms NXT materials.
 How to program your robot using
Lego Mindstorms NXT software.
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Stuff You’ll Need…
 A Lego Mindstorms Taskbot
 Carnegie Mellon
Robotics Engineering Program
 Already installed
 Mindstorms NXT software
 Already installed
 A 1.2 meter x 1.5 meter space on the floor
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Questions/Research



List three things you learned from the “What You Should Know…” section.
Choose the definition of robot that makes the most sense to you and explain
the reasons for your choice.
After you’ve programmed the robot, describe in at least five (5) sentences
what the hardest part about programming the robot was.
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What You Should Know…
There isn’t a single definition of robot that is agreed upon and
used world-wide.
The International Organization for Standardization
gives a definition of robot as "an automatically
controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose,
manipulator programmable in three or more axes,
which may be either fixed in place or mobile for
use in industrial automation application.”
The Robotics Institute of America (RIA) uses a
broader definition: a robot is a "re-programmable
multi-functional manipulator designed to move
materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices
through variable programmed motions for the
performance of a variety of tasks".
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What You Should Know…
Encyclopedia Britannica defines a robot as “any
automatically operated machine that replaces human
effort, though it may not resemble human beings in
appearance or perform functions in a humanlike manner.”
Generally speaking,
we can say that a robot
is a machine that can be
programmed and/or
respond to sensors.
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What You Should Know…


The word robot was first used in 1921 by Czech
writer Karel Capek in his play “R.U.R. “Rossum’s
Universal Robots”. In Czech and many Slavic
languages, the word “robota” means work,
labor, drudgery or hard work.
Isaac Asimov, a science fiction writer, first used
the word robotics in 1941 to describe this field
of study.
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What You Should Know…

The idea of automated machines or artificial
helpers has been recorded since the early
1200s. Al-Jazari, a Muslim inventor, designed
musical instruments that were programmable
with wooden pegs. In the 1500s Leonardo da
Vinci conceived an idea for a mechanical knight.

In 1961, the first digitally operated and
programmable robot, called the Unimate,
was created to lift and stack hot pieces
of metal from a die casting machine.

Today, robots are used in commercial and in industrial settings
to do the work previously done by humans. In some cases, they
are used because they can work more cheaply or with greater
accuracy and reliability than humans. In other cases, they
perform jobs that are too dirty, dangerous or boring for humans.
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What You Should Know…
There are two main types of robots: general purpose
autonomous and purpose-built.

General purpose autonomous robots are designed
to perform multiple tasks and to function independent
of human control, using sensors, for example, to
“intelligently” move through areas. They are often
designed to mimic human behavior and may resemble
humans in appearance and structure. They are
therefore sometimes called humanoid robots.

Purpose-built robots are designed to perform a
specific job or task. They may perform tasks that
humans can do but with greater productivity, accuracy,
or endurance. They may also perform dirty, dangerous
or dull jobs which humans find undesirable.
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What You Should Know…

Purpose-built robots are often seen in factories or
businesses.


One type found in businesses is the
automated guided vehicle (AGV) and
is frequently used to carry medical
supplies or documents in hospitals, or
for mail delivery in large corporations.
Robots are common in car factories,
packaging facilities, and electronics
manufacturing plants. In fact, in car
factories, there is one robot for every
ten human workers!
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What You Should Know…
There are two aspects to consider when creating
and trouble-shooting a robot – construction and
programming.
 Construction refers to the mechanics of a robot
- how it is made, how it can move, the types of
built-in sensors it has, and other mechanical functions.
 Programming refers to
the software instructions
that define the tasks the
robot will perform and how
it will interpret and respond
to sensory information.
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Launch the NXT
Software
The programming
software for the NXT is
on the desktop.
Follow the directions in
the video.
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Do NOT use
Lego
Mindstorm
Edu NXT
Software
yet.
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Do It!
Now that you know a little
more about robots and
robotics, let’s get started
building and programming
your own robot!
 Go to the Carnegie Mellon Robotics
Engineering software on your
computer and push “Introduction.”
 Push “Quickstart” then select
“Test Run” option.
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Do It!


After you finish the “Quickstart
Sequence,” select “Basics”
and select
“Using the Programming
Software.”
Navigate your way around the
CD to familiarize yourself with
the specifics of the NXT
program and components.
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Do It!
Next, you need to program the robot! Push the
“Projects” button at the top of the screen, and complete the
Research Prototypes tasks by watching the video and
performing the steps outlined. Do your best to complete the
first four Research Prototype activities. If you have time, see
if you can complete all six!
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