Posts Tagged ‘toys’

Assemble Programmable Creations with NXT Robotics

Monday, September 3rd, 2012

The dawn of NXT robotics has lead masses of robotics fans around the world to implement this powerful development kit into their hobbies. Through its evolution from simple, rudimentary autonomous assembly projects to highly elaborate and versatile projects with diverse utility, this Lego robotics platform has become the robotics introduction tool for schools and clubs around the world. Since its birth over a decade ago, the system has dramatically been enhanced because of the explosive demand that quickly followed after its initial release. It is quite astounding the sheer number and the quality and complexity of kits to build robots projects that exist today, and the evidence is all over the web.

The Sudoku Solving robot built using graphical programming for Lego is one amazing example that illustrates the limitless potential of this pragmatic education tool and entertaining hobby kit. This particular bot does exactly what the name implies; it can actually solve a Sudoku puzzle. Sudoku is a number puzzle where a person is to fill in numbers in squares to finish the nine by nine square that has some of the little squares already filled out to begin with. The nine by nine squares are sectioned off in three by three squares. The puzzle is printed on regular paper and placed on the ground, and the autonomous vehicle built using NXT robotics utilized its sensors and motors to drive a pencil. It uses a pencil to fill in the squares with the appropriate numbers where only digits one through nine can be used, and each digit can only be used once in three by three squares.

Another one of the toy mechatronics examples is the Rubik’s cube solver that also does exactly what it says. This Lego Mindstorms robot uses an optical sensor to detect the different colored squares in its field of vision, and it then flips the cube to take an initial record of each face of the cube. After it has indexed the original, random configuration of each side of the cube, it then begins to use its actuators to manipulate the cube to begin solving it. Its optical sensors tell the NXT Intelligent Brick what colors are where and keeps track of them as the motors or actuators turn the sides of the cube. It takes nearly ten minutes for this robot to solve the cube which is shorter than some human beings.

One of the more intricate designs of cool projects is that of the robotic artist. In one video, one of the Lego robots draws a very accurate and distinct replica of the Mona Lisa. This type of construction of the mechanical design does not seem terribly complex; however, the level of programming involved certainly requires a great level of experience. This type of project would also require a lot of time and effort because of the level of advanced mathematics that are necessary for creating an NXT program such as this. These types of NXT programs definitely provide the world of science and technology something outstanding that other can build upon.

When users become more confident and experienced with mindstorms robots, there are a plethora of projects that can be undertaken. The wealth of resources and information that exists in books and on the web is immense, and it certainly provides users with plenty of support. The Lego website will have plenty of tutorials and project instructions, and there will be directions for basic projects that come in the kit. This support does not only come from Lego directly, but there are a huge variety of websites and videos that provide tons of Lego Autonomy tutorials and information.

Sudoku solver information can be found here.

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Autonomous Robots Are Now Possible With NXT 2.0 Sensor Kit

Friday, June 29th, 2012

One particular type of toy that has dramatically shaped the lives of many was the Lego building brick. These colorful puzzle pieces can be used to create some impressive little replicas or even something completely original straight out of the mind of a child. From a carpenter’s wood shop in Denmark, the original Lego brick was made out of wood, and they could not be directly attached to each other. However, with the reinvention of these classic toys in the mid-twentieth century, the plastic building bricks allow for some imaginative creations by allowing quicker assembly, and now with Sudoku solver, the constructive potential is infinite.

As times have changed, Lego had to take drastic action and maintain its forward-thinking strategy to combat the mindset of today’s youth. Video games have recently begun to dominate the lives of many children, and the azoic little bricks were soon forgotten. The intellectual impact of Lego was thus underestimated, or not truly acknowledged until Rubik’s cube solver, in regards to what it could do, and has been doing, for children’s mental development and intellectual stimulation. Solving these plastic construction puzzles serve children’s growing intelligence much more so than the video or computer games of today that only foster a sedentary and do-nothing lifestyle. Contrary to this argument, however, certain educational video games can compete with the stimulus for critical thinking and problem solving.

Most games, perceived as fun by children’s standards, do not involve complex puzzles or demand critical thinking and problem solving to the same degree as Lego or other construction toys. This is where robotics development system is very different. However, the ongoing debate between experts, children, and their parents remains. More importantly, parents and even their children should be educated about children’s intellectual development and how it impacts the future for everyone.

The strategy involved producing a product that allowed children to build whatever their imagination had in stock for them and program these creations to be fully autonomous. The autonomy of these self-built projects is what attracted so many young techies because really the sky was the limit as far as what figments of dreams could be achieved. It continues to amaze and mystify children, and even adults, that it is actually possible to make something at home that they can program to do whatever their heart desires.

Rather than constructing inanimate objects, Lego has now made available not only to kids, but also to adults, the tools and development kits to build moving and fully autonomous robots. With the limitless idea of combining computer technology, electric motors and sensors, and the classic building block toys into one unique new product called Lego Mindstorms NXT Robots, Lego has laid out the foundation for a multitude of young engineers to explore the generally esoteric field of robotics design and engineering. One couldn’t help but ponder, “What’s next?”

Find out more about RCX programmable brick. Click here!. See why the author loves the website on NXT robots from Lego.. Also published at Autonomous Robots Are Now Possible With NXT 2.0 Sensor Kit.

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How To Fly Your Remote Controlled Chopper

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

The majority of micro radio controlled helicopters are made for indoor flying and may be flown outdoors soley under the most perfect weather conditions, because they can easily be blown off course. These mini RC choppers can be controlled in three flight paths: up – down, forwards – backwards and left – right.

This means that the model is capable of quite remarkably specific manoeuvres. In spite of that, accidents do and will occur. ornaments will get knocked off the mantelpiece and some windows may get broken, if the flier is not cautious or adept.

So, it is best to practice in the garage or garden shed or even outdoors in fine weather until a reasonable level of ability has been achieved. it should not take long with these micro flying machines.

They are great fun, the sole real drawback is that the small battery will only give between five and seven minutes flying time. Luckily, it only takes 30 minutes to recharge the battery with the AC mains charger or the USB computer-cum-transmitter charger.

Lots of of the indoor choppers are padded softly so that they cannot do a lot of damage to windows, heads and the like, but not all of them. Some have a metal body so that it container better protect the motors from crashes. If you would like to create one of these safer, try affixing some foam rubber to the nose of the model.

However, actually bumping into things is not the sole problem that indoor RC helicopters may cause. As with all choppers, the top rotors create quite a downdraft, which may blow things about or off shelves. A letter put behind a vase might catch the draft, move and knock the vase off the shelf.

While you are flying model aircraft of any sort, you should be continuously aware of the health and safety of others. Learn to judge the diameter that the top rotors cover.

With these smaller craft, the sweep of the rotors usually extends well in front of the helicopter, which can present a hazard to eyes and faces. Never fly your chopper where someone may turn a corner and walk straight into it. You have to take responsibility for your model whether you fly it into someone or they unpredictably walk into it.

Children are not normally the people most at risk from a flying helicopter, because you usually fly over their heads. However, most flights will be at a height of about six feet, so adults beware. If you choose to fly your indoor chopper outside, there are extra safety problems.

Power lines are a major worry whilst flying your helicopter outside in a town.You can do lots of damage to power lines and you would be responsible for any financial cost incurred.

Two of the main benefits of starting flying a micro RC chopper are that: one] you learn how to control the model, mastering fundamental tricky flight manoeuvres two] you learn health and safety procedures, which will serve you well if you move on to a larger, more powerful radio controlled helicopter.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now involved with the Gyro Helicopter S107. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Smart Toys for Kids.

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How To Learn Foreign Languages At Home

Saturday, October 1st, 2011

Schools in English-speaking countries are infamously bad at teaching foreign languages. Or perhaps not bad, just completely indifferent. Although anyone who wants to get on in the world has to speak English, things are a-changing and we are waking up to the fact that we are missing out on a great deal by not studying foreign languages.

As everybody knows, it is simpler to learn foreign languages when you are younger, so perhaps it would be a wise plan for parents to begin teaching their kids a foreign language at home, if they cannot rely on the public educational system to do it for them.

All well and good for parents of mixed marriages, I hear you saying, but what if both parents are native English speakers. Well, why not learn the language too at your child’s pace? If you start early enough, the child will still be learning English, so will learn the foreign language slowly anyway and you will easily be able to keep up.

Especially as, being the teacher, you can control the pace of the learning and you could slow it down to suit yourself. The first thing to do is pick a language that you can hear spoken reasonably often. Spanish, French and German are probably the best options. Believe me, Russian and Chinese are not!

Spanish, French and German have lots of words that come from the same ancestry as English words, so that makes it a little easier as well. So, let’s say, you pick French. Now you ought to look about for ways to teach (and learn) French.

One way to start is to get some bilingual cards with pictures of everyday things like pets, household items, relatives, colours, foods, numbers and clothing. You could use three to five cards a day in a 15-20 minute lesson and once you have used a card, you could pin it on the wall and reread it every now and then.This will increase your vocabulary.

You will also need to buy some blank card, a grammar book, a dictionary and a easy reader in French. It is all very well having a substantial vocabulary of words, but you need to know some verbs to be able to put them together into sentences.

So, say you have both studied the words for ‘mother’ and ‘cat’, you could look up the word for ‘look’, write it onto a piece of card and pin it between the pictures of mother and the cat. Then you have: “La mere regarde le chat” (mother is looking at the cat). You could repeat this with all the words that make sense until it sinks in.

‘Teach Yourself …’ books are usually fairly decent at offering a structure for your schooling and the best ones have CD’s of indigenous speakers to help you get the accent correct. Often the course work is mirrored on the CD chapter by chapter to make it even easier.

You can look on Amazon and buy some CD’s of simple French nursery rhymes and get some good cartoon stories like Asterix the Gaul. The text is meant for children, so you will easily be able to understand it. They are fairly good too and ought to hold both your kid’s and your own attention for hours, but just do a chapter at a stretch.

In order to apply your new language, try prohibitting English at meal times or for one meal a day. This can be amusing and the whole family could get involved. You will be surprised how quickly you will learn enough to say what you want to

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now involved with the Gyro Helicopter S107. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Smart Toys for Kids.

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