Robotics : 18391

Wed, 17 Jul 2002 03:10:35 GMT

Thanks. I might do that. My assessment at this point, is that the Dacta Team Challenge RoboLab 2.5

is pretty close to what would be called a Beta version. That may seem a bit harsh, but I don't think

so. Each kit came with the acrobot activity and subassembly kit. These are both modestly printed

documents. The subassembly booklet is almost worthless. The acrobat activity fails to mention, I

believe, that this booklet is a team challenge. Actually, I think the booklet is more of a rush job.

LabView contains a number of programs for which there are no instructions on robotics assembly. One

respondent told me that a Lego fair (?conference) showed a much more complete kit. I would expand my

previous comment to say that the kits we received were rushed to market. I could go on. I'll just

mention that fortunately my co-instructor and I have sufficient experience with robots, software,

and hardware to make some sort of meaningful summer camp class out of this. Upon further reviewing

the acrobot booklet, I think we can make a little more sense out of it in coming days.

lego-robotics@crynwr.com wrote:

> You might refer this to the TAFFIE robotics mailing list

> (http://archive.jsoft.com/mailman/listinfo/robotics) also; they are mostly

> First LEGO League and BEST coaches who subscribe to that list.  I know the

> people who maintain the list (Gary and Susan Frederick) have been running

> Club BOB and Team BOB for a few years.

> 

> Liz Bilbro

> 

> Teacher/Coach

> CyberStorm Robotics Class and FLL Team

> Sports for the Mind for Lubbock Homeschoolers

> http://www.cyberstorm.us/

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: news-gateway@lugnet.com [mailto:news-gateway@lugnet.com]On Behalf Of

> Wayne Watson

> Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 8:31 PM

> To: lego-robotics@crynwr.com

> Subject: Lego Team Challenge 2.5 Activity Pack (Acrobat)

> 

> We received several Dacta TC RoboLab 2.5 kits for a class we are teaching.

> They include about a 20

> page booklet (copymaster) for constructing an acrobot and writing LabView

> programs for it. I find

> some of the instructions puzzling. For example, on page 5 step 12 says "go

> back to your activity

> Copymaster." Presumably they are talking about the Copymaster booklet

> containing this instruction.

> This makes no sense. Where exactly does one go. The robot looks a bit

> incomplete. It has two touch

> sensors attached to liftarms but no instructions where to attach them to the

> robot.  If I skip ahead

> to page 10, I see the same robot. Is the teacher supposed to get creative

> and tell the students to

> put some additional subassembly on the robot to attach the two touch sensors

> stuck on the liftarms?

> --

>       Wayne T. Watson (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N, 2,701 feet), Nevada

> City, CA

> 

>                    "Hell is truth seen too late."  -- John Locke

> 

>                         Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews>

>            Imaginarium Museum:

> <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews/imaginarium.html>

--

      Wayne T. Watson (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N, 2,701 feet), Nevada City, CA

                   "Hell is truth seen too late."  -- John Locke

                        Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews>

           Imaginarium Museum: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews/imaginarium.html>