Session 4 and 5

Finally we have gotton into the ICT suite to use the Go-Robo software. Below are images of the software and of the Robo-Blaster contreoller.

The inital session of this went very poorly - there where problems with the robo-blasters detecting on the computers and those which did work kept on disconnecting.

Q4technologies make 3 version of the control software. The lowest version is Go-Controller, which is designed for KS1/KS2 - we tried to use it but it was just far to slow for the children.

We have been working for a while with the controllers so the children are used to a much quicker response to commands that the Go-Controller software can achive.

If you start with the software and avoid the controller, the Go-Controller software will give a good starting point. We were a bit spoilt by the controllers.

Overall session 4 was a failure, but it was an important learning step in the project.

We have learnt -

1. Check the Roboblasters have been installed on all machines.

2. Either start programming using the computer and Go-Controller, over using the controller. Or use Go-Programmer to control the robot which is has much faster feedback.

Lesson 5 -

This session was a vast improvement over the last one.

All the children used Go-Programmer which is the middle level software aimed at KS2/KS3. The main advantage is that the Robosapien responds instantly to the command programmed in the proceedure.

The children again, where working on getting a programe that could make the robosapien wave. We met with varying degrees of success. One group did very well and we had a programmed waving robot.

Check out the video....

For others it took a while for them to get used to the programme and there where some technical problems, again with the Robo-Blasters disconnecting - normally they needed unplugging and plugging in again.

Hopefully in the final week, we will be able to move on to try and program some dance moves, which was the inital outcome for this project.