CSC 499	Grinnell College	Summer, 2011

Using Robots in CSC 161: an Exploration

Time line — Tentative Schedule of Activities

Week index: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 fall

Although the project will evolve over the summer, the following schedule outlines a possible time line for this project.

Week	Dates	Activities	Status	Product(s)
Week 1:	13-17 June	experiment with basic properties/controls for Scribbler 2	substantial experimentation completed
		read Python-based book on use of robots for beginners	material reviewed	—
		write Python programs to experiment with basic Scribbler 2 capabilities	done	sample Python programs
		use Python environment to update software in Fluke dongle and Scribbler 2 units	done	updated software installed
		document steps to activate Bluetooth on Linux workstations	done	documentation posted
		expand robot capabilities defined in C/C++ header and implementation files to include sound and basic motion	done	`myroLocal.h, myroLocal.cpp`
		write simple C programs for robot to test sound and basic motion with `myroLocal.h, myroLocal.cpp`	done	sample C programs
		experiment with camera and picture capabilities in C	done	`myroLocal.h, myroLocal.cpp`, 1-2 application programs
		first draft definition of robot capabilities in C/C++ header and implementation files	draft completed	`myroLocal.h, myroLocal.cpp`
Week 2:	20-24 June	refined `myroLocal` environment, plan several CSC 161 lab options, and develop demonstrate programs for the Scribbler 2	done	plan of demonstrations and labs
		establish bazaar version control for `myroLocal.h, myroLocal.cpp`	done	elements under version control
		review CSC 161 labs for spring, 2010: for 4-6 labs, outline a Scribbler 2 application.	done	demonstration programs
		review CSC 161 labs for spring, 2011: for 4-6 labs, outline a Scribbler 2 application.	done	demonstration programs
		start write demonstration programs for range of robot capabilities move until obstacle move to avoid object on left, or on right, or in center	done	demonstration programs
Weeks 3-4:	27 June-8 July	develop outline of each (of 8) module	draft produced	module outline available
		Map modules to day-by-day class schedule	draft completed	tentative class schedule (postscript / pdf)
		Module 0: Outline materials (readings, examples, lab exercises, code, Web pages, documentation, project description)	in progress	Initial draft outline available
		Module 0 example program: play music	program completed	pirates.c, spirit-song.c
		Module 1 example program: music and movement (ice cream truck)	program completed	ice-cream-truck.c
		Module 1 lab program: 4 uses of conditionals	program completed	conditional-battery.c, conditional-direction.c, conditional-pic-size.c
		Module 1 lab program: 4 uses of loops	program completed	loops.c, loops-complete.c
		Module 1 lab program: Scribbler 2 motion (forward, turn, back, repeat)	program completed	basic-motion.c
		Module 2 example program: avoid object	program completed	avoid-obj.c
		Module 2 example program: move until wall and turn right	program completed	wall.c
		Module 2 example program: follow moving object	program completed	follower.c
		Module 2 lab program: loop through 1-dim array of motions	program completed	array-move.c
		Module 2 lab program: loop through 1-dim array of notes to play song	program completed	array-notes.c, loops-song-shell.c, loops-song-complete.c
		Module 2 lab program: loop through 1-dim array of pictures to display movie	program completed	array-photos.c
		Module 2 lab program: divide song into pieces with functions for each piece	program completed	revised-spirit-song.c
		Module 2 lab program: divide dance into pieces with function for each piece	program completed	robot-hoedown.c
		Module 2 lab program: wrapper function gives normalized values of sensors — either as single return value or using & operator with multiple parameters	program completed	get-obstacle-percent.c, get-ir-param.c
		Module 3 lab program: use of I/O to provide basic menu framework	program completed	io-lab-1.c
		Module 4 example program: define function to transform a pixel and apply it to entire picture	program completed	color-to-gray-picture.c
		Module 4 example program: illustrate a pixel-based transformation to a picture (e.g., sort pixels by color)	program completed	pixel-sort.c
		Module 4 lab program: transform picture by using of struct to hold pixel data	program completed	pixel2.c
		Module 5 lab program: create/return array with pointers to hold array of sensor data	program completed	get-obstacle-percent-pointers.c, get-obstacle-percent-pointers-alt.c
		Module 7 lab program: command-line arguments to control robot	program completed	command-line-program.c
		Module 7 example program: use robot with command-line arguments and log file	program completed	robotLobber.c
		experiment with multi-threading	subject explored	several technical issues identified, so multi-threading deferred
Week 5:	11-15 July	document installation of MyroC package	draft document completed	README document
		Module 0: Complete draft materials	module framework completed	Module 0 Outline
		Module 0: Preliminary Examples	programs completed	pirates.c (Pirates of the Caribbean), avoid-obj.c (Movement avoiding obstacles)
		Module 0: Lab on Linux basics	materials available	reading, lab
		Module 0: Lab on files in Linux	materials available	reading, lab
		Module 0: Lab on file permissions in Linux	materials available	reading, lab
		Module 0: Lab on an introduction to C	materials available	readings (quarts.c: A first program in C, Intro. to emacs), lab
		Module 0: Lab on using the Scribbler 2 robot	materials available	readings: (scribblerlab.c: A first C program using the Scribbler 2) , Annotated programs: (earsHandLow.c, spirit-song.c), lab
		Module 0: Project description	draft completed	Draft available
Weeks 6-7:	18-28 July	Module 1: Complete draft materials	module framework completed	Module 1 Outline
		Module 1: Preliminary Examples	programs completed	dance.c , ice-cream-truck.c
		Module 1: Lab on types and variables (with casting)	materials available	readings from K&R, lab
		Module 1: Lab on conditionals and Scribbler 2 motion	materials available	readings (K&R, Booleans, Scribbler 2 motion, condition-battery.c ), lab
		Module 1: Lab on loops	materials available	readings, lab
		Module 1: Lab on loops and Scribbler 2 motion	in progress	readings from K&R, lab
		Module 1: Project description	draft completed	Draft available
		Module 2: Complete draft materials	module framework completed	Module 2 Outline
		Module 2: Preliminary Examples	materials available	follower.c , wall.c
		Module 2: Lab on 1-dimensional arrays	materials available	readings from K&R, lab
		Module 2: Lab on the & Operator and Addresses	materials available	readings from K&R, lab
		Module 2: The & operator and addresses	materials	reading , lab
		Module 2: Lab on testing	materials available	reading , lab
		Module 2: Project description	draft completed	Draft available
Weeks 7-8:	28 July-9 August	Module 4: Complete draft materials	module framework completed	Module 4 Outline
		Module 4: Preliminary Examples	materials available	picture-splice.c , square-move.c
		Module 4: transform a pixel	materials available	readings , lab
		Module 4: Lab on transform pixels in a picture	materials available	readings from K&R, lab
		Module 4: Lab on sorting pixels in a picture	materials available	readings , lab
		Module 4: Project description	draft completed	Draft available
		Module 5: Complete draft materials	module framework completed	Module 5 Outline
		Module 5: Preliminary Examples	materials available	list-example.c
		Module 5: Lab on pointers: create/return array, populate with sensor data	materials available	readings from K&R, lab
		Module 5: Lab on Scheme-like linked lists	materials available	reading (from K&R, Scheme-like lists ) , lab
		Module 5: Lab on linked lists and robotics	materials available	lab
		Module 5: Project description	draft completed	forthcoming
Week 9:	5-12 August	Module 3: Complete draft materials	module framework completed	Module 3 Outline
		Module 3: Preliminary Examples	materials available	io-NATO.c , counting-chars.c
		Module 3: Lab on characters and strings	materials available	reading from K&R , lab
		Module 3: Lab on input and output	materials available	readings (reading from K&R , getchar-example.c , strings in C ), lab
		Module 3: More I/O	materials available	readings (reading from K&R , scanf-example.c ) , lab
		Module 3: Project description	draft completed	Draft available
		Module 7: Complete draft materials	module framework completed	Module 7 Outline
		Module 7: Preliminary Examples	materials available	Walker, An Introduction to C Through Annotated Examples , Programs 19 (genfile.c), 20 (readfiles.c), 21 (fileletters-1.c), 22 (fileletters-2.c), and 23 (fileletters-3.c)
		Module 7: Lab on command-line arguments	materials available	(reading from K&R) , lab
		Module 7: Lab on reading and writing with files	materials available	(reading from K&R) , lab
		Module 7: Lab on more files	materials available	(reading from K&R) , lab
		Module 7: Project description	draft completed	Draft available
Week 10:	15-19 August	prepare poster	completed	2 posters placed on bulletin boards
		set up Science 3818 for robots	work completed	installation done, C programs run, and robots tested for 9 Scribbler 2
		install updated Myro C++ and Myro C	materials available	shared libraries in /home/walker/Myro
		upload materials to launchpad.com	materials uploaded and checked	email announcements sent to Myro list (myro-users@myro.roboteducation.org) and SIGCSE list (sigcse-members@acm.org)
		write/refine paper for publication	paper outlined	assignments allocated to team members
		Module 6: Complete draft materials	module framework completed	Module 6 Outline
		Module 6: Preliminary Examples	materials available	stack implementations: 1, 2, 3, 4, main
		Module 6: Lab on stacks	materials available	readings ( reading on stacks , stack implementations 1, 2, 3, 4, main ), lab
		Module 6: Lab on queues	materials available	reading , lab
		Module 6: Lab on bash scripts	materials available	reading , lab
		Module 6: Project description	draft completed	Draft available
Fall 2011	September / October	possibly write/refine paper for publication	in progress	forthcoming
Fall 2011	September / October	planning of MAP presentation	not yet scheduled	forthcoming

This time line will be updated regularly throughout the project.

created 9 May 2011 last revised 22 August 2011
For more information, please contact Henry M. Walker at walker@cs.grinnell.edu.