3.5 GearsBot – a virtual robotics environment

GearsBot can be accessed via the Exten(DT)² platform or independently through GearsBot.

Note: If you access GearsBot independently, you will not be able to save and publish your creation – you’ll only be able to save it locally on your personal hard drive.

It is an application that supports a 3D robotics simulator using either drag-and-drop blocks of code or Python. An example of a design thinking project using GearsBot can be that students choose the ‘world’ of ‘fire rescue’ and try to improve how a robot is constructed and controlled to complete a rescue mission.

In design thinking, GearsBot can be used:

  • to ‘define and ideate’ (Stage 2)
  • for ‘rapid prototyping and iteration’ (Stage 3)
  • to ‘respond and deliver’ on work (Stage 5).

For help using GearsBot, watch Video 9.

Show transcript|Hide transcript

Transcript: Video 9 GearsBot Mini Tutorial

This is the GearsBot programming area and field there are commands along the top and commands down the side. If you are using the drag and drop, when you open it, you will see that there is a ‘When Started’ block here. In order to program, you can click on these buttons and these will give us the programming commands and the programming blocks that you need to move.
So there are motion blocks, [and] motor blocks which are also a kind of motion. You will learn to use the sensors, you're going to make the robot Sing a Song, and all the various other things that you need to do quite complex programs. If you're going to be doing python this is the beginning part of the program and you will add your code starting underneath there, so you will type in your code after line 32, starting at line 33, so there are the two programming tabs depending on whether you're doing drag and drop or Python.
No matter which one you choose to program in you will then click on the ‘Simulator’ to find the robot and run the program you wrote. This is the ‘Run’ button, if you're using sensors there will be information here [view arrow on right hand side]. You may change the field your robot is running on by clicking on ‘World’.
We're starting on the grid map, you can click here and you will be able to find the other worlds that you can use depending on what challenges you are facing, so, when you click ‘OK’ it will open that ‘World’. If you want to get back to the original world, you click here to go back to the grid map. If your robot has done something you ‘Reset’ to get back to the start. Clicking on ‘File’ will let you load a block program from your computer and save a block program to your computer, and again, load a Python program from the computer, and save a Python program to your computer − this is very important that you need to save your programs, so this is where you get your programs into the system and where you save them.
Regarding python, we are using ‘EV3 Dev Mode’ so don't worry about that, and maybe later you can change your robot, basically you're adding sensors to your robot when you change your robot. So this is the world in which you will be programming your robot, so let's get started and have fun with GearsBot.
End transcript: Video 9 GearsBot Mini Tutorial
Video 9 GearsBot Mini Tutorial
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

  Activity 8 Try GearsBot

Timing: Allow around 15 minutes

  1. Go to GearsBot.

  2. Select the ‘Worlds’ > Line Following Challenges > Simple Curves

  3. Select the ‘Robot’ > Single Sensor Line Follower

  4. Write the block codes as shown in the image X below. For this, click on motion and control tabs under blocks to gain specific block codes, link them as shown in image X and modify the content as shown below. Finally, run the code in the simulator.

    Described image
    GearsBot screenshot of the ‘Blocks’ tab
    Show description|Hide description

    The figure shows the code behind how to move a tank. It gives the following instructions: ‘When started’ move tank with left speed ‘20’ and right speed ‘20’ % for 0.8 ‘rotations’. Then, sleep tank for ‘1’ seconds. Then, move tank with left speed ‘-20’ and right speed ‘20’ % for 0.1 rotations. Repeat the process for ‘1’ rotations. Then sleep the tank for ‘1’ second. Then, move tank with left speed ‘20’ and right speed ‘-20’ % for ‘0.3’ rotations. Repeat this last step again but with ‘0.8’ rotations (instead of 0.3).

    GearsBot screenshot of the ‘Blocks’ tab

    After running the codes in the simulator, you will see the following.

    GearsBot screenshot after the simulator is run

  5. Define and ideate how the robot will achieve your goal (i.e. Fire Rescue). Think about the following questions:

    • Which scenario does the ‘Line’ map stand for you? (e.g. does it represent a part of the school where someone is trapped after a fire breakout? Does it represent the place where rescue supplies need to be distributed?)
    • What should the robot look like? (e.g. does the Single Sensor Line Follower robot look like a good fit? What changes are needed?)
    • What functions are needed to make this robot move in the most efficient way?
    • What fire rescue problems can such a robot solve?

  6. Continue with GearsBot and create a first demo of your robot based on what you defined before:

    • i.Change the code (from what is shown in the example) to control the movements of the robot, like, adding the ‘move steering’ block, or duplicating the previous sequences (e.g. move the tank with left speed X and right speed Y for Z rotations) and then adjust the speed and rotation.
    • ii.Change the challenge of ‘Simple Curve’ to other more complex challenge maps that fit your chosen scenario.
    • iii.Change the listed ‘Robot’ to make it fit the chosen scenario by going to ‘Robot Configurator’ and change the colour or size of the robot, or add more sensors.

  7. Test your demo by playing your robot in the ‘Simulator’ and test its functionality and while testing, write down any new ideas or things that don’t work well.

By signing in and enrolling on this course you can view and complete all activities within the course, track your progress in My OpenLearn Create. and when you have completed a course, you can download and print a free Statement of Participation - which you can use to demonstrate your learning.

3.4 MaLT2 – designing and printing 2D and 3D shapes

3.6 The Exten(DT)² platform