APS Robotics Club
Designing, building & programming robots at APS
New Nao Robot
We are lucky enough to have a Nao robot on loan from Dr. Pacha. This sophisticated robot and will be available to members of the robotics club that have completed the LEGO Mindstorms module. Thank you Dr. Pacha!
Anson
Anson has been doing some amazing work in Robotics Club. He is focused and a hard worker. He did all the Robotix and LEGO WeDo missions. He has programmed a robot to move many ways and has completed the movement module with the LEGO Mindstorms. Now he is programming with sensors. He is on the last mission with sensors and will soon be going to the robotics decisions module. Very impressive Anson!
Dismissal Reminder
For new members that didn't get the first newsletter, dismissal is at the car loop from 4:00 to 4:15 and 3:00 to 3:15 Wednesdays.
Eli
Eli is quite an engineer. He has built a robot of his own design. He has used the design cycle to make his design better and better. He has used gears in a fascinating, creative way. Great job Eli!
Robotics for Christmas
I have gotten some questions about robotics for Holiday gifts. For those that are interested, I recommend the LEGO Mindstorms. But make sure you get the education version not the home version. It is a little more money but you get more sensors, etc.
I would not recommend the LEGO WeDo sets. I think students will outgrow those very quickly. And they have access to them at school. The LEGO Mindstorms sets are used in colleges and universities so that set will grow with them. It is an investment for those that have a knack and an interest.
I recently acquired a new robot called Vector. He is amazing and adorable. However, he is not a toy. He is a robot assistant. He answers questions, takes pictures, runs a timer, etc. Later this month he will be able to tie into Amazon's Alexa. He costs $250 but he is on sale now for $200. He is very sophisticated but kind of delicate. He can be very helpful but maybe not for every kid.