Sanja, Erika, and Lincy now had to create a working model of a crocodile...no small task...wish them luck!
Day 1
We started the day extremely optimistic. First we made lists of the components they would need to construct the crocodile. Then we began planning what we wanted the crocodile to do. After that, we made yet more plans to make plans about what to do in the days before the exhibition.
Day 2
Initially, we based our crocodile on a speedy racecar built in class by one of our classmates. In less than 3 hours, we had the a working robotic crocodile. Initially, the model had three wheels. After consulting with Lyn, who voiced reservations about the crocodile's ability to turn, we switched the third wheel for a caster instead. The crocodile was able to support the weight of a HandyBoard and still move. Unfortunately, it was not as fast as we had hoped, but whatever. The gear ratio for the entire contraption is 1: 45.
Now, we began to write the program for the crocodile's movement. We wanted the crocodile to begin moving first in a straight line, and to be able to 'bounce' off walls as it encountered them. During the time when the crocodile wasn't 'bouncing' off walls, we wanted it to move about in a random manner. We also wanted the crocodile to 'die' after being hit five times.
The programming was one of the more complicated aspects of our project. Much of the rest of the second day was spent figuring out the first iteration of our 'Crocodile' program: ironing out the easy kinks, translating everyday English into Computerese, and staring befuddled at the computer screen. Thankfully, Lyn and Scott were there to help :) .
Day 3
On the third day, we focused on the ability of the program to count the number of hits the crocodile had suffered. To that end, we made use of a global variable. Initially, we had also wanted the HandyBoard to play a song after the fifth hit. Given the intrinsically contrary nature of HandyBoards (a.k.a inability to make a tune sound like a tune instead of a long series of beeps), and our lack of any scrap of musical ability, we eventually decided to use a separate PicoCricket for that function. After numerous consultations with Scott, the global variable expert, we headed into the hallways to test our crocodile's ability to 'die'.
Within minutes, panic set in.
After eating some chocolate (a known soporific), we managed to figure out why our robot was spinning around in circles like a deranged lunatic, and at the end of the third day, our robot was working! Almost perfectly!
Days 4 and 5
Towards the End/Day 6
Builing the actual crocodile was not as difficult as we had initially imagined. The enclosure, however, was another matter. The day before the exhibition, we began working on a jaw, which we hoped could open and close. Unfortunately, the jaw ended up intefering with the rest of the crocodile, so we scrapped it. Behold, the finished result:
