My LDD Experience

LDD, LEGO Digital Designer, is a software which is used to layout a robot design. This helps people to know what are the components of their robot and where it'll be located. The software provides a 3D view of the parts like beams, axle, pegs, bricks, brains and more stuff included in robotics. It allows the user to build and attach parts of a robot just like in real life. In LDD, there are three options on where you will design namely: LEGO Digital Designer, LEGO Mindstorms and LEGO Digital Designer extended. In the first option, LEGO Digital Designer, you can see a car made up of  LEGO and this represents an output that you may do here. In the second option, you can see a robot made up of different sensors, a ball carrier and other things. It's main thought is creating an automatic robot which could be programmed to respond to its environment and fulfill its own task. There are 3 robots below the image, the Basket bot Tribot, QuickDraw Tribot and Wacker Tribot. You can view and revise the design of the robot once you click one of them. The LEGO Mindstorms has the parts of the NXT, RGS and EV3. In the LEGO Digital Designer extended, you may build a community of robots or the design of the area you'll be working on.

The first time I used LDD, I chose LEGO Mindstorms so that the design would be more detailed. I thought it was something which is very easy and I can finish the output without spending an hour. I told myself that it was just like Minecraft where you'll just attach things together and instantly, you have an output. That expectation was quite high compared to what I did. The frustrating thing was I couldn't understand a single thing about attaching things together that I couldn't make a wheel. I asked my teacher a lot about how can I do it and I kept complaining that I don't get it and muttering the sentence, "Why is this happening to me?". After all my complaints, I was able to build a wheel by the use of a hub and a low-narrow tire and that felt like the happiest moment of my life. Even though it is embarrassing that I took a lot of time for finding the parts, I'm still happy for my success and I even attach the two wheels I made with a peg. I couldn't describe the feeling of enlightenment within my heart even though that wasn't a big part of the robot design. It was difficult to manage the LDD but fortunately, I'm learning bit by bit. The second time turned out to be nice and I was able to build a good or just an average output. I'm serious about finishing my robot design even though I encounter difficulties in using it.

In order to use LDD properly, you need different skills and one of these is analyzation. You must analyze which parts will be right for each other so that they could fit in each other. Another thing is creativity. You must know how your design will be presentable and fit with the theme. You must also have the knowledge about robotics so that you'll know what are the purpose of each parts. A normal citizen would take a hard time in completing a robot design but still, they could be trained so that they could achieve the talent in designing a robot.

My First Programming Experience

Technology is very important in our generation. There are many things which are included in this and one of those is programming. Programming is commonly known in the aspect of technology for it is necessary to make a device work in order to fulfill its objective/s. When I hear the word 'programming', the first thing that comes in my mind is robots. These robots are commonly known as machines which can work like humans do but other robots are not like this since they have different compositions. Robots exist for different things but the main function of these are making our work easier and help humans do things which may be dangerous, dull or dirty.

Have you ever asked yourself about how it feels to program?

When I experienced programming when I was still a Grade 5 student is far more different from programming in Grade 7. From my elementary experience, we are thought how to input programs which are provided to us like we will just follow the instructions given. Those instructions are well-detailed unlike in Grade 7 that you'll be the one who will think about your program within the situation in order for the robot accomplish its task or objective. Seems like my experience in my current grade is the REAL programming. I am really challenged on how I could make my robot function properly with my commands. I am taking consideration of the things it might hit or the consequences that it may take. Sometimes, my point is really close but I keep getting too far for I think that it might still be wrong. It was hard but it is fun and enjoyable.

I realized a lot of things in programming like being careful with every step you're going to take. Being pressured and stressed reduces your concentration. I always run and hurrying up for I want to finish my work early but I realized that I couldn't understand the whole situation yet. I realized that I should calm down and stop being in a hurry. Sometimes, I lack common sense with these things because my mind is so complicated that it makes the simple situation worse. Too much consciousness with the things you do might get you into a worse scenario where you are too far from the topic and you finally space out. I must also know the right programs, sensors and the size of the robot. I thought the size of the robot will not affect anything since it has sensors but I realized that it may bump to a thing because of its thickness and eventually stop working.

Behind my realizations, I want to be successful in coping with programming. If it'll be easy for me once I learned and understand the things fully, what do I know? I may be a robot programmer one day. Not only me because I believe that every student can be a programmer if he is determined enough for it. Studying and hard work will do. I hope one day, all of us will rise together as professionals and I know that we'll be successful programmers.

CSI: Conductors, Semi-conductors, Insulators

 This is a blender which is powered by electricity.

 I has a plug and that two metals in the end serves as the conductor of the material so that it will work.

If this is plug is plugged in the socket (serves as the power supply), the conductor will let the electricity flow  to the wire (which is also a conductor). 10% (estimated) of  electricity flows to the device.

 This rubber in every appliance is serves as the insulator so that we will not be harmed by the conduction occurring in the material. We are also conductors of electricity so we could possibly be harmed by the conduction.

It will flow until the end of the wire where it is attached in the device. And when the conduction flowed to the device, it will make the semi-conductors work inside the material.

Once the device is turned on, 100% of electricity will flow to the device.

 Then the device will now work.

 The same thing applies to all appliances.

 If the switch is turned on, the light inside the device with light up which will heat up the food you put inside. 

 Same thing with the rice cooker which will automatically cook rice for you. You will just plug the device, put the right amount of rice grains and water and switch on the rice cooker.

 Even the oven has the same process.

 Same thing goes to the refrigerator and electricfan.

Aspects of Electricity

Solar-powered cars are defined as cars which run on energy from the sun. These are useful to people since they do not contribute in damaging our ozone layer. These also help to conserve energy and fuels therefore it is environmental friendly. They are economical since they do not need fuel in order to work.

In this car, the 5 aspects of electricity are present (friction, light/solar, pressure, magnetism and chemical reaction). From its solar energy, you may start the engine of it which makes the wheel move within the ground and that involves friction. When the wheels move, the alternator starts to recharge through magnetism and results to electrical power.

When the automobile starts to run, the pressured water in the radiator which served as a coolant to the motor engine, changes to vapor (chemical reaction). As we can see on the car's muffler, the smoke is coming out.

Solar energy is being developed all over the world as a alternative to expensive fuels.

Robotics: We Program, We Learn, We Enjoy

        Robots are tools we use to accompany us with activities such as conducting experiments, searching or even detecting weather forecasts. They are made by advanced technology. It is a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer. It's been giving people a lot of advantages in order to do work easier.

       When I hear 'programming robots', I think it is very complicated and I will never be able to do that since I don't have any skill regarding that. But I think I was wrong when those skilled people encourage us, younger students, to try it. They told me that everyone could possibly enjoy building and programming robots. By programming those, we learn about their components, functions and how they work continuously. We are also able to discover something independently because of this. We attach, we encounter problems, fail at times and of course, build a good and useful robot. Doing this looks and is so hard at first, of course. Let me share my experience in joining a school activity. We made a robot work when I was still a Grade 5 student. I thought it was hard but I was able to cope up with the discussion and eventually learn and cooperate with my assigned group. It wasn't that complicated compared to making a robot do a great task. All we did was make the robot sensor things so that it could walk by itself, avoid things that it may bump and many more. Although it was simple for some, we learned a lot and we had a lot of fun. We felt so professional for the success we made. Robots were great. It made me realize some things about technology and cooperation.

       Even though this robots perform difficult tasks, we must always remember that we, humans, are better than those. Maybe they could process and do things better but did you ever ask yourself who invented those? Humans, right? They are those who observed, built and programmed them. Robots and humans have many differences such as feelings, actions and mind. We are able to feel exhaustion and stress caused by work and failure at times. we can also be happy for the progress or programming we made. People are able to give commands and work by his own. We can decide the actions that we will do and change our plans. We know what is better to do.We have our own opinions and if we share it, we can correct the wrong things the group has done. Unlike robots, they don't feel a thing and they'll just stop working when they are out of power supply. They can't also feel how people have a hard time correcting their works, all they do is to follow and work.

       I can say that our world is full of intelligence and analyzation. Robots are my evidence. They have been useful and functional. The invention continues and it'll be more advanced as time passes by. What do you know? Maybe one day, you'll be one of the inventors of best robots in the world. Keep dreaming, it'll come true someday.