mBot

1 What is Arduino?
2 What is mBot?
3 Programming mBot/mCore
4 Exercise 1 and 2
5 Building the mBot
6 Exercise 3
7 Project and Competition
8 Further Reading

What is Arduino?

A very detailed tutorial on Arduino can be found at Arduino

What is mBot?

https://www.makeblock.com/steam-kits/mbot

https://support.makeblock.com/hc/en-us/articles/12822859943959

Here are some details of the board we are using (mCore) - https://support.makeblock.com/hc/en-us/articles/4412894402967-mCore-Main-Control-Board-for-mBot . This board is based on Arduino Uno, the most popular among Arduino boards.

Programming mBot/mCore

mBot can be programmed using either the mBlock software or Arduino IDE.

Please see https://nus.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/MBOT/pages/33816610 for instructions on using mBlock. This is easier for beginners to programming.

To have full flexibility, use Arduino IDE - https://nus.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/MBOT/pages/33816604

Every time you try to upload or run the code, make sure that the mCore board is powered on. This is done using the slide switch on the side, and will be indicated by a red LED in the centre of the board. A green/red LED will light up to indicate battery charged/charging even when the board is not powered on - this can be mistaken for a power on status.

Exercise 1 and 2

Once you are reasonably familiar with mCore and tried out various examples, complete exercises 1 and 2.

Now you are all set to build the mBot.

Building the mBot

The instructions for building mBot can be found at https://blog.hmpg.net/2016/04/makeblock-mcore-information.html. DO NOT assemble the top cover, as we need the RGB LEDs and light sensor to be exposed for color detection.

Exercise 3

Once you have your mBot built and ultrasonic sensors mounted, attempt Exercise 3.

Project and Competition

Now you are all set to challenge yourself and take home some attractive prizes. See the details in the Find The Cheese page.

Be mindful of battery drain when testing your robot without the USB cable connected. The power drain is very high when your robot is stuck. It is also a good idea to keep the USB cable plugged in while you are programming/ not testing the robot to allow the battery to recharge.

Feel free to demonstrate your creativity by decorating the car! Some decoration materials are available on request.

You are encouraged to provide a running commentary on your robopet's efforts in traversing the maze during the competition.

There are prizes for decoration and commentary.