Now it's your turn to level up your movement angles! In this lesson, you will move your robot to navigate around two orange barrels using angles, exploring how to adjust angle parameters to improve both the efficiency of your coding project and the precision of your robot’s movement.
Watch the video below to learn about:
- Navigating around obstacles using angles.
- How to adjust angle parameters for precision.
Now that you have watched the video, capture your thoughts in your journal. Answer these questions to guide your thinking and help you prepare for a whole-class discussion:
- How does changing the angle parameter change the movement of the robot? Why would you want to change the angle parameter?
- What did you observe in the video that supports your thinking?
- List at least two questions you have about coding the robot that will help you better navigate around the barrels.
- What is something you’ve learned about coding or VEXcode that will help you in this lesson?
Guided Practice
Now that you have watched and discussed the video, it is your turn to practice!
Step 1: Set up the field as shown below.
Step 2: Model the movements of the robot needed to complete the task using Drive mode.
- Your task is to drive the robot around the orange barrels. Document your driving, then plan how to code that movement.
- Use this task card (Google / .docx / .pdf) to guide your practice.
- Pro Tip: Consider the details you used in the previous lesson to build your coding project. Pay attention to each angle and distance, and document it in detail to create your path plan. Use the Robot Protractor, shown in the video, to determine those angles when planning your path.
Step 3: Code the robot to complete the task.
- Your task is to use your path plan from Step 2 to code the robot to move around the orange barrels using as few blocks as possible.
- Use this task card (Google / .docx / .pdf) to guide your practice.
- Pro Tip: Remember to cycle between driving and coding to help you code your robot to move at angles with precision. You can drive slowly if you need to, to help you identify specifics about the angle or distance of the robot.
Step 4: Use the Predict-Drive-Measure-Code process to improve your robot's precision as it moves around both barrels:
- Predict
- Choose the first angle you want to make more precise. Make a group prediction about how to improve the angle using this sentence stem, and record it in your journal:
- We think the angle should be about ____________ degrees.
- Choose the first angle you want to make more precise. Make a group prediction about how to improve the angle using this sentence stem, and record it in your journal:
- Drive
- Test your prediction by driving your robot at your predicted angle. Does it move the way you expected? If it feels off, what should change to make it more accurate? If not, what feels right about it?
- Measure
- Place your Robot Protractor under the robot. At what angle did you actually drive the robot?
- Code
- Use your new angle in your coding project! Adjust your project, then run it to test. Is the new angle more precise? If not, use your Robot Protractor to help you change the angle and try again. Be sure to record your angle measurements and observations in your journal as you go.
Resources for Practice:
The articles linked here is available if you need additional support while completing the activity.
Wrap-Up
Now that you have practiced, it is time to share what you learned. Answer the following questions in your journal to help you reflect on your learning and prepare for a whole-class discussion:
- What is something you learned while driving that helped you in coding? How did you document that learning?
- What is something you learned about using fewer blocks?
- What is something you learned about angles?
Select Next > to move on to the next lesson.