This is a textbook for my robotics course at Hendrix College. It is designed for students who have no prior programming... More > experience. It uses the pbLua language, an interpreted scripting language that is easy to learn. Building diagrams are in full color. < Less

This is a textbook for my robotics course at Hendrix College. It is designed for students who have no prior programming... More > experience. It uses the pbLua language, an interpreted scripting language that is easy to learn. The Lego building diagrams are in grayscale. < Less

I have been developing a textbook for my Robotics course using Lego Mindstorms NXT and leJOS NXJ. It assumes no programming... More > or robotics experience. This is only an intermediate draft, but I am making it available so that other instructors can experiment with it.

This current draft includes over 60 pages of full-color building diagrams for the robots. The building instructions assume the use of the Lego Mindstorms Education kit.

The book is a sequence of 9 lab exercises for both building and programming robots. In each exercise, students must do experiments in order to answer questions. Additional questions are used to motivate analysis.

Topics include fundamental topics of Java programming, physics of rotational motion and gears, use of the NXT sensors, searching, and an introduction to robot arms. I am eager to hear from other college instructors about other topics that they would find useful for me to include. < Less

I have been developing a textbook for my Robotics course using Lego Mindstorms NXT and leJOS NXJ. It assumes no programming... More > or robotics experience. This is only an intermediate draft, but I am making it available so that other instructors can experiment with it. The book is a sequence of 9 lab exercises for both building and programming robots. In each exercise, students must do experiments in order to answer questions. Additional questions are used to motivate analysis. Topics include fundamental topics of Java programming, physics of rotational motion and gears, use of the NXT sensors, searching, and an introduction to robot arms. I am eager to hear from other college instructors about other topics that they would find useful for me to include.

Building instructions are NOT included in this edition. I have published a separate book containing them as a companion volume. < Less

This book contains over 60 pages of full-color building instructions for robots using the Lego Mindstorms NXT Education Kit.... More > It is a companion to the Lab Manual, which contains the actual educational exercises. < Less