Projects
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BY TIM SLAVIN
Catch Me If You
Sphero’s newest app-enabled robot ball, named BOLT, makes it easy to have fun and learn. BOLT has an 8x8 matrix that displays messages along with a compass to track direction, an infrared sensor to gauge distance, an ambient light sensor, and much more. The robot also is easy to code with either a drag and drop Scratch-like interface or text programming. BOLT’s ambient light sensor lets you create programs that react to varying light levels. Try this project, which lets you chase BOLT around
A
the room with a flashlight. Use the pictures to help guide you through the steps. First, download the Sphero EDU app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Open the app, then click the Activities link at the top right and select Create. A Fill out the Create an Activity page that appears. Next, click the Programs link at the top right and select Create. Fill out the Create a Program popup that appears. B Now to code the Sphero robot! Add a loop forever block to the
start of the program from the Controls palette at the bottom of the app. Now from the Controls palette drag and nest an if/else block inside of the loop forever block. Next, you need BOLT to measure the amount of light it senses. Add the luminosity sensor block to the left side of a basic
B