Category Archives: long

Lab 3: Obstacle avoidance and Multi-process systems

Before I would like to start, I would like to speak openly here for the intelligent Dr. Wurst, my professor, to ask him something really quick.
Would this blog post count as acceptable for a lab notebook entry? It would be a pleasure and a great convenience if you will accept this!

I will answer all of your questions in the following paragraphs and write about me, Urooj, and Braxtons time working on Lab 3 for Robotics.

Let us begin.
Today, I am working on finishing up our multi-process c program that will have the robot adjust its direction and speed at the same time, thus two processes working in a multi-process system can be observed.

If we had approximately four or so hours straight to spend on this lab, we would have completed it all in one day in my opinion.

But that is fine, now I am back and now I am more than ready to solve some problems!

There begs a question: What will I do first? Well, right here and right now is a start. Keeping steady lab notes and tracking everything I do will be most beneficial for us all in the long run, as we all can learn easily about anything — we must simply have a passion for whatever it may be!

I apologize. I am writing much like a Philosopher. One could say I am a philosopher of technology. With this out of the way however, I would like to actually get down to business. I will now begin [:chuckling:]

I am going to produce a program to read the Sonar Sensor attached to the 0th analog position in the Botball device. After I do this I will begin to track the sensor readings for the following materials and light levels.
If my hypothesis is correct then light levels will not affect the Sonar sensor, as it uses echolocation to sense its surroundings. What a smart device truly!

However if I were to attach light sensors and IR sensors, I could create even more functionality to the robot.  Heck, imagine if I put a camera on the front of the robot to stream to my phone! And a bluetooth keyboard to have the user gain full control of the robot itself.
Goodness, technology endlessly brings me so much interesting new stuff to work with! Okay, I am going to stop writing here now so that I can accomplish the programming for the Botball.

Attempt Number 1: Robot keeps moving forward, stops to check IR readings (sensing left value vs right value.) but fails to adjust course in second function. Layout of functions: First function is the IR reading function, then comes the DRIVE function. The IR reading (and, well, writing as well) function keeps track of the devices input readings and adjusts variables so that the drive function performs as we want it to — to avoid obstacles or turn around if there is no way forward.

Changed motorValue from changing using is equals ( == sign) with = sign. Maybe program will work now. Attempt number 2 will be detailed in the paragraph/s below.

Attempt Number 2:
Attempt 2 was a success!! The robot followed the instructions perfectly this time after setting each analog state (0 and 1 as floating points) and used multiple functions in rapid succession. Time to implement C multi-process capabilities and if this works the robot is all set. Its behavior is to like stimuli and approach it (when it senses more from one IR to the other, it goes towards the stimuli closest.)

Attempt Number 3:

Pre-program test: Using multi-process function in KIPR C programming environment means I might not be able to use the defer method. Initially I would have used this in between processes to defer the need of one process to the need of the other process. Let us try to see how it works.

Post-program test:

Robot functionality lost while using start_process and kill_process. Maybe I should use kill_process in while loop? Next attempt will be below.

Attempt Number 4:
Put the start processes and kill processes before and after with while loop. Did not work. Now attempting to change kill_process(0 and 1) to kill_process(1 and 2). Maybe this will finally work?

Attempt Number 5:
Everything is balls [:tears forever:]

From the blog CS@Worcester – Sean Raleigh's CS Blog by sraleigh62 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Why I decided to become a Computer Scientist at Worcester State University

Edit: 1,117 words in this post, 6 minute read time

Hello reader,

So, this post doesn’t really have anything to do with my classes at WSU. Rather, I just wanted to kind of talk openly about some of the reasons or things that drove me to become a student at Worcester State, specifically one in Computer Science.
Why did I choose to go to this school in particular? And what are my favorite things when it comes to computers? I hope to cover questions like that over the span of this post.

I’ll have to warn you, most posts I don’t worry about length, but this one may be a little bit of a long read. I’ll post the word count at the top of this update so you can get a gauge at how long it may be for a read to you.

 

So, lets start with this question: Why did I choose Worcester State? Well, I had applied to two colleges first and then planned to do a few others in case I couldn’t make it in. The two I picked — Framingham State (the first one that came to my mind initially) and then Worcester. I got a response back from Worcester State and from Framingham, a little later after WSU’s. I was accepted at WSU!

And I was denied from Framingham! I felt it was very funny. I ended up very glad that I was denied there — not to say I by any means dislike Framingham State, I just love the open feel to WSU. The variety of the people you see there is astonishing, and beautiful, the architecture and professors all very kindly and informative. The only complaint I truly have is with the God Awful parking!

Haha. Besides that one gripe, I very much enjoy spending time at Worcester State.

This leads me to my next question to answer: Why did I pick Computer Science, specifically a degree focused in Programming? There is a lot I can say in response to that inquiry.

First off, I have ALWAYS loved computers and technology. I remember as a child once having a flip phone and then having a phone with a pull out keyboard — these devices fascinated me to no end, and all they could do was very poorly connect to some internet related features and write texts/very short memos! I loved the N64 and the PS1 and 2. I hadn’t had my first laptop until I was about 10-13? I can’t recall for sure, but I got a great look at the different kinds of technology over the years.

Now I have a custom built desktop computer (most parts are aging by now but I can still run my massive library of games with no issue) and a good laptop (with a pretty cruddy screen). I remember when I used to dream of such powerful machines. I remember my first laptop and how poorly it ran Minecraft and how I could only run a few games at the lowest settings.

We are all so spoiled! Compared to not even 10 years ago, technology has grown to become so strong and immersive that, sometimes we can even find ourselves disconnected from others due to it.

I remember spending days on end playing games as a teen, escaping my own emotional and mental hell in another landscape that, to an onlooker, would appear hellish itself. But gaming and technology helped aid me through some really horrible times.

I know, I know — “Sean, answer the question you put out there.” I chose to go for a Computer Science degree because this will allow me to work in a field that I love and because through PC gaming, I was able to get into other things such as Programming and Writing and computer aided artwork. Me being a nerd for games led to me adoring technology and the times it brings me closer to others and closer to becoming the person I want to be.

Honestly, say what you will about us all sometimes not being able to interact socially as easily as people in the past may have, at least in person, but we can become so interconnected through our Technology and I think it will lead to many great things in the future, despite the negativity going on in the world today. We should use advancements in all kinds of sciences to better and to help longevity and health even if we have already used it for very terrible things as well.

*Sigh* That all is a long block of text. I won’t carry on for too much longer, but there is oooone final question I would like to state and answer: What are some of my favorite things about computers and technology as a whole? Well, there are many things. The fact that I can wear a watch that keeps track of my heartbeat and steps taken. The fact I can now message my friends nearly anywhere and at nearly any time. The fact that there is so much information and content here that History written about these times will be incredibly accurate. The fact that we all can keep our personal history so much easier than we could in the past, through the use of social media and storage devices.

The memories I’ve gotten to create with friends, the new friends I’ve been able to make, the opportunities that have come my way since all those years ago… I am so much different now than I used to be, when I was a horribly depressed kid/teen and didn’t care if I lived or died. I feel like I have a purpose, to put good positive vibes and information out there, and I feel like I can do that so much easier using technology. I can fix computers, hardware and software. I can program in a multitude of languages. Technology today allows us the ability to learn so much more and to become a much better person too, its all about how you use it.

Thank you so so very much for reading this post! I appreciate you reading this very much. Leave a comment answering some of those past questions if you want to as well! (If applicable, at least XD )

I’m down to responding or reading a nice or informative, thought out comment. I enjoy hearing other peoples opinions on these kinds of things. But besides that, I will let you go — this post is getting past a thousand words, so I feel like I’ve written enough!

I hope what I wrote was enjoyable to read, and maybe you can relate to some things. In the mean time, have a wonderful day, afternoon or night, and I will see you again with my next post!

From the blog CS@Worcester – Sean Raleigh's CS Blog by sraleigh62 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.