Taking a Test Drive

Now it is time to put all the necessary files on the ActivityBot, and then take it for a drive!

• Download the AB-IR-Remote-Wav.zip file (contains code, libraries and WAV files for this project)
• Open the project AB-IR-Remote-Wav.side from the un-zipped project folder.
• Connect the USB cable, and put the Activity Board power switch in position 1.

You will need to transfer the eleven WAV files from the project folder to the microSD card that comes with the ActivityBot kit. If you have a microSD/USB card adapter, you can use that to load the files onto the SD card directly from your computer before putting the card into the ActivityBoard.  If you don’t, just follow the directions below.

• Insert the microSD card into the card slot on the Activity Board, if it is not already there.

• In SimpleIDE, click the Program menu, then select File to SD Card.
• Browse to the unzipped project folder, select one of the WAV files, and click Open.
• Repeat until all eleven WAV files are on the microSD card.

Now, you are ready to run the program!

Note: If you are using the ActivityBot 360° Robot (#32600), change #include “abdrive.h” to #include “abdrive360.h” at the beginning of the program before uploading the code to your robot.

• Click Load EEPROM & Run.
• Set the power switch to 0. Disconnect the USB cable and put the robot on the floor.
• Put the power switch in position 2.
• Turn on the power-volume switch on the portable speaker.
• Test drive it!

Driving Directions

The remote’s driving controls take a little bit of practice.  This is “set-and-forget” motion – you do not have to hold a button down to make the robot keep moving in that direction. Also, the motions are designed with ramping, so you can control speed as well as direction (with practice!).  Be ready to hold the Mute button down to make it stop!

Here are some driving tips:

• A quick button tap makes the robot move slowly. Tap again or hold the button longer to make it go faster.  
• Tap the Mute button to slow down a motion. Tap again to slow it further, or hold it down to stop. 
• To drive around, press the Channel+ button, quickly tap Vol + or – and then tap Channel+ again immediately.  This lets you drive forward with slight course adjustments to the left or right.
• Press Vol + or – to make the robot turn in place. Then, tap the Channel+ button a few times to make it drive in a widening circle. 
• Try to keep the receiver in sight. If the robot is too far away, or behind an object, or if the speaker is blocking your view of the receiver, the robot might not respond to the remote.
• The number buttons play the audio files. Buttons 1–9 play spoken words.  Button 0 plays music that will last for about 40 seconds unless you interrupt it with a different audio file.
• Try driving the ActivityBot into an object, if you haven’t done so by accident already, to see what happens!