RoboToy remote control robot + simulator
The link above is an Australian university demonstration. It included a real robot arm which you could control remotely via Internet. That part has apparently been shut down, but there is still a very nice, simple simulation program.
(1) Figure out how to move the arm in such a way that it would turn 90 degrees, pick up an object, then turn back 90 degrees and put the object down. Use paper and pencil to keep track of the steps, thus writing a control "program" for the robot.
(2) Write a program (sequence of movements) to have the robot turn 90 degrees to the left, pick up a block, and turn back to the original orientation and put the block down. Then it should turn 90 degrees to the right, pick up another object, and place the second object on top of the first. Assume the objects are square and roughly the size of the robot's "hand".
(3) Notice that the robot can run several servo-motors simultaneously, so
a program can be reduced to fewer steps. For example:
| Original Program | Shorter version |
| base -90 wrist -45 elbow -45 close hand elbow +45 wrist +45 base +90 wrist -45 elbow -45 open hand elbow +45 wrist +45 |
base -90, wrist -45, elbow -45
close hand elbow +45, wrist +45, base +90 wrist -45, elbow -45 open hand elbow +45, write +45 |
Run the shorter program by typing numbers into several boxes and then pressing go. Convince yourself that both the long version and the short version accomplish the same result.
(4) Since all motors can run simultaneously or individually, one must wonder what difference that makes. Program a motion where running the motors individually might be okay, but running them simultaneously could cause a collision.