The Desktop Helper

Have you ever wanted a robot that assists you while you're doing work? Recently, one of the members of Knights of Bots finished working on a robot that does just that. The robot is Desktop Helper. It was made using the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 set.

The Desktop Helper

Desktop Helper can do two things: play music and hold pencils. To play music, simply wave your hand in front of the ultrasonic sensor. Doing so will cause the robot to play the chorus of "Don't Worry be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin.

To use the pencil holder, press the button. After pressing the button the pencil holder will move down so you can collect your writing utensil or place a writing utensil inside the holder. Press the button again for the pencil holder to move back up.

Here is a video of how the Desktop Helper works (remember to turn the volume up so you can hear the music):

To program Desktop Helper we used LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Home Edition software. While programming our member encountered a problem, the EV3 could not store sounds that were longer than approximately 8 seconds. In order to play a song, one would have to use a sound editing software to chop up the song into 8 second intervals and save each piece of the song. Then, the song blocks would have to be put together, in order, in the program. Our member used a song editing software named Audacity (a free program) to break the song into intervals. Our mentor/coach (L3GoBots Lady) helped us break the song into intervals. Then each song piece was saved as a sound block and put into the program. However, the song pieces were placed in a different order to make the song fluid.

A screenshot of the Desktop Helper Program

You may have noticed from reading the program (or watching the video) that while playing the song the robot displays a smiley face. Here is a picture of it:

Nite Brite Lite

During this previous weekend, Knights of bots went to Brics~2~Bots Academy. Our Mentor/Coach (L3GoBots Lady) had discovered someone with a program to work the RCX/NXT Lamp with EV3 Programing. She then enhanced the program a bit and given it to us to come up with some new ideas.
  Our task was to build a household miscellaneous that would improve our lives. So one of us came up with a device that would allow someone to wave there hand which would activate the NXT lamps. When someone wakes up it is 99% of the time to use the bathroom or get a glass of water. Their lights are turned off and they can't see anything. So the wave their hand and.... TA DAA, the lights turn on. When the person is finished all they do is swipe their hand and the lights turn off.

We used the following program and made a program that uses the IR Sensor. For Home kits you can use the IR sensor and for Education you can use the Ultrasonic.

The IR Sensor Block has a Threshold value instead of a distance like the Ultrasonic Block. If you decide to use the Ultrasonic instead of the Infrared switch the block in the program as well as the sensor in the design.

We will soon have a new and improve Nite Light which would have a LDD (LEGO© Digital Designer) file which will allow you to see the steps to build the Nite Brite Lite. If you have not downloaded LDD please do so by clicking ->LDD.

The My block we have inside looks like this:

Due to LEGO not selling NXT/RCX Lamps anymore, if you get the EV3 Power Function Lights and the conversion cord 8" or 20" and use the same program. You can purchase it at LEGOeducation.