Linkbot Obstacle Course: An Introduction to Coding and Robotics

Lesson Plan and Teacher’s Notes for an Hour of Code™ Activity

https://www.roboblockly.com/curriculum/hourofcode/
[email protected]
​http://www.barobo.com
Barobo, Inc.

Outline
A. Introduction
B. Overview of the Activities
C. How to Use Barobo's Hour of Code™ Activities in your Classroom
D. Before Hour of Code™
E. Getting Started in Class
F. Wrapping Up in Class
G. Linkbot Obstacle Course Activities
H. Connecting Hardware Linkbots to the Computer and Initializing Them in
RoboBlockly

A. Introduction
Guide Linkbot through an obstacle course! In this series of activities students will learn how to
control a Barobo Linkbot robot and help it navigate successfully on a journey around various
paths. They will also learn some basics of computer programming, including the very useful and
powerful programming concept of loops. The activities are suitable for beginning students in
grades 4 and above.

Students will use the drag-and-drop RoboBlockly interface at ​www.roboblockly.com​ (no

registration required) to program the Linkbot to maneuver through the obstacle courses. The
Linkbot may be either an online virtual robot or an actual hardware robot, which provides more
hands-on and engaging practice for students. After the Hour of Code™ students may continue
to explore the many coding and math-related activities available at ​www.roboblockly.com​.

Learning Objectives
1. Learn the basic terminology and concepts of computing and controlling robots, including
the concepts of code blocks, commands, arguments (input values to commands),
run/execute, bugs, debugging, and repeat loops.
2. Gain practice with the mathematical concepts of the number line, two-dimensional x-y
grids, right angles, and squares.

Equipment and Software Needed for Each Student or Pair of Students

1. Computer (PC, Mac, or Chromebook) with internet connection.
2. Web-based RoboBlockly interface at ​www.roboblockly.com​ to control the virtual (or
hardware) Linkbot robot and run the activities (no registration needed).
3. Optional: Hardware Linkbot robot and either USB cable or wireless dongle, plus Linkbot
Labs software to connect hardware Linkbots to the computer--free download from
https://www.barobo.com/downloads​. Hardware robots available at
https://www.barobo.com/shop​. ​Linkbot Super Kit​ recommended:

Activity mats:
B. Overview of the Activities (details in Section G below)
1. Welcome to Linkbot: Driving Forward
2. Moving Forwards and Backwards
3. Obstacle Course: Turning and Debugging
4. Traversing a Square, Part 1
5. Traversing a Square, Part 2 (Loops!)
6. Obstacle Course Challenge!

C. How to Use Barobo's Hour of Code™ Activities in your Classroom

It will take students about an hour to get through each set of activities. However, we believe that
students should be able to learn at their own pace, and so we encourage you to give students
additional time if needed to complete the activities or make it clear that they don't need to finish
the entire set of activities. The final activity is open-ended if there are students who finish
sooner. When using hardware Linkbots time should be budgeted for setting up and connecting
the equipment (usually 3-5 minutes for an individual student or 5-10 minutes for a group).

D. Before Hour of Code™

1. Prepare your classroom
● Make sure you have a computer (PC, Mac, or Chromebook) for each student or pair of
students. (Tablets are suitable for doing the activities using virtual robots, but not for
hardware robots.)
● Make sure you have good Internet access in the classroom, as you will need to access
the RoboBlockly activities at ​www.roboblockly.com​ to control the virtual or hardware
Linkbot and run the activities (no registration required).
● Make sure you have a modern browser installed on the computers or devices. Test
RoboBlockly on students’ computers.
● If you are using hardware Linkbots (available individually or in classroom bundles at
https://www.barobo.com/linkbot-and-accessories​), make sure to have enough for each
student or pair of students, and connect them to the computer and test them beforehand
using either USB cables or wireless dongles. (Instructions are listed in Section H below
and also available here: ​https://www.barobo.com/faq-linkbot-labs-and-linkbots​.)
● Hardware Linkbots require the use of Linkbot Labs software to connect them to the
computer--free download is available for installation from
https://www.barobo.com/downloads​.
● If using hardware Linkbots, test each of them beforehand to ensure there are no
connection issues (e.g., firmware update needed). Instructions here:
https://www.barobo.com/faq-linkbot-labs-and-linkbots​. For firmware issues:
https://www.barobo.com/faq-troubleshooting​.
● The activities do not use sound, but audio commands that enable a robot to beep or play
music are available in RoboBlockly. So you may want to provide headphones or ask
students to mute their speakers.
2. Prepare yourself
● Go through the Hour of Code activities yourself so that you are familiar with what your
students will be experiencing.
● Each activity has an introduction that describes the activity and concepts involved, and a
problem statement that instructs students on what they should do. (Full details in Section
G below.) These are designed to be self-contained and self-explanatory, but some
students may need clarifications or other assistance.

3. Prepare your students

● When using RoboBlockly in class, first demonstrate to students how to navigate and use
the RoboBlockly website, as shown below. (Your view of the website may be slightly
different, depending on the activity loaded.) The basic idea is that users create programs
to control the robot by dragging code blocks (commands) from the middle Blocks section
to the Workspace on the right. Code blocks can be clicked together to form a sequence
of commands. Clicking the Run button below the grid on the left will then run (“execute”)
the commands in sequence, with the virtual robot on the grid showing the results (as well
as moving a hardware robot, if connected).

● Introduce ​dual programming​ for collaborative learning. This learning model is especially
helpful for students who may need some extra assistance.
● Help students get excited about Hour of Code by inspiring students and discussing how
computer science impacts every part of our lives. As a class, list things that use code in
everyday life, or discuss different ways technology impacts our lives, etc.
E. Getting Started (10 minutes for intro, 40-45 minutes for activities)
1. If using hardware robots, guide each student (or pair of students) in connecting the
Linkbot to the computer via a direct USB connection or wireless dongle, and using the
Linkbot Labs sidebar at ​www.roboblockly.com​ to enter the individual Linkbot’s ID number
and establish the connection (5-10 minutes).
2. Whether using hardware or virtual robots, going through the first activity as a group is a
good way to start. The RoboBlockly website contains far more options than are used in
the Hour of Code activities, so the most important features to cover are:
a. Terminology: program, code, code blocks, commands, arguments (input values
to commands), run/execute, debugging
b. The basic layout: the grid, the middle code block section, the Workspace
c. Important buttons: Run, Reset (label that appears on the Run button after Run is
clicked), Step, Start Over, the Show Robot checkbox (in the “Robot 1” section at
the lower left).
d. Basic actions: running pre-placed code blocks, changing the argument values
(input values) for commands, dragging and dropping code blocks from the center
block section to the Workspace, unhooking code blocks from other blocks in the
Workspace and dragging them back to the center block section to delete.
3. Point the students to the rest of the activities at
https://roboblockly.com/curriculum/hourofcode/obstaclecourse/​ (40-45 minutes).
4. Circulate around to offer encouragement and give assistance as needed.

F. Wrapping Up (5 minutes)
● If you and/or your students use social media, we encourage you to share your Hour of
Code experience (as appropriate). For example, “I’ve done an Hour of Code obstacle
course challenge with @linkbots robots! Have you? #HourOfCode
#robotics4mathlearning.” Use the hashtag #HourOfCode (with capital letters H, O, C).
● After Hour of Code, encourage your students to continue learning to program on
RoboBlockly by exploring the Playground, Robotics, Computing, or grade-level Math
activities.
● All student activities on RoboBlockly are free - students do not have to create
accounts!

G. Linkbot Obstacle Course Activities

This set of activities introduces students to the basics of computing and controlling robots,
including the concepts of code blocks, commands, arguments (input values to commands),
run/execute, bugs, debugging, and repeat loops. It also gives them practice with the
mathematical concepts of the number line, two-dimensional x-y grids, right angles, and squares.

The following sections reproduce the online activity descriptions from www.roboblockly.com.
Activity 1. Welcome to Linkbot: Driving Forward
Initial prompt:​ In this introductory lesson, you will learn how to move the Linkbot robot a
specified distance by using the ​ driveDistance ​ code block. You can use positive and negative
numbers to specify the distance to move.

Lesson description: ​This Hour of Code lesson introduces you to the Linkbot robot. You can
control its movements on the grid on the left side of the window by dragging and dropping
various "code blocks," or "commands," from the middle "Block" section to the "Workspace" on
the right and then clicking the "Run" button (located just below the grid). These commands are
simply instructions that tell the robot what to do. Once the commands are in place, clicking the
Run button will cause the computer to run or "execute" the commands in sequence, one after
the other, thus activating and controlling the robot. We will get the hang of it by starting with just
a single command that has already been placed in the Workspace for you--the ​ driveDistance
command:

To tell the robot how far to move, you enter a number into the blue box that is in the
driveDistance ​ command, then click ​Run​. This number is called the "​argument​" for the
command. To move the robot again, click "​Reset​" (which appears in place of the ​Run​ button
after something is run), enter a different value for the argument, and then click ​Run​ again. (If
you have a hardware Linkbot robot connected, the hardware robot will move in the same way as
the virtual robot you see on the grid.)

Blocks used: ​driveDistance()

Pre-placed blocks: ​driveDistance()

Problem statement: ​Hello, I am a Linkbot robot. Please help me move forward 8 units (to the
right, the direction I'm facing).

Hint: ​The preplaced code block drives the Linkbot 5 inches forward because the "argument"
(the specified input value for the ​ driveDistance ​ command) is initially set at 5 inches. But the
specified task is to move the Linkbot 8 inches, so change the value of the argument to 8.

Possible solution:

Solution image:
Activity 2. Moving Forwards and Backwards
Initial prompt: ​In this lesson, you will learn how to use multiple commands to move the Linkbot
forwards and backwards.

Lesson description:​ In our first lesson you learned how to move a Linkbot robot using a single
driveDistance ​ command. In this lesson you will learn how to use multiple ​ driveDistance
commands to move the robot along the number line. It will also give you a little practice with
adding and subtracting numbers. To add a new ​ driveDistance ​ command to the Workspace,
use the computer mouse (or trackpad) to drag and drop a ​ driveDistance ​ code block from the
Blocks section in the middle to the Workspace on the right, and position it just under the
pre-placed code block so that they click together. Repeat this process for as many code blocks
as you need, and then change the arguments (input values) for each code block as needed.
Then click the ​Run​ button, and the code blocks will be executed in sequence, one by one. You
can also step through them slowly one at a time by clicking the "​Step​" button instead of the ​Run
button.

Tip: ​To see the distance traveled more clearly, you can uncheck the "Show Robot" box in the
"Robot 1" section (lower left) to hide the image of the robot.

Blocks used: ​driveDistance()

Pre-placed blocks:

Problem statement:​ Starting at the origin (0), the Linkbot wants to travel along the number line
in three segments. The first pre-placed ​driveDistance ​ command moves it to the point x = 7. Add
another command to move it to x = 10, and then one more to have the robot end its trip at x = 1.

Hint: ​This problem is equivalent to 7 + __ = 10 and 10 - __ = 1. To move backwards on the

number line use a negative number.

Possible solution:

Solution image:
Activity 3. Obstacle Course: Turning and Debugging
Initial prompt: ​In this lesson you'll learn how to use the ​ turn ​ command and guide the Linkbot
through an obstacle course!

Lesson description: ​When we put together one or more commands to control the Linkbot
robot, we are creating a "​program​." In other words, a computer program is like a recipe, a
series of instructions to get something done. Often when we create a program we make
mistakes, such as using the wrong command, or the right command at the wrong time, or the
wrong numbers in the right command, or so on and so forth. These errors are called "​bugs​,"
and so we often need to "​debug​" the program in order to fix it and get it working properly. The
Step​ button (just to the right of the ​Run​ button) is helpful in debugging, because it will step
through a program's commands one at a time. At each step the command being executed is
displayed in orange in the Workspace. This lesson gives you some practice in debugging, and
also introduces the ​ turn ​ code block, which instructs the robot to turn left or right at a certain
angle (90 degrees for a right angle turn):

Tip: ​If you want to speed up the robot's journey, add a ​ setSpeed ​ block at the beginning. (You
may have to scroll down in the list of code blocks to find it.)

Blocks used: ​turn(), driveDistance()

Pre-placed blocks:

Problem statement:​ Modify the pre-placed block and add more ​ driveDistance ​ and ​ turn
blocks to drive the robot through the obstacle course to the star. Make sure you do not cross the
tape!

Hint: ​Use the ​Step​ button to step through the commands one at a time. It will take a little trial
and error (debugging) to get a good path.

Possible solution:
Solution image:
Activity 4. Traversing a Square, Part 1
Initial prompt: ​This lesson introduces the ​ ​traceColor​ ​ command and gives you practice in
controlling the robot to trace out square shapes.

Lesson description:​ In the previous lesson we learned to use the ​ ​turn ​ command, so now it's
possible for us to create programs that have the Linkbot travel along geometrical shapes. We'll
try an obstacle course in the shape of a square, and to make things slightly more colorful, we'll
use the ​ ​traceColor ​ command to change the color and width of the robot's trace as it travels
along:

Blocks used: ​traceColor(), driveDistance(), turn()

Pre-placed blocks:

Problem statement:​ Add the necessary ​ driveDistance ​ and 90-degree ​ turn ​ blocks to have
the Linkbot journey clockwise around the square and back to its starting orientation.

Hint:​ You should have four ​ driveDistance ​ commands and four ​ ​turn​ ​ commands.

Possible solution:
Solution image:
Activity 5. Traversing a Square, Part 2 (Loops!)
Initial prompt: ​In this lesson we'll learn about a better way of drawing a square, using the very
important programming concept of loops.

Lesson description: ​In the previous lesson we learned how to use the Linkbot to trace a
square. To do so, we used the code blocks shown below.

Note that we used the same ​ driveDistance ​ and ​ turn ​ commands four times in a row. That is,
we instructed the Linkbot to drive 18 units, then turn right 90 degrees, then drive 18 units, then
turn right 90 degrees, and so on for the third and fourth sides. In programming we often
encounter situations like this, where we need to repeat the same code several times in a row (or
even hundreds or thousands of times in a row). Instead of writing (or copying and pasting) the
same commands over and over, we can use what's known as a "​loop​." For a basic loop, we put
the commands we want to have repeated inside a special loop code block, and then specify
how many times we want the commands to be repeated. This is known as a "​repeat loop​." (As
you continue to learn about programming, you will come across other types of loops as well.) In
this lesson you will get to experiment with a repeat loop to have the Linkbot traverse the square.

Blocks used: ​traceColor(), repeat(), driveDistance(), turn()

Pre-placed blocks:
Problem statement:​ The pre-placed code blocks use a loop to draw two sides of a square. Use
the ​Run​ button to run the code and see the result, and then ​Reset​ and use the ​Step​ button to
step through the code piece by piece. Then change the value of the argument in the loop so that
the code has the robot draw a complete square with four sides. What happens if you have the
loop repeat more than four times?

Hint: ​To draw the four sides of the square, we need the loop to repeat four times.

Possible solution:

Solution image:
Activity 6. Obstacle Course Challenge!
Initial prompt:​ A new challenge: an obstacle course made of a random path.

Lesson description: ​Now that we've learned how to control robots to traverse square paths,
we will introduce a new type of code block, drivexyTo, which allows us to instruct the RAV robot
to travel in a straight line to the specified point (x,y) on the grid:

We'll use this in a new challenge: following randomly generated obstacle course paths! (We
have hidden the image of the robot to make it easier to trace the path. The position of the robot
is indicated by the small red bar. If you want to see the robot image, click "Show Robot" in the
"Robot 1" section at the lower left.)

Blocks used: ​drivexyTo()

Pre-placed blocks:

Problem statement:​ Use four drivexyTo blocks to traverse the path of the obstacle course!
(Note that the robot starts at the point x = 12, y = 3.)

Hint: ​Don't forget that the robot starts at the point x = 12, y = 3.

Possible solution: ​Varies depending on the random obstacle course generated. Sample:

Solution image: ​Varies depending on the random obstacle course generated. (Sample course
shown below, with red bar shown in place of robot image.)
H. Connecting Hardware Linkbots to the Computer and Initializing Them in
RoboBlockly

To control hardware Linkbots you need to download and install Linkbot Labs software.

H.1. Instructions for PCs and Macs​ (instructions for Chromebooks follow; tablets are not
supported)

(1) Download and install the latest version of Linkbot Labs from the Barobo Downloads page at
https://www.barobo.com/downloads​.

(2) Launch RoboBlockly at ​www.roboblockly.com​ using a regular browser (Chrome is

recommended).

(3) Connect the hardware Linkbot to the computer using either a micro USB cable or a wireless
dongle, and then add the Linkbot’s ID (found on the Linkbot’s label, e.g., “ZG81”) using the
Linkbot Labs sidebar on the left side at RoboBlockly, as shown in Figure 2 below. (Click on the
“Linkbot Labs” arrow just below the RoboBlockly heading at the top left to open or close the
sidebar, as circled in red in Figure 1.) Note that when first opening RoboBlockly it may take a
few seconds for the Linkbot Labs arrow to appear.

Figure 1:​ RoboBlockly user interface with the Linkbot Labs sidebar closed. Click on the “Linkbot
Labs” arrow, as circled in red in the image, to open the sidebar (or close the sidebar, if open).
Figure 2: ​RoboBlockly user interface with the Linkbot Labs sidebar open. Enter the ID for a
Linkbot in the box (circled in red) and click the “Add” button.

Instructions, continued:

(4) Drag a Linkbot instruction block such as driveDistance() to the Workspace area of
RoboBlockly.

(5) Click “Run” or “Step” to move the virtual Linkbot on the grid and the hardware Linkbot at the
same time.

(6) If the hardware Linkbot does not move, you may need to restart the Barobo Linkbot Service
program by right-clicking on the “L” in the Windows task list at the bottom right of the screen
(Figures 3 and 4 below) or clicking on the “L” in the Mac menu bar at the top of the screen (in
the list of icons on the right side of the menu bar, Figure 5 below). Choose “Restart Linkbot
Service” from the popup menu.

Figure 3: ​Accessing the Linkbot Service “L” in the Windows task list.
Figure 4:​ The popup menu with Linkbot Service options (Windows interface).

Figure 5: ​The Linkbot Service “L” in the Mac menu bar (your list of icons will be different). A
similar popup window as for Windows will appear when you click the L.

Instructions, continued:

(7) If you receive messages about firmware needing updating, see

https://www.barobo.com/faq-troubleshooting​ for guidance.

H.2. Instructions for Chromebooks

Download and install the Linkbot IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and Firmware
Updater for Chromebooks, available via the Barobo Downloads page at
https://www.barobo.com/downloads​. Then open roboblockly.com in the browser and follow
steps 3-5 in the instructions for Windows and Mac machines. If you receive messages about
firmware needing updating, see ​https://www.barobo.com/faq-troubleshooting​ for guidance.