Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Handelshøjskolen, Diss.--København, 2002. / Literaturverz. S. 203 - 209.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / This article proposes a work method reform in the production line of self-supporting telecommunication towers of a Peruvian metalworking enterprise. The problem raised considers the cost overruns caused by the delivery and dispatch of incomplete tower kits. The main process evaluated is the assembly of tower kits, which presented multiple deficiencies that we analyzed with multiple engineering tools using the eight steps of practical process improvement. We evaluated by a large scale definition the work table in the assembly and stacking of parts, defining by specific zones each part type and profile, and optimizing the total process times so as not to affect the scheduled dispatches. Thus, it is possible to minimize the number of customer returns.

At ITICSE 2002, the Lego Working Group first outlined how the Robots can be used to teach CS1 using Java. It was decided that a special session at SIGCSE 2003 designed to collect "best assignments" would simplify highlighting the benefit of using Robots to teach CS1. The creator of the assignment judged to be best would then be awarded a LEGO MINDSTROMS:Robotics Invention System 2.0 that will be provided by Sun Microsystems.

Lego – What happens when preschool children construct with Lego? A qualitative study about childrens interactions and communication around constructing with Lego. This study is in part based on my own personal interest in Lego and is also a study about communication, relationship and social competence. The aim of my study is to highlight these three concepts in the construction with Lego. All humans communicate in one way or another. My study is aimed towards communication during a special event which in this instance is construction play with Lego. To construct with Lego and at the same time talk about life and the experiences the children have had has been interesting and rewarding to observe. I have chosen to do three different observations in three different group of children and also interviewed two pre-schoolteachers. The children in my study where between the ages of 3-5. The study addresses two questions: 1. What do preschool children communicate during construction play with Lego? 2. How does a preschool child interact with other children and with the material Lego? I have discovered that the children talk, play and interact with their own life experiences and fantasies. I have also discovered that if someone is not able there will always be someone else who can. In my study, I have noted that the children give and take of each other to implement their building or play. The environment around the construction has a significant importance in how the play, talk and interaction develop. There should be a given place in the preschool for Lego, to enable children to showcase their constructions so they can talk about them. The conclusion of this study is that children communicate and share experiences with each other. The conversations between the children was often about their normal day to day activities and how they shared their knowledge. One could say it was a mix of life, play, feelings, relations, friendship and communication.   Keywords: Communication, Construction, Children, Interaction, relationships and Lego.

Šis darbas analizuoja LEGO Mindsorms NXT 1.0 roboto konstrukciją bei jo nuotolinio valdymo galimybes. Robotas gali būti valdomas per Bluetooth bevielį ryšį, taigi valdymui bus naudojamas išmanusis telofonas su Android operacine sistema. Telefonas suteikia daug valdymo galimybių, tokių kaip liečiamas ekranas, kelių programų vykdymas vienu metu ir Bluetooth bevielis ryšys. Valdymo programa parašyta Java programavimo kalba. Ji leis valdyti visus tris roboto varikliukus (du iš jų naudojami roboto judėjimui, o trečias mechaninei rankai valdyti). Robotas turi keturis aplinkos jutiklius: lietimo, garso, šviesos ir atstumo. Sukurta programa leis gauti jutiklių duomnenis ir atvaizduoti juos ekrane: mygtuko būseną, garsą decibelais, šviesumą procentais ir atstumą centimetrais. Trečioji programos funkcija leis vykdyti programas, kurios įrašytos robote. / This work analyses LEGO Mindsorms NXT 1.0 robot construction and remote controlling possibilities. The robot can be controlled via Bluetooth wireless connection therefore we use smart phone with Android operating system as controlling device. It gives wide range of controlling opportunities including touch screen, multitasking and Bluetooth wireless connection. The controlling software is written in Java programming language. It allows controlling all tree servomotors (two of them will be uses for moving the robot and the third one “hand” actions). Robot has four environment sensors: touch, sound, light and distance. Created Android application allows reading data from it and to display it on screen: touch as action, sound in dB, light intensity in %, and distance in cm. The third function of created software is ability to run preinstalled programs within the robot.

The thesis aims to assess the functioning of educational methods that is being used by LEGO Group and propose appropriate measures or recommendations for future development. The conclusion of this work is evaluating the results of the investigation and provides recommendations counter measures to improve the current situation. The theoretical part describes principles of systematic employee training, forms and methods of education, also it further defines the learning organization. Part of the focus is on current trends in education. The practical part describes characteristics of the company and staff and also the current system of training and development. Thesis further evaluates the result data obtained through an online questionnaire distributed to LEGO Group employees and includes suggestions and recommendations to improve training and development.

In this thesis, I present my work on the modeling and control of a motor system using the Lego EV3 robot. The overall goal is to apply introductory systems and controls engineering techniques for estimation and design to a real-world system. First I detail the setup of materials used in this research: the hardware used was the Lego EV3 robot; the software used was the Student 2014 version of Simulink; a wireless network was used to communicate between them using a Netgear WNA1100 wifi dongle. Next I explain the approaches used to model the robot’s motor system: from a description of the basic system components, to data collection through experimentation with a proportionally controlled feedback loop, to parameter estimation (through time-domain specification relationships, Matlab’s curve-fitting toolbox, and a formal least-squares parameter estimation), to the discovery of the effects of frictional disturbance and saturation, and finally to the selection and verification of the final model through comparisons of simulated step responses of the estimated models to the actual time response of the motor system. Next I explore three different types of controllers for use within the motor system: a proportional controller, a lead compensator, and a PID controller. I catalogue the design and performance results – both in simulation and on the real system – of each controller. One controller is then selected to be used within two Controls Systems Engineering final course projects, both involving the robot traveling along a predetermined route. The controller’s performance is analyzed to determine whether it improves upon the accumulation of error in the robot’s position when the projects are executed without control.

This bachelor was written in regards to the recent implementation of the mandatory teaching of programming in Swedish schools. This extensive addition to our curriculum requires the further education of teachers and the needs to invest in specialised educational materials. In this bachelor, we have collected research through contacting various prominent educational institutions around Skåne which have implemented programming in their curriculum using various types of robots. We wanted to establish what resources these institutions provide their educators when they teach programming. We also wanted to better understand the ways in which these institutions work with hardware and their thoughts on how hardware may affect students computational thinking, learning and self-motivation. To answer these questions, we interviewed several educators who specialise in programming and its use in schools. Even though, the different institutions had little or nothing to do with each other they basically shared the same basic ideas regarding the concept. This study concluded that according to teachers, computational and logical thinking increases when students work with LEGO-robots. When working with these robots, students were able to exercise their problem-solving abilities by using robots that they have constructed and programmed themselves. The system is easily implemented in schools since most students have prior knowledge of the LEGO construction mechanism. However, prior to being used for educational purposes, LEGO has most likely been associated with playtime and might therefore make it challenging for some students to work with it in a school environment. Another disadvantage with LEGO-robots is that the system uses block programming languages. This means that students understanding of text programming will not be exercised while working with these types of robots, limiting the depth of learning. In conclusion, to promote students’ comprehension of programming when working in an educational setting, the use of robots is greatly beneficial and almost essential. Even if only block programming is used, it is important to engage students and keep them excited during learning. According to teachers, enthusiasm regarding the subject will be a determining factor in their willingness to learn.

Wedas rengöringsrobot W2000 för bassänger har i nuläget ett styrsystem där roboten inte vet vart den är i bassängen. På grund av detta kan den inte känna av om den hamnar ur kurs, eller om den fastnat. Syftet med detta projekt är att i miniatyr skapa ett alternativt styrsystem som använder sig av en ultraljudssensor. För att göra detta skapades en miniatyr i LEGO Mindstorms som sedan testades i en miniatyr inhängnad som symboliserar en bassäng. Roboten skall med ultraljudssensorn kunna följa och hålla en viss distans till väggarna och därav inte hamna ur kurs, samtidigt känner datorn av hur långt den kör och kan vid fel känna av och larma. Resultaten var lyckade och påvisar ett fungerande styrsystem i miniatyr som utan hjälp kör i ett mönster som täcker hela bassängytan. Programmet som tagits fram bör med vissa ändringar i koden kunna implementeras för att styra en fullskalig rengöringsrobot. / Weda’s Cleaning robot W2000, meant for underwater use, currently has a control system that does not know its own position in the pool. Due to this it cannot know if it deviates of the planned course, or if it gets stuck. The purpose of this project is to, in miniature, create an alternative control system that uses an ultrasonic sensor. For this to be achieved, a miniature was created using LEGO Mindstorms that could be tested in a miniature enclosure acting as a pool. The robot should, using the ultrasonic sensor, follow along the wall keeping a set distance, and thereby stay on course. It should also estimate the driven distance to be able to sense and signal when something is wrong. The results of this project were successful as it shows a working control system in miniature that can drive in a way that covers the pool bottom surface efficiently. The program should, with some changes, be able to control a full-size cleaning robot.