Programming instructions

Reference
Project Lead The Way © and Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy © / For use with VEX
®
Robotics Systems
Glossary • 1
Actual measurements: Data that is found by making measurements, as opposed to predictions.
All-Purpose: Usable for a number of different tasks.
Algorithm: A systematic method for solving a certain kind of problem that is guaranteed to always give a correct answer.
Sometimes used more generally to mean any well-dened, systematic method of doing something.
Amplitude: The difference between the “highest” or “lowest”
point of a wave, and the “rest” or “zero” level. For a sound wave,
the difference in air pressure between the most-compressed
“peak” areas of the wave and undisturbed air (which is represented
as the middle “zero” line on a graph). Note that amplitude is NOT
the difference between the highest point and the lowest point on
the wave – amplitude is measured from the top to the middle,
or the bottom to the middle, but not top to bottom.
Autonomus: Something that can work by itself. Often used as a
synonym for “robotic.” For example, an autonomous harvester is one that
can harvest without a human operator.
Autonomous Navigation: See Navigation, Autonomus.
Behaviors: Anything a robot “does,” including both observable actions
(e.g. move forward for 10 cm) and internal actions (e.g. add 1 to a
variable in the program). Complex behaviors are often made of numerous
simpler behaviors put together; moving through a maze is a behavior composed of smaller moving and turning behaviors.
Best-t Line: A straight line that best represents all the data on a graph. It is also known as a trendline. A line of best t is
usually written in a form called slope-intercept, containing two variables, x and y.
Brainstorming: The process of coming up with ideas. Good brainstorming in teams requires team members to encourage
different, unexpected and unusual approaches to a problem, and to build on each others’ ideas.
Budget: See Resources. In projects, the amount of money which is available to spend on completing the project, and, by
extension, the amount of other resources available. Budgeting money, time and human resources adequately is essential
to the successful completion of a project.
Bumper Sensor: A Touch Sensor used as a bumper, activated when a robot bumps into another object. A bumper sensor
can be used for obstacle detection.
Calibrate: To set the correct position, value or capacity of something. Calibrating the Sound or Light Sensor will set
minimum and maximum values for it.
Caliper: An instrument using converging or diverging arms to determine the external or internal width of an object.
Center of Mass: The “average” location of all the mass in an object. In many cases, you can make predictions about the
entire object’s behavior based on the location of its center of mass alone.
Circumference: The distance around the edge of a circle. Equal to diameter times �.
Amplitude
Distance
Pressure
Amplitude
Wave
Zero Line
Glossary
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