Library

⚙️ EV3 101: #06 - Using the Action Blocks

By Matt Richardson
Last updated about 2 years ago
15 Questions
This lesson includes resources provided by the following:
  • Joe Olayvar & Evelyn Lindberg in association with the Washington State Library
  • Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy from Carnegie Mellon University
📕 Click here to access the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Programming Basics document in its entirety.
▶️ Click here to access the entire LEGO Mindstorms EV3 YouTube playlist from the Washington State Library.
🎓 Click here to access the free online EV3 course from Carnegie Mellon University.

🔧 Build It

Before you continue, ensure that you have completed the following builds:

Color Cube (aka Cuboid)

Base Unit (aka Driving Base)

Ultrasonic Sensor

Medium Motor Arm

Color Sensor (aka Color Sensor Down)

💻 Install It!

Before continuing, ensure that you have added the following app to your Chromebook:


LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Education EV3



No Chromebook? No problem! Similar software is available for a variety of platforms. See the LEGO MINDSTORMS software downloads page for details.

🎓 Learn It

Carefully read and/or watch the instructional media and respond to the related questions.
For safety's sake, we will "slow things down" in this lesson and operate at a power setting of _______ instead of the default 50.

To run your programs, click the _______ button, or the "Download and Run" button on the Hardware Page.

🖥️ Program It


Move Straight (forward)
Within your EV3 programming software, connect a steering block to the start block on the canvas.

Configure the steering block as follows:
  • Mode: Number of Rotations
  • Power: 30
  • Rotations: 1
  • OTHERS: default settings
Run your program to ensure that it performs as expected.

📸 Document It: Capture a screenshot of your completed program and upload or paste it onto the Formative canvas.

🖥️ Program It


Move Straight (backward)
Within your EV3 programming software, connect a steering block to the start block on the canvas.

Configure the steering block as follows:
  • Mode: Number of Rotations
  • Power: -30
  • Rotations: 1
  • OTHERS: default settings
Run your program to ensure that it performs as expected.

📸 Document It: Capture a screenshot of your completed program and upload or paste it onto the Formative canvas.

🖥️ Program It


Make a 90-degree turn (right)
Within your EV3 programming software, connect a steering block to the start block on the canvas.

Configure the steering block as follows:
  • Mode: Number of Rotations
  • Direction: 50
  • Power: 30
  • Rotations: 1
  • OTHERS: default settings
Run your program to ensure that it performs as expected.

📸 Document It: Capture a screenshot of your completed program and upload or paste it onto the Formative canvas.

🖥️ Program It


Make a 90-degree turn (left)
Within your EV3 programming software, connect a steering block to the start block on the canvas.

Configure the steering block as follows:
  • Mode: Number of Rotations
  • Direction: -50
  • Power: 30
  • Rotations: 1
  • OTHERS: default settings
Run your program to ensure that it performs as expected.

📸 Document It: Capture a screenshot of your completed program and upload or paste it onto the Formative canvas.

🖥️ Program It


Move the Arm (up)
Within your EV3 programming software, connect a medium motor block to the start block on the canvas.

⚠️ Manually set the arm to its horizontal/down position.

Configure the steering block as follows:
  • Mode: Number of Rotations
  • Power: 30
  • Rotations: 0.3
  • OTHERS: default settings
Run your program to ensure that it performs as expected.

📸 Document It: Capture a screenshot of your completed program and upload or paste it onto the Formative canvas.

🖥️ Program It


Move the Arm (up then down)

Within your EV3 programming software, create a program that raises the arm to its up/vertical position and then lowers it to its down/horizontal position.

⚠️ Manually set the arm to its down/horizontal position.

Run your program to ensure that it performs as expected.

📸 Document It: Capture a screenshot of your completed program and upload or paste it onto the Formative canvas.

🖥️ Program It


Combine a Move and Arm Action
  1. Within your EV3 programming software, connect a steering block and a medium motor block.
  2. Configure the steering block to move straight at power 30 for 2 rotations.
  3. Configure the medium motor block to lift the arm from its horizontal/down position to its vertical/up position.
  4. ⚠️ Manually set the arm to its down/horizontal position.
Run your program to ensure that it performs as expected.

📸 Document It: Capture a screenshot of your completed program and upload or paste it onto the Formative canvas.

🖥️ Program It


Play Sounds
⚠️ Ensure that the sound on your computer is set loud enough to hear the sounds from your program.
  1. Within your EV3 programming software, connect a sound block.
  2. Configure the sound block to play a file from the LEGO Sound Files folder.
Run your program to ensure that it performs as expected.

📸 Document It: Capture a screenshot of your completed program and upload or paste it onto the Formative canvas.

🖥️ Program It


Put it all together
⚠️ Manually set the arm to its down/horizontal position.

Within your EV3 programming software, create a program that:
  1. Moves the robot straight forward for 3 rotations.
  2. Raises the arm to its vertical/up position.
  3. Plays an animal sound.
  4. Turns the robot 180 degrees to the right.
  5. Lowers the arm to is horizontal/down position.
  6. Plays a triumphant sound.
Run your program to ensure that it performs as expected.

📸 Document It: Capture a screenshot of your completed program and upload or paste it onto the Formative canvas.

🧠 Retrieval Practice:
Summarize the content of this lesson. What topics, ideas, and vocabulary were introduced?