Programming the medium motor with LEGO MINDSTORMS

The programming of the medium motor is very similar to the programming of the large motor.

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11 Mar 2020
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The default port for a medium motor is port A, so make sure you plug your cables in port A of the Brick.

The Medium motor block is the very first block in the green action palette.

Aside from its different picture, there is nothing special about the block:

it can rotate for rotations, degrees and seconds,
it can be programmed to turn OFF or to turn ON indefinitely, just like the other motors.

When you use this motor, 99% of the time you will be using On for Degrees, so that the attachment does not hit any other part of the robot or get jammed.

Courses and lessons with this Tutorial

This Tutorial is used in the following courses and lessons

Level A2. "Space exploration". Robotics with LEGO

The second level of the Robotics with LEGO curriculum for students in second, third or fourth grades.

A new sensor is introduced - the Ultrasonic distance sensor can help the robot avoid obstacles. Students work with new concepts like loop, degrees and medium motor. Robots can now do two different actions at the same time - while solving missions on a field, the third motor clears detected obstacles. The first robot with chain-treads is built.

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Lesson 1 - Meduim motor and a Loop

Introduction

Today we will build our first robot for automated transportation which will help us learn a new block – the repetition instruction.

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Level B1. "Spy gadgets". Robotics with LEGO

The third level of the Robotics with LEGO curriculum for students in second, third or fourth grades.

In these lessons, we stress on more complex and challenging robots. The concept of Condition is introduced. Students learn about physics concepts of inertia and center of mass. Robots with two sensors are built and students program both of them. Programming becomes more complex as robots now can make complex decisions. "Spy"-robots sneakily follow their targets, trying to be undetected.

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Robot Moving Excersises

[In Development] The fun level - Game-oriented introduction to LEGO robotics

A level, designed for introduction in LEGO-robotics, focused mostly on games. We use goal-oriented challenges to make the students want to accomplish a certain task, learning a lot in the process. Some of the games we have included here are football, bowling, paper-plane competition and many more. It is suitable for studens 8 to 12 years old, but even older students will have a lot of fun with the activities.

This is a brand new course that we are experimenting with in a groups in June 2019. Keep in mind that it is possible to use it for summer camps and groups, but there are a few lessons that will be improved on the fly.

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Lesson 3

This is a simple robot, variation of the Earl bot using treads. You can use the attachment to kick balls sideways. The robot is useful in STEM classes where students have to construct robots quickly.

Robotics with LEGO - Level 1.0 - Adventure in Space

The first level of the Robotics with LEGO curriculum for students in fifth to twelfth grades.

Various constructions with robots are built. Learn how to control the motors so that the robot navigates around the Moon and Earth in various ways. Getting to know the first two sensors. The robot can feel its surroundings with the help of the Touch sensor and avoid obstacles.
The Ultrasonic distance sensor can help the robot avoid obstacles. Students work with concepts like loop, degrees and medium motor. Robots can now do two different actions at the same time - while solving missions on a field, the third motor clears detected obstacles.

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Lesson 7 - Multitasking

For students who will not take two levels in a row today is their last lesson.

Robotics with LEGO - Level 2.0 - Robots in Factories

The third level of the Robotics with LEGO curriculum for students from fifth to twelfth grades.

Robots in this level use two or three sensors at a time and students create more complex programs for them. The work of the differential and its usage in vehicles with one drive motor is explored. Robots interact with each other and transfer information or material between themselves. Students learn in depth how to create smoother line-following programs. In the end of the workday, robots leave the conveyor belt and relax with a recreational game of volleyball.

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Lesson 3 - Telephone game

The Telephone game is played with 2 or more robots and is extremely funny. Each robot has a color wheel that can be rotated through the medium motor and a color sensor. The first robot on the left rotates the color wheel to a random color. The second robot must detect the color on the wheel and rotate its color wheel to this color. The third detects the color wheel of the second and so on.

It is described in details in Lesson 4 of Level C2. Cooperation