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Lesson:

Processing & p5.js

In today's lesson, we were taught about different types of code languages. Some were better for making websites, others for electronics, but most significantly, some were for games, animations, and general design. To learn about the code, you have to do a thing called "Processing". This Processing is typically guided towards the visual arts in code. The problem with Processing, though, is that it is not able to be automatically shared on the web. Because of this, there is a program called "p5" that uses JavaScript to basically mimick Processing and be able to upload it to a webpage. This p5 language is very useful and easy to use for designing interactive and visual appealing websites.

Here are some examples of p5.js:

APIs

One very cool thing p5 can work with is called API (Application Programming Interface). This basically lets other data bases or sources of data to be used with p5. Below is an example of one of these APIs that uses data from around the world about earthquakes. It basically tells you, after you run it, where and how large the last earthquake that ocurred was.

Earthquake API

Prototype1

Progress on Prototype

In today's lab, my main focus was to begin the construction of my final project. I decided to make the prototype only a two wheel powered car which had its center of gravity on a lego structure that also acted as a nest for the servo motor. This lego structure also supports the car when it is doing its widening process. I also switched from small DC motors to high-torque but slow mounted DC motors. These also support the large wheels that I found in a RC kit. I also, instead of using MOSFETs, began using a motor driver to easily input code to the two wheels that go in both directions. Here is a video of the dual direction driving functioning on one of the wheels.