1. Introduction
Who we are, what today looks like, and where to find help
Nothing to do yet. The instructor opens with a few slides: who we are, what DotBot Academy is, your textbook for the day, and today’s plan. Listen, and keep this site open: the hands-on part starts with step 3, right after the platform.
What to expect today
You work in duos, on your own laptop or a lab Mac. You first learn how the platform works, then start a swarm in the simulator on your laptop. Then you write a script that lights and drives a simulated robot, connect to the real robots in the room, run your script on one of them, send a robot to a position, and finally move your two robots at once.
Today’s plan
Eight steps, also on the home page. Each one takes the time it needs:
- Introduction, this page.
- The platform: what makes reality hard, and how the platform works.
- Your swarm in the simulator, together: check your install and start the simulator.
- My script moves a simulated robot.
- Connecting to the real robots.
- My script moves a real robot.
- After the break, Moving to a certain position.
- My two robots at once.
Then a finale and a short wrap-up. For duos who are ahead, there is the extra module Extra: Flash it.
Your textbook
Each step page has the same shape: the problem, what to do, what you should see, then a core exercise everyone finishes. The pages link into the PyDotBot docs, the same documentation researchers use, at the section you need. Stuck? Raise your hand.
Not installed yet? Start Before the workshop now: it can run while the instructor presents the platform, and you need it from step 3.