Robotics - Smart Machines

Franckh-Kosmos Verlags GmbH & Co. KG

About this app

For use with the engineering kits “Robotics: Smart Machines”, “Robotics: Smart Machines - Rovers & Vehicles Edition”, and “Robotics: Smart Machines - Tracks & Treads Edition” by Thames & Kosmos.

This app is the “brain” of the robotic models you build with the Robotics: Smart Machines kits. The app uses the feedback from the models’ ultrasonic sensor together with programmed commands to control the models.

App Features

• Connect to your models via Bluetooth connection.
• Remote-control mode lets you directly control the models’ two motors forward and backward.
• Remote-control mode gives you a visual display of the object distance readings from the ultrasound sensor.
• Programming mode lets you script and save programs.
• Seven programs (Programs 1-7) are preloaded to work specifically with seven of the robot models in the “Robotics: Smart Machines” kit. Eight programs (Programs 9-16) are preloaded to work specifically with eight of the robot models in the “Robotics: Smart Machines - Rovers & Vehicles Edition” kit. Eight programs (Programs 17-24) are preloaded to work specifically with eight of the robot models in the “Robotics: Smart Machines - Tracks & Treads Edition” kit.
• A simple, visual programming language lets you program motors, sounds, and pauses.
• Different program segments can be set to run upon first run and then when the ultrasound sensor detects objects at different distances from the model.
• Use the 60-page or 64-page, step-by-step illustrated manual included in either kit to learn how to use all of the programming features.


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Ratings and reviews

Very difficult to use. Works on 1/3 Android devices I tried using it on. Had to follow a set sequence to get it to work: Enable blue tooth and app location permission. Shake robot to turn it on. Then start the app. Wait til a yellow circle appears around blue tooth symbol, then click it. There is no reason the app needs location for it to function, and not allowing a normal blue tooth connection locks you into needing their app (spying?). The actual set is ok, but cuts corners (wheels).

The UI is unresponsive, the coding blocks can not be deleted unless the whole program is deleted. The sensor reads the distance but does not function when in program, which by the way is difficult to understand. All on all, a re-write would be the best bet with this app.

App is buggy on the phone. Bluetooth connects in remote control mode. I can switch to programs and it works. Switching back to remote control (which happens accidentally easily on the phone) Bluetooth is then broken until an app restart. Works neither on remote control nor programming mode. Reproducible 100% of the time. On the tablet it works fine though.

What's new

Updated API Level to ensure the App being compatible with newer Android versions