Events: Lunch'n'Learn - Embedded Microcomputers for Teaching, Measurement, and Control

[nickjohnson]

Hello all,

This is not a MAKE:Princeton event, but I think some of you will be
interested in it. I recently discovered Lunch'n'Learn (http://
www.princeton.edu/~eos/lnl.shtml). In particular, one of their
upcoming meetings will be entitled "Embedded Microcomputers for
Teaching, Measurement, and Control" (http://www.princeton.edu/~eos/
popups/s2009/LLLittman.html). Their web-page is inconsistent, since
it lists it both as 1 April and 4 April; I've emailed them for
clarification.

They describe this event as:

quote
Professor Littman will describe two engineering courses that make use
of embedded computers, essentially stand-alone devices that are
"embedded" as components in many engineering works including
automobiles, aircraft, electronic instruments, and appliances.

In one course, MAE 412, students design single-board microcomputer
controllers, and apply them for the automation of a modular n-scale
model railroad. For example, a computer might be used to automate
railroad switches to prevent collisions and facilitate traffic flow
through a ladder network of tracks on a project board. This
application involves sensing, control, and decision making. Our model
railroad network also uses an embedded computer in each locomotive.
The railroad track provides both electric power and serial speed and
direction data for up to 16 locomotives.

In a three week portion of another course, EGR 194, freshman engineers
program a LEGO Mindstorms controller to automate a LEGO vehicle to
explore the environment. The LEGO Mindstorms controller is based on a
single-chip PIC microprocessor. The student laboratory vehicle is a
scaled-down version of the Mars Rover that has been exploring the
surface of Mars for many years. One task is to use optical sensors in
the front of the vehicle to follow a curving line that is drawn on a
path. Another task is to visually find the bearing (yaw and pitch
angle) of a bright light that is beyond the end of the curving line
and then report the sighting angles to the home base. He uses a
graphical programming language in this course (similar to National
Instruments LabView) to teach students about basic concepts of
programming including interrupts and multitasking.
/quote