Seng Kwang Tan

17 September

Micro:bit Line-Following Robot

Seng Kwang Tan Robotics 0 Comments

I was looking for an extension to the Micro:bit Go set that I bought a while back and came across a robot set that is currently on sale. This set comes with most of the sensors a typical line following or obstacle avoiding robot needs. Currently, it is being sold at a fraction of the price of other similar Micro:bit robots, and is far cheaper than sets such as the Lego EV3.

After unpacking it earlier this evening after work, I managed to put together the parts by following the instructions, which were quite clear.

  1. Micro:bit Go (S$30 on Lazada)
  2. Yahboom Micro:bit Robot (selling for S$49.68 only at Lazada)
Before assembly
Microbit Line Following Robot
Microbit Line Following Robot

To program the robot using Micro:bit’s Makecode, which is a block programming interface that is very similar to Scratch, you will need to download the Yahboom blocks by selecting Extensions from the Advanced menu.

Enter the following URL into the search bar: https://github.com/lzty634158/yahboom_mbit_en

You will then see the library of new blocks including those meant for the robot below:

A few simple lines of code are all that is needed for the light sensors to keep tracking a black line by turning whenever one of the sensors detect white while the other detects black.

After programming the robot, download the hex file into the Microbit and the robot is good to go.

13 September

one-north Festival 2019

Seng Kwang Tan Blog 0 Comments

https://www.seriouslyscience.sg/one-north-Festival/Overview

Happening now from 13-14 Sept 2019 at one-north.

My colleagues and I took the opportunity to visit the exhibitions during lunch time today. I learnt about 3M’s solar films and retroreflection material, I^2R’s speech-to-text recognition app with code switching capabilities (i.e. the app is able to transcribe English-Chinese mixed sentences) and cell-based prawn meat from https://shiokmeats.com/, among other things.

There was also an informative booth on Project Wolbachia (where male aedes mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria are released into the wild to control the population). I learnt that they could separate the male from the females at the pupal stage because male pupals are larger and got to stick my hand in a box full of male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes.

Very hands-on booth on Project Wolbachia.
Looking forward to a future where meat is grown in labs so as to reduce animal suffering

Do check out the apps developed by the Bioinformatics Institute that can be used for science experiments or related applications.
22 July

Iconic Voices from MIT: Opening a New Window into the Universe with Dr Nergis Mavalvala

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This is a free public lecture by Dr Nergis Mavalvala (an astrophysicist from MIT) on how her team detected gravitational waves generated from colliding black holes and neutron stars at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO).  Held on this coming Friday 26 Jul 2019 from 5 to 6 pm, the venue is at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)’s Auditorium, along 8 Somapah Road, Singapore 487372.

Click here to sign up.

02 July

Phase Difference GeoGebra Apps

Seng Kwang Tan 11 Wave Motion, 12 Superposition, GeoGebra 0 Comments

I created a series of GeoGebra apps for the JC topics of Waves and Superposition, mainly on the concept of Phase Difference. The sizes of these GeoGebra apps are optimised for embedding into SLS. When I have time, I will create detailed instructions on how to create such apps. Meanwhile, feel free to use them.

Instructions on how to embed the apps into SLS can be found in the SLS user guide.

Phase difference between two particles on a progressive wave. Move the particles along the wave to see the value.

Phase difference between two particles on a stationary wave. Move the particles along the wave to observe how their velocities are different or similar.

Observe velocity vectors of multiple particles on a progressive wave.

24 May

Javascript Game to Learn How to Count Money

Seng Kwang Tan Games 2 Comments

Trying to brush up my Javascript skills after being inspired by one of the senior specialists in ETD, I created this simple Javascript Game to teach kids how to count money using Singapore coins.

To play this game, click or press the “Play Button”. Click on the coins to make up the targeted amount. Be careful as the coins will move over one another.

This is meant for children entering primary one soon so that they can learn how to pay for food at the canteen.

To insert this into SLS, download the zipped file here and upload as a media object.