How to write correct programming code for your robot

code

Robots have been in use for some time now. Although we don’t see them daily -just yet- they are used in various assembly lines and industrial facilities across the world. Some are also used for domestic chores like housekeeping.

When it comes to the robot building process, writing a program is the final and essential step. Critical elements like image recognition and natural language processing need to be correctly programmed, so you end up with a versatile robot. Thus, without a correct programming code, your robot is merely an expensive paperweight.

However, the tricky part of coding for robotics is knowing the best program to pick. Well, this will depend on what you wish to achieve with your robot when it’s brought to life. With good knowledge in programming with Python, LISP, C/C++, Java, etc., you’re a step in the right direction towards writing a code for a robot.

Programming Language Selection 

The programming language you pick for your robot could depend on the following:

  • Past experience: whereby you’ve used a programming language you’re already comfortable with, selecting it for your robot makes sense.
  • Your robotics goals: depending on the functions you want the robot to carry out. If it is a robot with simple functions, you can use a modern microcontroller to easily code. And it will still have sufficient speed and memory. Whereby you want a robot with cutting edge functions like dozen sensors, image and speech recognition, etc., you’ll have to write perfect codes using Assembly code. It helps to ensure enough speed and fits the code in the limited memory of the microcontroller(s).

Microcontrollers for Robotics

When it comes to robotics, you are bound to find information on microcontrollers. It is a computer-like system that is reduced into a single chip. The content includes the processor, flash memory, programmable input-output pins, RAM, etc. Auto controlled machines such as microwaves, washing machine, mobile, and gaming devices all have a microcontroller installed within their complex circuits. This helps the machines to make intelligent decisions.

Although Microcontrollers are not as powerful as a computer, they are sufficient to communicate and control with other devices such as sensors, motors, displays, or other microcontrollers using their input-output pins. Most microcontrollers can also function in various languages—for example, Python, Java, C++, and Basic.

Writing Clear Commands 

When writing programming code for your robot, your ultimate goal is to make it easy to read and understand. When your program is well-written, it has fewer errors, and it becomes easier to debug and maintain. So just like you’ll write an essay, you should be mindful of your grammar and punctuation. Some tips for writing convincing and clear commands for your robot include:

  • Keeping your programs and methods short and manageable.
  • Applying language-specific idioms.
  • Using logic and flow-of-control that are straight to the point.
  • Avoiding magic numbers (numbers besides −1, 0, 1, and 2), rather, give names that are meaningful and symbolic.
  • Avoid writing long code lines.

Learn the Concept of Dynamic Programming

You’ll require dynamic programming when writing codes for your robot. It provides you with an approach that can be applied to a specific class of problems. An example of such problems requires the calculation of certain values that reoccur. The multiple calculations then result in the high time complexity of the code.

Using dynamic programming, you can break the problem into smaller sub-problems and then save the outcomes in a list or dictionary. So in the future, you do not have to compute the same problem, and your robot can pick on it. Also, it allows you to significantly optimize the code and makes it much more efficient.

Test Your Codes

Once you have written your code and checked for possible errors, you can go ahead and test. A program might be free of errors and execute, but it might still not work. For example, if you have a robot that identifies guests at an event, the list of guests needs to be written. The program code you wrote should enable the robot to check through the guest list and reconcile it with the name presented.

So before running the program at the actual event, you want to do some testing. Your code testing should determine whether the program enables the robot to execute the intended task or not. Using the sample from your real data, you can create a file with the same properties to enable testing. Start with a simplified version of the guest list before testing a complete dataset.

When testing a program for your robot, run it using the test file as the input. Then you can examine the output to ensure it is correct. The testing lets you know if the program created an output file in the desired format. It also shows you if the output file contains the correct information and if the lines in the input file were processed. You can make any necessary adjustments and write a more accurate programming code for your robot from your testing results.

Debugging the Programming Code

The debugging process is a step you should apply all through when writing a program for a robot. It will help you note any errors or gaps in the codes sooner rather than later. This way, you know you have a final programming code that enables your robot to function maximally. When debugging, you can trace the code line-by-line and apply the following techniques:

  • Take note of the console and see if there’s an error message and what it says. It sometimes points out a line number, so you have a rough idea of where to start. However, the issue may not be in the line at all.
  • Write comments on chunks or lines of the code and output what you have to quickly see if it is functioning as expected. You can uncomment the code later as required.
  • Make use of other sample data whereby there are scenarios you didn’t think of. And then see if the code is still effective.
  • Have different versions of your files saved when trying out a different approach. You don’t want to lose any of your codes in case you need to revert.

Conclusion

The need and use of robots are fast-growing. Thus staying up to speed with the latest developments in machine programming requires efforts beyond familiarity with just one language. To master the art of programming codes for robots correctly, you need to understand a robot’s requirements and capabilities at the software level.

Your robot is designed to take care of a particular program. Thus, learning the concept of dynamic programming will enable you to write codes that allow the robot to handle such problems accurately. The commands you used should be clear for ease of robotics interpretation and understanding. Also, ensure that you test and debug the codes as you write them. So that you have error-free codes and reduce the likelihood of having malfunctioning robots.

About the author:

Gregory V. Chapman is passionate about researching new technologies in both mobile, web, and WordPress. Also, he works on Top Writers Review and All Top Reviews, the best writing services reviews. Gregory in love with stories and facts, so Gregory always tries to get the best of both worlds.