“Takes Directions”: Needs Improvement

So, I hacked the new movement logic into the old Pong processing code.

After an initial lack of movement due to a flipped bit in the Busy property, the robot started turning when it was told to turn.

When it needed to move the paddle down, it rotated counter clockwise.

When it needed to move the paddle up, it rotated counter clockwise.

I think you can get a sense of the problem.

It was a bit frightening to experience, actually.  It would turn the paddle a little to the left.  Then a little more.  Eventually, it would turn so far that the paddle dropped off the bottom of the screen, causing it to launch into recovery mode.  Recovery mode is where it does a fast clockwise turn to get the paddle back into the visible playfield.  Unfortunately, when the command “Fast Clockwise Turn” gets translated into “Fast Counter-Clockwise Turn”, things can go very bad, very fast.  After the first command did not recover the paddle, it issued another command.  Then another.  Then another.  It quickly hit the counterclockwise extreme of the paddle’s rotational range, where it was again told to continue in the same direction.  Then again.  Then again.

Immovable Object (Paddle Potentiometer) + Irresistable Force (Insane Mindstorms Motor) == Flying Lego Parts.

Even when it wasn’t attempting to self destruct, the force it exerted and the noise it made while spinning seems a bit excessive.

I think it might be perfect…

At any rate, I think it tried to calibrate the movement, based on the segment calibration technique I described earlier, but I can’t tell if it worked because of its slight homicidal streak.  Gotta get working on that.