Photos: Design virtual robots with AT-Robots

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Book cover

In Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects, author Dave Johnson shows you how to build robots out of LEGOs, erector sets, and a software program, and then program the robots' behavior. This is the book cover. (Photo courtesy of Powell's Books.)

Read my complete review of Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.
AT-Robots

AT-Robots is a free software program for designing virtual robots on the computer. The program is available on Dave Johnson's Web site.

This is the main screen where you can edit robot programming, add robots to a battle, and track battle statistics.

Photo credit: Wally Bahny

Read my complete review of Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.
Robot Editor

The large section on the right side of the screen is the Robot Editor. Using commands and a language similar to Assembler, you can create a robot and define its function.

Photo credit: Wally Bahny

Read my complete review of Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.
Robot List

On the top left of the main screen is the Robot List. This is where you add robots to a battle screen.

Photo credit: Wally Bahny

Read my complete review of Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.
Battle Arena

After adding two or more robots to the Robot List and checking the box next to them, you can click the Start Battle button in the bottom left box; this will bring up the Arena screen. You'll find a Commands tab and a Robots tab. The Commands tab has buttons for Starting and Stopping the match, as well as a Leave Arena button and a Speed control.

Photo credit: Wally Bahny

Read my complete review of Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.
Battle action

Clicking the Start Match button will cause the robots to appear on the screen and begin searching for and shooting at each other, depending on their programming.

Photo credit: Wally Bahny

Read my complete review of Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.
Robots tab

The Robots tab in the area at the top left of the Arena window allows you to track health and statistics about each robot on the screen.

Photo credit: Wally Bahny

Read my complete review of Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.
Battle statistics

After one or more battles have been completed, you can view the battle statistics under the Battle Options section of the main window. AT-Robots will keep track of statistics for the current session.

Photo credit: Wally Bahny

Read my complete review of Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.

Book cover

In Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects, author Dave Johnson shows you how to build robots out of LEGOs, erector sets, and a software program, and then program the robots' behavior. This is the book cover. (Photo courtesy of Powell's Books.)

Read my complete review of Robot Invasion – 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.

Book cover

AT-Robots

Robot Editor

Robot List

Battle Arena

Battle action

Robots tab

Battle statistics

Book cover

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