Thread: Programming, How to? Tell me! Please!

How can I create a program or and software to achieve the operations and functions of my designed vehicle?
I cannot take classes or attend a academy to further satisfy my thrust for knowledge so I ask you, how can I introduce myself into this mysterious world of computer programming, and progress the advancement of this little engineering project of mine.

A few examples of the various skills required to complete the creation of a prototype vehicle :
I need the vehicle to achieve calculated maneuvering, to use all its sensors and systems to see its world and fly with precision.
I need it to see its position in the world, and remain stable at all times.
I need the vehicle's platform to remain always at a 90 deg angle as best as it can.
It needs to be able to adjust the time of thrusters burst to archive perfect maneuvering as best it can.
Stuff like that.

Can somebody please introduce me to introduce to teach myself of this world of programming.

You can't. Without enough background to already know how to program, your task is impossible.

Originally Posted by MeteorWayne

You can't. Without enough background to already know how to program, your task is impossible.

Don't tell me that, What about C++ I have played with that, it looks like something I can understand easily, but is just using these words and numbers and dashes hyphens ect.. the way to get a machine to do things like in my o.p?
Anything else you can tell me besides, It's impossible!

Hi,

I haven't actually got what are you going to do.

Are you going to build a model in metal, wood and plastic or it will be just a computer simulation?

From what I've got it will be an aerial vehicle.

Anyway, whatever it will be you need to understand the basics of programming to accomplish this task. (You'll need some knowledge in geometry and physics as well, but that's another story.)

Peek some programming language and toolkit.

If you are totally new to programming I would suggest you Pascal and Free Pascal compiler. Learn the basics like variables, branching, subroutines. Try to implement some basic algorithms like GCD, sorting of an array. Don't concentrate on your current problem for now.

(It seems me that C++ is too complex for a newbie, and Java is too bulky.)

If your aim is just a simulation it's kinda easy task. It could be implemented in a week I believe.

For someone beginning programming, I would recommend python. It can help you get used to many different programming paradigms, and is fairly fast and powerful. It runs on all major platforms and is still actively developed and supported. As far as vehicle control goes, I hope you understand what you're getting into here! I've been working as part of a student team building an AUV for the last 4 years, I specialise in electronic design and sensors, but have done a bit of control engineering... it's not the kind of thing you can just sit down and bash out in a few days. Many phDs and R&D dollars are sunk into control systems :-) but it's a really fun area to get into. EnjoyDan W

So, I think Japith need to build from other people's work rather than building new code from scratch. Maybe he can find open-source code which he can use. It would take alot of effort to read the code but it will be less effort & cost than doing all the R&D for yourself.

So I Googled for some open-source code and I found out that there exist "ARDrone open-source code". This code is for controlling ARDrone (a commercial flying drone). Maybe there're more open-source code for controlling robot...

there's no better way of learning how to program than actually attempting to do it and on the way try to resolve the problems you encounter
it also helps to have a knowledgeable set of friends or, failing that, a community such as a software forum, to help you out when you're stuck

Originally Posted by Japith

How can I create a program or and software to achieve the operations and functions of my designed vehicle?
I cannot take classes or attend a academy to further satisfy my thrust for knowledge so I ask you, how can I introduce myself into this mysterious world of computer programming, and progress the advancement of this little engineering project of mine.

A few examples of the various skills required to complete the creation of a prototype vehicle :
I need the vehicle to achieve calculated maneuvering, to use all its sensors and systems to see its world and fly with precision.
I need it to see its position in the world, and remain stable at all times.
I need the vehicle's platform to remain always at a 90 deg angle as best as it can.
It needs to be able to adjust the time of thrusters burst to archive perfect maneuvering as best it can.
Stuff like that.

Can somebody please introduce me to introduce to teach myself of this world of programming.

You need these things:

Access to a programming language, preferably Visual Basic or C++,

A very specialized book upgrade effort from entry information programmer development, like a Beginner's Guide or so forh, but I recommend a larger more comprehensive book for someone as capable as you appear to be. If you've worked with C++, then you can do any basic programming application for math, with is generally what these require. Some efforts even come with these things available to proceed with, if you get the right advice books. If you can go look at them and feel them out yourself, you'll know. I recommend starting with one language and working with it into a more advanced book or somekind. Altogether the max expense for this would be around $160.

The next thing you need, but the most important, is logical operations training, some guide that trains and hones the experience of programming into a sharpened effort, much like with English grammar, so logical processes are tools in your hands, like if statements and processing loops. Learn to use all the available skills possible, especially outside of a college program and on your own, and you won't miss have super valuable skills in the world of computing.

Get an Arduino or a Netdoino and play around with it. If you get an Netduino you can try programming it in whatever language you like. Then you can use the microcontroller in your project.

There are more serious options.

hmmm... the most you need is knowledge programing language... and logic

# I need the vehicle to achieve calculated maneuvering, to use all its sensors and systems to see its world and fly with precision.

for example... your machine have camera sensor(eyes)...

program you need is like (OCR) Optical character recognition, or like an camera that can detect smile...
you must create program that can tell apart, road, tree, water, dll.... well if you ask how... it'll need more than 10000 word to explain each code... so search in google, download the basic program and edit until become program like you want

# I need it to see its position in the world, and remain stable at all times.

hmm... you know sensor in apple.. or in other smart phone, when you change the angel, the screen change... use that one... program you need just when angel change X degree... then change shape the wing until X degree... and continuously.

# It needs to be able to adjust the time of thrusters burst to archive perfect maneuvering as best it can.

hmmm i think this one is a little troblesome... hmmm have you seen thrusters jet?? its can work in same way... or if you use propeller it'll become more easy...
if your machine use jet basic, you need program that can close and open the thrusters...
if you use propeller... just use sensor that can detect rotare speed... and your program.. "when speed > X then R active... or if speed < X then V Active"

i hope this help.... ^^

I thank you all very much, since posting this thread I've recived some very helpful suggestions. You've all helped me and I am no begining to teach my self the basics of programming.

@japith

You seem have a lot experience with robotic... could you tell more about that, i think we can share ^^

i start play with robot, around 3 month ago, before i just play with programing language ^^

Originally Posted by fronttide

@japith

You seem have a lot experience with robotic... could you tell more about that, i think we can share ^^

i start play with robot, around 3 month ago, before i just play with programing language ^^

I actually have zero experience with robotics, I do however have a lot of experience just thinking about things, I think ill stick to programming languages I'm still learning

Originally Posted by Japith

I actually have zero experience with robotics, I do however have a lot of experience just thinking about things, I think ill stick to programming languages I'm still learning

Ahh~... I see.. >_<

well, i have no problem in robotic programing... the problem is i still can not understand electronic logic, like when you pack together components until become circuit, just how they work... i still cannot figure out, well its hardware afterall ^^

Originally Posted by fronttide

Originally Posted by Japith

I actually have zero experience with robotics, I do however have a lot of experience just thinking about things, I think ill stick to programming languages I'm still learning

Ahh~... I see.. >_<

well, i have no problem in robotic programing... the problem is i still can not understand electronic logic, like when you pack together components until become circuit, just how they work... i still cannot figure out, well its hardware afterall ^^

yup seems like magic, but we just don't know how it comes together that's why we learn