Mai-Z the MouseBot Line Following Tip

A popular classroom activity for Mai-Z the MouseBot is line following. My preference for creating the line is using a wide, felt black marker for these reasons:

• Fast setup time – grab the marker and paper
• Students can draw custom tracks and mazes in minutes
• Easy to create curves, loops, intersections, and challenge paths
• Encourages creativity and rapid experimentation
• Very low cost for large classroom use
• Works well on butcher paper, poster board, cardboard, and whiteboards
• Thick marker lines are easy for two of three of the Mai-Z’s  robot sensors to detect
• Portable and lightweight for workshops and STEM events
• Ideal for temporary activities and quick lesson transitions
• Helps students connect robotics behavior directly to visual track design

There’s another choice if you don’t like the wide markers. Electrical tape works best when you want a cleaner, reusable course for repeated demonstrations or competitions. But it must have a dull finish so that it absorbs the infrared light instead of reflect it (which is what a shiny. Some educators like to print out tracks, too. 

Whatever your preference is for creating the line, I’ve provided a code example below that you can use to test your plan. I didn’t post the .hex file so that students can create 

Let’s go, Mai-Z MouseBotters!

Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.