ERAU Computer Engineering Summer Camp 2016 - Friday AM
This morning we will walk through the application development process and then move on to advanced development by integrating our mobile app with remote control of a Lego NXT robot.
Module #1: Designing your own app
This module will revisit design, development, and distribution of a mobile application using MIT App Inventor 2.0. After a brief discussion, the campers will split into groups and design their own mobile application prototype.
- Discussion
- What are the major design considerations when designing a mobile app?
- How can you practically design a user interface for your mobile application and know that users will understand, engage, etc.?
- What is an Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
- How do you share your mobile application on the App store?
- Demo
- Introduction to MIT App Inventor 2.0 - Live Demo - Dr. Stansbury showcases some tools for prototyping and walks through a practical example given requirements for an app provided by the campers. Dr. Stansbury will also demonstrate how to produce an app ready for the Google Play Store.
- Group Activity:
- Discuss a mobile application that you would be interested in building. What is its purpose? Who are its users?
- Define the requirements of your app. Interface requirements? Sensor requirements? Data storage requirements? etc.
- Create a mockup of your app on paper.
- Create a mockup of your app in MIT App Inventor.
- Create a minimum functionality to demonstrate your app.
- Report back on your design to everyone.
Module #2: Integrating Lego NXT into your Mobile Application
This module provides an overview of how to control and receive data from a Lego NXT robot using MIT App Inventor 2.0.
- Discussion:
- Review the integration capabilities: http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/content/legomindstorms.html
- What data can you receive from your robot? What could you do with this data? How could it be displayed?
- What data / commands can you send to your robot? What are some practical uses?
- Build Activity / Walk Through:
- his intermediate build will be done in unison with Dr. Stansbury also walking through it on the projector to ensure everyone succeeds and understands the program that they are developing.