Westford Youth Robotics 4-H Club

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Microsoft XNA Game Studio 3.0: Learn Programming Now!

The FTC has decided to do develop their own game using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and XNA Game Studio. Microsoft XNA Game Studio 3.0: Learn Programming Now! (Pro - Developer) will help you learn the basics of game programming with XNA Game Studio, even if you have never programmed before. (Get it at Amazon by clicking on the image or following the link)

Now you can build your own games for Windows, Xbox 360, and Zune—as you learn the underlying skills and concepts for computer programming. Use this hands-on guide to dive straight into your first project—adding new tools and tricks to your arsenal as you go. No experience required!

Teach yourself how to program—and bring your game ideas to life!

Learn XNA and C# fundamentals—and extend the challenge with each chapter
Write code to create and control game behavior
Build your game’s display—colors, graphics, text, lighting, 3-D effects
Capture and cue sounds
Process input from gamepads and keyboards
Add excitement to gameplay with timers, scoring, and survival
Create multiplayer features
Tweak existing games—and invent totally new ones

The Unofficial LEGO Mindstorms NXT Inventor's Guide

From the Back Cover

The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set includes a variety of powerful electronic parts (motors, sensors, and the programmable NXT microcomputer) and lots of building elements. With these parts you can create thousands of unique, intelligent robots. The Unofficial LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Inventor's Guide helps you to harness the capabilities of the NXT set and effectively plan, build, and program your own NXT robots.

The first part of the book contains a brief introduction to the NXT set. You'll then examine the pieces in the NXT set and the roles they play in construction. Next, you'll learn practical building techniques, like how to build sturdy structures and work with gears. Then it's time to learn how to program with the official NXT-G programming language (and learn a bit about several unofficial programming languages). You'll also learn what author David J. Perdue calls the MINDSTORMS method: a strategy for creating your own robots. Finally, you'll follow step-by-step instructions for building, programming, and testing six sample robots (all of which can be built using only the parts found in one NXT set). These six robots include:

Zippy-Bot, a two-wheeled vehicle with a ball caster
Bumper-Bot, a version of Zippy-Bot that explores your room and avoids objects
Claw-Bot, a version of Zippy-Bot that searches for objects and pushes them away with its claw
Tag-Bot, a four-wheeled steering vehicle that dashes around while you try to "tag" it with a flashlight
Guard-Bot, a six-legged walking robot that launches a ball at intruders
Golf-Bot, a stationary robot that finds a target and then hits a ball into the target

You'll also find an NXT-G Quick Reference, which provides information on the 30 types of standard programming blocks, and the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Piece Library, which features detailed information and images of the more than 80 types of LEGO pieces in the NXT set.

So go ahead. Grab your NXT set, fire up your creative mind, and see what you can invent with The Unofficial LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Inventor's Guide.