Setting up Your Classroom Environment for Using the AI Vision Sensor

The AI Vision Sensor is a powerful tool that collects data from its environment that can be used to code a robot in an unlimited number of ways. Following the suggestions in this article will allow your students to use the sensor to efficiently collect the best possible data.


Choosing the Best Place to set up your AI Vision Sensor Testing Area 

When preparing to teach with the AI Vision Sensor, it will be helpful to think ahead about where you will designate areas for students to test their projects. Because the AI Vision Sensor is highly sensitive, it is important to carefully consider where you will set up your testing areas. However, understanding how the AI Vision Sensor's data collection is affected by its environment is an important part of learning to code the sensor. You are not striving for a sanitized or ideal environment!

Avoid visual interference

Choose a place in your classroom with limited visual interference. An area in your classroom without numerous posters or student work hanging on the walls is ideal. The AI Vision Sensor takes a snapshot of a moment in time and reads 'blobs' of color in its environment, so it may detect the red letters on an exit sign, for example, as a red object, or a blue chair in the distance as a blue object. This may cause the robot to behave in an unexpected manner. Using a corner of the room can also help cut down on visual interference.

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Be mindful of the ambient lighting in your classroom.

Ambient lighting conditions will directly affect how the AI Vision Sensor collects data. The light from a window, the reflection of a lamp bouncing off a table, harsh shadows or uneven lighting conditions can all affect the AI Vision Sensor's readings. Because every classroom is unique, there are no hard and fast rules for where to place your testing area. The following suggestions can be used in combination with your knowledge of your classroom environment to choose the best lighting for your AI Vision Sensor.

  • Consider how the direction and amount of light from classroom windows may affect the sensor.
  • Consider adding additional overhead light to help minimize shadows that may affect the sensor.
  • Fluorescent overhead classroom lighting may affect the sensor's color reading. Try turning off overhead lights and using another light source, or adjusting coding projects to reflect the readings. 

Use Data from the AI Vision Sensor Utility to help you choose the best setup area.

Experiment with different areas of your classroom to determine the place that allows you to collect the best possible data. Setting up the objects you want to collect data on and using the AI Vision Sensor Utility to view the data the AI Vision Sensor is collecting can help you to confirm whether or not a location is ideal, and how to adjust the location if needed. This article: Using the AI Vision Utility with the AI Vision Sensor in VEXcode EXP provides more information on how to use the AI Vision Utility.

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Ensure accurate AI Vision Sensor configuration

Once you have chosen the testing area(s) for your AI Vision Sensor, be sure that your students configure their sensors in that area. If they take a snapshot in another location, the snapshot will not be accurate due to the different lighting conditions in that area, and the robot will not behave as expected. See the following articles for information on how to configure Color Codes and Color Signatures using the AI Vision Sensor:

The best way for students to achieve success when using the AI Vision Sensor is for them to fully understand what kinds of data the AI Vision Sensor reports and how they are reported. See the following articles for more information:

 

For more information, help, and tips, check out the many resources at VEX Professional Development Plus

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