Mark Bell & JAMES FLOYD KELLY 
LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 
The Mayan Adventure

Build five robots to overcome obstacles and lead a team of explorers deep into a Mayan tomb. You are along for the ride with Evan and his archaeologist uncle as they explore a Mayan pyramid complete with traps and treasures. Using a variety of EV3 robots, the archaeology team is able to move deeper into the tomb, all the way to the sarcophagus of King Ixtua. But beware of the traps! The pyramid’s design has successfully deterred unwanted visitors through the centuries, and your team will need to be careful and alert.

LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3: The Mayan Adventure  guides in the design, construction, and programming of unique explorer robots to open “the newly discovered tomb of an ancient Mayan king.’ You will learn and use a workmanlike design methodology that teaches you about your robot’s motors and sensors. Complete building and programming instructions are provided for each robot, giving you as much guidance as you want, to learn as you build.

Can you help Evan and the team of explorers navigate through the old pyramid and gain entry to King Ixtua’s tomb? Read the stories, dig in to the environments, and create the robots that will reveal the secrets of The Mayan Adventure.

• Updates the beloved Mayan Adventure to the latest LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 hardware and software.
  



What You’ll Learn






• Begin your first robot right away – one that can open a long-lost Mayan king’s tomb
  


• Learn a design process, backed up by written forms and step-by-step support
  


• Gain true skill in brainstorming and problem solving, and in the testing and fixing of robots
  


• Share design documents with other “Mayan archaeologists, ” teachers, and robotic engineers
  


• Begin a design tool collection for use in future projects
  





Who This Book Is For







The new user who wants step-by-step building and programming instructions, teachers interested in real engineering design methods and systems thinking, and parents wanting an engaging story along with projects to strengthen the bond with a son or daughter

Table of Content

1. Tomb, Trap, and Trigger.- 2. Exploro Bot – Planning and Design.- 3. Exploro Bot – Build It.- 4. Exploro Bot – Program It.- 5. String, Pebbles, and Gravity.- 6. String Bot – Planning.- 7. String Bot – Build It.- 8. String Bot – Program It.- 9. Scroll, Key, and Camera.- 10. Snap Shot Bot – Planning and Design.- 11. Snap Shot Bot – Build It.- 12. Snap Shot Bot – Program It.- 13. Get In, Grab It, Get Out.- 14. Grabber Bot – Planning and Design.- 15. Grabber Bot – Build It.- 16. Grabber Bot – Program It.- 17. Bravery, Wisdom, and Honor.- 18. Push Bot – Planning and Design.- 19. Push Bot – Build It.- 20. Push Bot – Program It.- 21. Discovery, Secret, and Home.- 22. Appendix A: The MINDSTORMS Community and EV3 Web Sites.- 23. Appendix B: Robot Commander Remote Control App.- 24. Appendix C: Kit Organization- Where Do All Those Parts Go?.- 25. Appendix D: Building Instructions for Bots.

About the author

Mark Bell is a middle school science and technology teacher residing in Los Angeles. His passion for designing things, debugging them, and requirements engineering has led to a twenty-five year career as a technologist in support of aerospace, military, education, and the intelligence community. For the last decade, Mark has been an instructor with gifted, young robotics students in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. He teaches regularly at several locations in the US and Hong Kong. 





James Floyd Kelly is a professional writer from Atlanta, Georgia. He has written numerous books on multiple subjects, including LEGO robotics, open source software, and building your own CNC machine as well as a 3D printer.