Thanks for MakeCode

EV3
1

My rookie team of 6th graders got a respectable score of 305 points in our local FLL competition which was decent but a little short of the winning team. I would like to thank the developers for their hard work. We will stick to MakeCode next season since the kids all enjoyed using it ( hopefully I can get them to try Arcade out in the meantime).

I’ve listed a few improvements that would make life easier

  • Being able to read all sensor values (like color & reflected light) via usb or BT while the robot is moving.
  • Connection to EV3 is still flaky. We started with BT but for some reason that became less stable and moved to USB with the offline version later on. It’s a one click upload only about half the time.
  • Some improvement in the IDE like refactoring (mostly for renaming variables) and not messing up comments when moving back and forth from Blocks and JavaScript.
  • Listing / deleting programs from the computer ( I know there is a work around)
  • Fun things like allowing the kids to upload custom sounds or images and bigger fonts on the EV3 screen

Thanks again.

2

Maker Droid,

I do share your recommendations as essential improvements.

For the past years my teams of 4th and 5th graders have been using LabVIEW with mixed results and complications. The availability of laptops have been a major challenge. After experimenting with MakeCode, I am convinced that it is resolving many past issues and with the maturing of the platform it will be a pleasure for all parties,

Today, I was testing LEGO Spike Prime for FLL and concluded that it is not yet ready for FLL missions. The lack of cruise mode after a movement is a hindrance for accurate navigation. In general, I was not able to move the “competition robot” as smoothly as EV3, And the whining noise of the motors is really annoying.