Hey everyone! I'm new to programming and just started a GCSE course in computer science. I'm really curious about whether Python can be used to control actual robots, like making them move or pick things up. I have no idea if we'll get to learn about robotics in my course, and I'm a bit too impatient to wait and see. So, can anyone explain how Python fits into programming robots?
2 Answers
Absolutely, Python can indeed be used for programming robots to move and perform tasks. However, don't get your hopes too high about your GCSE course covering robotics; there’s a lot of foundational stuff to learn first. The best move would be to chat with your instructor to see what's on the curriculum.
I took a robotics course at school where we used the Robot Operating System (ROS), which is common in computer science robotics programs. While I don’t remember using Python directly, there's a Python library for ROS that lets you send commands to various modules on the robot. It allows you to control things like servos or read sensor data, so yes, Python plays a role here!
But how does that even work? Would I need to create my own functions? I mean, there aren't any built-in functions for moving physical parts like there are for basic math operations.
Ok, thanks!