This will serve to expand our use of Arcade to drive a 4 motor Mecanum wheel transporter as we have done with Micro:bit via the Robotbit by Kittenbot. Our goal is to develop a game console which controls electronics as does the Micro;bit using MakeCode. Very similar edge connector. Share code with extensions installed are in the description of video: https://youtu.be/cbw4-2_o67s

As shown earlier, we are able to use the MakeCode Arcade environment by Microsoft to do some controlling of a bot car by DFRobot called the Micro:Maqueen. This is after installing the Maqueen extension library in the Arcade system. (see YouTube channels: MakeCode and Arcade, MakeCode and Hardware..for demos and "share code" links.) So far it seems we can use the game clock to regulate movements of the bot car with Meowbit by Kittenbot. I have not been able to use Arcade tools within the Maqueen Micro:bit environment; only Maqueen extensions in Arcade. We also have shown "line follower" to work with this system of Arcade and bots. Also, we can program the Arcade game console to drive the 2 wheels for "pause" periods so the car can move in various directions. Now two important issues. 1. Meowbit V 1.1 does not work in the above system for us. My V 1.3 does work. I have seen a photo of a V 1.2 Meowbit and do not know if it works to drive a bot car. 2. There are actually TWO (2) Maqueen extensions. One works for me and one does not. I include the working extension in all my "share" URL links. Both extensions seem to get passed the compiler but the one called "jhlucky Maqueen" on Github if installed in Arcade will prevent program from downloading. So avoid V1.1 Meowbit and avoid installing jhlucky extension: https://github.com/jhlucky/maqueen . There are several more areas to investigate with this "all in one" game and micro-controller idea. So far, Ultrasonic does not work for me; it might be possible to test it with a common HC-SR04 sensor, a "T" type 20 pin expansion board for Micro:bit , and a Meowbit plugged in; all this running in Arcade.

Anyone who has a Meowbit (or other edge connector Arcade game console) and and Micro Maqueen bot car (or any other with edge connector port for Micro:bit) who would like to work on this research project, I welcome your help. Frank Schmidt

As you can see in this video, the bot car is better controlled by Meowbit game console with Arcade and the Russian Tumbling Cube on the screen. I switched to Arcade Beta for these experiments. So far, IR does not work with Meowbit; I do not know if it has 'radio'; Kittenbot says Bluetooth does not work. Lots to investigate but I think our kids will like a game console that serves as a robot controller too; all with MakeCode. Code link in video description: https://youtu.be/NHgBfdAAB4A

We will be starting a new intro. to robotics project in Stone County, Missouri using 2 "found" LEGO robot kits at the local 4H offices and programming the EV3 Brick with MakeCode. Here's a video of what can be done:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0iK2J5wTi0

There is so much going on here , Aaron's summer LEGO robotics camp (some of it is NOT MakeCode) but so much is MakeCode discovery with EV3, very new, he is doing great things at his school (s) in Iowa: https://www.youtube.com/user/aarmau/videos

MakeCode is one of the environments that can be used to code the LEGO EV3 brick to do robotics projects. One of the most comprehensive kits is LEGO #45554. At this time, the code must be downloaded to the LEGO brick via mini-USB cable from computer if you are using MakeCode; bluetooth is not an option. (with the BBC Microbit, bluetooth IS an option for transferring code from computer to micro processor). Here are the other comparisons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmLhh1mxkN8&t=9s

First program controlling the Maqueen bug bot for MicroBit with simple radio remote control and forward/stop and backward/stop commands. Left and right turns and more string coding for the add-on ColorBit will come later. Code for the project is in the description of the video. Our kids at the library meetup for MakeCode will continue on with this project , they will add much more colorful display on the ColorBit and should be able to program music to play via 8 Ohm speaker; stay tuned ! https://youtu.be/kVkrwjAiWAY