OWNER’S MANUAL

RECON 6.0 Programmable Rover Owner’s Manual

©2010 becker&mayer! LLC
Published by SmartLab®, an imprint of becker&mayer!
All rights reserved. SmartLab® is a registered trademark
of becker&mayer!, 11120 NE 33rd Place, Suite 101, Bellevue, Washington.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
At a Glance

by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior

permission of SmartLab®. Requests for such permissions should be addressed to SmartLab®
Permissions, becker&mayer!, 11120 NE 33rd Place, Suite 101, Bellevue, WA 98004.
If you have any questions or comments about this product, please visit
www.smartlabtoys.com/customer-care and click on the
Customer Service Request Form.
Edited by Nancy Waddell
Written by Ingrid Emerick
Art direction and design by Eddee Helms
Book design by Amy Redmond
Design assistance by Megan Gangi
Illustrated by Ryan Hobson

Product photography by Keith Megay

Product design and development by Drew Barr
Special thanks to Elizabeth Johnson
Printed, manufactured, and assembled in ZhongShan, China, June 2013 by Tritech Technology Ltd.
RECON 6.0 Programmable Rover Owner’s Manual is part of the SmartLab® RECON 6.0 Programmable Rover kit.
Not to be sold separately.
4 5 14 13
ISBN-13: 978-1-60380-085-3
09473-13113
Do not expose the eyes to the light source.

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Caution: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible
for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numerique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
YOUR MANUAL AT A GLANCE
RECON 6.0 SPECS
04-05 Get acquainted with the features of your RECON 6.0 Programmable Rover
before moving on to Basic Training.

BASIC TRAINING
06-27 These missions will teach you everything you need to know to control your RECON
6.0. It’s helpful to go in order; each mission introduces you to a few more of your
Rover’s cool features while walking you through some basic programming steps.
  Diagnostics and Calibration Test [06–07]
  Mission 01: Basic Field Maneuvering [08–13]
  Mission 02: Messaging Protocol [14–19]
  Mission 03: Night Surveillance [20–23]
  Mission 04: Security Patrol [24–27]

ADVANCED TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

28-39 After you’ve aced Basic Training, you’ll be ready to challenge yourself (and your
Rover) with more advanced assignments. They’ll help you hone your programming
skills, so you’ll know how to carry out any mission you can dream up.
  Mission 05: Artificial Intelligence [28–29]
  Mission 06: Alien Contact [30–31]
  Mission 07: So You Think You Can Dance? [32–33]
  Mission 08: Advanced Field Maneuvering [34–35]
  Mission 09: Search and Rescue [36–37]
  Mission 10: Reconnaissance [38–39]

SPECIAL OPS
40-43 Ready to challenge yourself and strike out on your
own? You’ll find blank mission maps here for creating
your own courses and writing your own code.

FEATURES & FUNCTIONS

44-48 GLOSSARY
Check in the back for a full list of your Rover’s features
and how they function. They are broken down by
what you see on the screen and how you use
the keypad.
There’s a blank mission map at the end of the book.
Make copies of it for a future of fun!
  LCD Screen and Keypad Functions [44–47]
  Blank Mission Map [48]
3
 CONGRATULATIONS!
6.0 You’re the new owner of a RECON 6.0 Programmable Rover, developed
by the robot experts at SmartLab. In your capable hands they place this complex
and sophisticated robot, which can be programmed to perform all kinds of fun
and interesting tasks—from navigating obstacle courses to delivering a bone
RECON
to the family dog to telling a knock-knock joke. RECON 6.0 can even perform
security patrol duty at your bedroom door, collect field intelligence (with its built-in
microphone), and entertain your friends with the latest dance moves.

HELLO, MY NAME IS…

Specs

There’s a saying that “to name something is to own it.” As the owner of your new
RECON 6.0, that’s just what you need to do. Every great robot has a name—HAL,
R2-D2, even WALL-E—so start brainstorming. Not only will you name your Rover,
but later on you’ll program it to introduce itself (in Mission 02).

FEATURES
Communication indicator lights
Transport handle
LCD screen
10-button membrane keypad
Directional arrow pad
Cargo hold
Two LED headlights
Triangular track-drive system

For the entire

glossary of
RECON 6.0’s
features and Remember to always
how they carry your RECON 6.0
function, turn by its handle and not
4 to page 44. its neck (ouch!).
 Your book has mission maps like this one
to help you plot each course.

MAP SCALE t
Big square: 1 inch = 1 foo
Small square: 1/4 inch = 3 inches
The code
re area is where
Your Rover comes with a tape measu you’ll write your
to help you with your missions. programming code
in shorthand.

POWER UP!
RECON 6.0 needs a power source before
the fun can begin, so be sure to install three Use the hard
C batteries, as shown. Once your Rover is switch to turn
juiced up, turn it on, using the hard switch on off RECON
its bottom. Now you two can get acquainted. 6.0 when not
BATTERY CAUTIONS:
in use.
• To ensure proper safety and • Rechargeable batteries are only to
operation, battery replacement must be charged under adult supervision.
always be done by an adult. • Different types of batteries or
• Never let a child use this product new and used batteries are not to
unless the battery door is secure. be mixed.
• Keep all batteries away from small
children, and immediately dispose of • Only batteries of the same or
any batteries safely. equivalent types as recommended
• Batteries are small objects and are to be used.
could be ingested. • Do not mix alkaline, standard
(carbon-zinc), or rechargeable
• Nonrechargeable batteries are not to (nickel-cadmium) batteries.
be recharged.
• Rechargeable batteries are not • Batteries are to be inserted with
recommended for use with this toy. the correct polarity.
• The supply terminals are not to be • Exhausted batteries are to be
removed from the toy.
short-circuited.
• Rechargeable batteries are to
be removed from the toy before
being charged.
5
 DIAGNOSTICS
and Calibration Test
QUALITY CONTROL
The scientists at SmartLab want to make
sure your RECON 6.0 is functioning
properly. To help them out, run this QA
test (that’s short for quality assurance
in programmer-speak).
RECON 6.0 was built with fun and function
in mind, but remember it is a toy. It should
properly perform this book’s missions—
and ones you think up yourself—but may
BASIC TRAINING

not always be exact.

Follow these steps on the same type of
floor (wood, tile, or carpet) that you will be
using your Rover on. If you move to a new
type of floor and find that your Rover isn’t
working quite right, rerun these steps.

LET’S GO!
A Batteries installed? Turn on the hard switch
on the bottom of your Rover.

B
Press the ON/OFF button on the keypad.
The LCD screen should display the words
LOAD and PROGRAM. This is the Start
Screen. The LOAD icon should be flashing.
While pressing and holding down the
RECORD button, press the UP ARROW.

You should now see 4 drive commands, with

C DRIVE FORWARD flashing.
Put RECON 6.0 on the floor, making sure
that there is at least 3 feet of space in front
of it. Press ENTER. Your Rover should drive
6 forward 3 feet and stop.
 Using the arrows on the directional pad, scroll to DRIVE
D REVERSE and press ENTER. Your Rover should
drive in reverse 3 feet and stop.

E Scroll to RIGHT TURN . Press ENTER. You should

see a flashing number. Write this number here: ____

360°
CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
A full circle is 360º. This is made up of four 90º segments.
Visualize the points on a compass. 270° 90°
Your Rover counts rotations of its drive wheel using a number
that measures the rotations needed to achieve a turn. You may
have to adjust the number until your Rover performs a full 180°
circle, ending at the starting point.

STRAIGHT
F Set the Rover on the floor. Use masking tape to mark

EDGE
the starting location or just line it up with a straight
edge. Tile flooring works great!

Press ENTER and watch your Rover turn in a circle.

G

OVERSHOOTS STOPS SHORT

• If the rotation is a full 360°, go to step H.
• If the rotation is short of 360°, scroll up to the next
number using the UP ARROW. Realign your Rover.
Press ENTER.
• If the rotation overshot 360°, scroll down to the next
number using the DOWN ARROW. Realign your Rover.
Press ENTER.
Keep adjusting the number up or down—one digit
at a time—until your Rover performs a circle to your
satisfaction.
When you find the number that works best (returning
your Rover to its starting point), press SAVE.

Repeat the process from steps E to G with the LEFT

H
FULL CIRCLE

TURN . Write the flashing number here: _______

When your RECON 6.0 executes a full circle to the
left, press SAVE.
Press SAVE again to return to the Start Screen.
7
 MISSION 01
Basic Field Maneuvering
MISSION OBJECTIVE
Get to know your new RECON 6.0 with this seemingly simple field maneuver.
You’ll program it to run a triangular course, landing safely back at field command
HQ. After completing this mission, you’ll know how to:
Enter
 and save a trip
Program
 turns in degrees (450 or 900)
Program
 distance in inches and feet
P
 rogram basic maneuvering commands (forward, left, right, reverse)
BASIC TRAINING

MISSION BACKGROUND
This course has been sketched out for you, and the programming code is supplied,
shown on the mission map on page 9. Once you’re an ace programmer, you can
plug in your own numbers for similar missions. Use the square root button
on a calculator to calculate the length of the third side of the triangle.

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

Before you start, clear the field terrain by using your tape measure to mark off an
empty 4' x 4' safe zone. Your Rover’s starting position will be at the safe zone’s bottom left corner.

8
 2 feet

90 0

2 feet

45 0

b = 2 feet 34 inches
0
90 45
0
45 0
a = 2 feet

se Save
er s
re
v
c he
in
34
45
0 c=
X

22 + 22 = c
2

4+ 4=c
2

8 = c2 2
8 =c Does a2 + b2 = c
sound familiar? It’s the
2.82 = c Pythagorean theorem, a
2.8 feet x 12 = 33.94 inches 2,500-year-old formula to help
you calculate the length of a
right triangle’s sides.
9
 01
Basic Field Maneuvering
LET’S
Basic Training Missions 01–04 come with step-by-step
programming instructions to familiarize you with all of
MISSION

GO!
RECON 6.0’s functions. There’ll be plenty of opportunities
to create your own missions and your own code in the
Advanced Operations section of this manual.
BASIC TRAINING

CREDIBLE
INTELLIGENCE
In RECON 6.0’s
programming language, to
choose a command, the icon
must be flashing. This is shown
in red throughout the
directions. Use the directional
pad’s ARROW buttons to scroll
through the commands until the
one you want is flashing. Then
press the ENTER button
to select!

STEP 1:
SELECT YOUR TRIP
CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
The EXIT button always takes you back to the Start Screen
which gives you the choice between LOAD and PROGRAM.

A Press ON or EXIT to display the Start Screen.

B Toggle so that PROGRAM is flashing.

Press ENTER.

You are now in PROGRAM mode and can

C choose a TRIP# or SOUND#.
For this mission, you’ll be programming a trip.
TRIP# will be flashing, so press ENTER.

D This is TRIP #1 and 1 is flashing, so

press ENTER.

10
STEP 2: WRITE YOUR PROGRAM LINES
A
Your screen will now look like this.
The numbers 01, 02, and 03 represent your
first three lines of code. All the command icons
appear on line 01.
Choose the flashing 01 by pressing ENTER.

CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
The RECON 6.0’s screen displays 3 program lines at a time. As you enter more
commands, the display will automatically scroll down to 04, 05, etc., until you
reach the memory limit of 50 program lines.

B The first command, DRIVE FORWARD

flashing. Press ENTER.
, is

Remember, to choose other commands just use

the ARROW buttons on the directional pad.

C
The INCHES and FEET icons will now be lit.
As shown on the Mission 01 map on page 9,
your RECON 6.0 will first drive forward 2 feet, so
choose FEET by pressing ENTER.

CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
The UP and DOWN ARROWS allow you to toggle between two options (like INCHES
and FEET, 45 and 90 DEGREES, ON and OFF) as well as scroll through the numbers
1–99.

D 01 (for 1 foot) will now be flashing.

Press the UP ARROW button until 02
(for 2 feet) is flashing, and hit ENTER.

E Program Line 02 will now be flashing.

Press ENTER.
Use the RIGHT ARROW button to scroll over
to the RIGHT TURN icon.
Press ENTER.
11
 01 The number 45 will be flashing, and the
Basic Field Maneuvering F word DEGREES will be lit.
MISSION
Use the UP and DOWN ARROW buttons
to toggle between 45 and 90. Choose 90
and hit ENTER.
BASIC TRAINING

CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE 45°

Your Rover can make a 45º or 90º turn.
To figure out how sharp a turn you’ll want it to 90°
make, you’ll need to know what a 45º and a
90º angle look like. 45º is half of 90º.

G For Program Line 03, hit ENTER.

DRIVE FORWARD will be flashing (ENTER).
FEET will be flashing (ENTER).
Scroll up to choose 02 (for 2 feet again)
and hit ENTER.

H For Program Line 04, hit ENTER, then scroll over

to the LEFT TURN icon (ENTER).
Choose 45 DEGREES this time (ENTER).

I For Program Line 05, hit ENTER.

Scroll to DRIVE REVERSE (ENTER).
Toggle to INCHES (ENTER).
Scroll to 34 (ENTER). For faster scrolling, press and
hold down the UP ARROW button.

J For Program Line 06, hit ENTER.

Scroll to LEFT TURN (ENTER).
Choose 45 DEGREES (ENTER).

CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
At any time during programming, you can return to a line of code you want to change.
First scroll to the program line numbers on the far left. Then use the UP and
      DOWN ARROW buttons to scroll through the program line numbers.
12
STEP 3:
SAVE AND RUN!
CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
If you don’t press the SAVE button after you finish
programming, you’ll lose your code, and your Rover won’t
be able to run its course. So always SAVE your work!

A
Program Line 07 will be flashing, but you won’t
need it. You’ve entered all the code you’ll need
for this mission.
While the Program Line Number is flashing,
press SAVE.
The screen will now look like this.

CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
If you need to make a change, scroll to EDIT and press ENTER. This allows you to
change the code. If you need to INSERT or DELETE a line, refer to page 47. Don’t forget
to save any changes!

B Place RECON 6.0 in the starting position (bottom left).

Choose RUN (ENTER). You have 3 seconds before your RECON 6.0 will be on the move!

DEBRIEFING
Did your Rover follow the Mission 01
map? If so, then mission
accomplished! You’ve passed
Basic Field Maneuvering! If not:
 Double-check your code. Is all
of your programming correct?
 Is your starting position accurate?
 Check your measurements. Did
you input them correctly?
 Are your batteries low?
 None of the above?
  Try recalibrating your RECON 6.0
to the current surface. Directions
are on pages 6–7.

13
 Messaging Protocol
MISSION 02 MISSION OBJECTIVE
Test your RECON 6.0’s messaging function by programming it to introduce
itself on command. Here’s where you get to use the name you thought up earlier.
After completing this mission, you’ll know how to:
Prerecord a sound file
Program to record while your Rover is on a trip
(like you will need to know how to do for Mission 10)
Play a sound file using the speaker
BASIC TRAINING

MISSION BACKGROUND
In this mission, you will have a conversation with your RECON 6.0!
So after it introduces itself, you’ll have to respond, something like:
“Hello, Otto. It’s good to see you!” If you program it right, your Rover will
immediately play back your response.

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

For this mission, you’ll need to record a sound file first. Start by practicing the way you want
your RECON 6.0 to introduce itself, using your best robot voice.

COMMUNICATION
INDICATOR LIGHTS

14
 2 feet

#1

#2
#1, #2, #2
o #2

reverse 2 feet
Save
2 feet

2 feet

Hello. My name is Otto!

Good morning. It’s Max
reporting for duty!

Greetings, carbon-based life form,

Silicon Dude at your service!

15
 02
Messaging Protocol
MISSION
STEPYOUR1:SOUND FILE
LET’S SELECT
GO!
BASIC TRAINING

CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
At any time, you can use the LEFT ARROW button on
the directional pad to scroll backward when you’ve made
a mistake or gone ahead too far.

A Press EXIT to return to the Start Screen.

B Toggle to PROGRAM (ENTER).

C
For this mission, program your sound first.
Scroll to SOUND# (ENTER) and then 1 (ENTER).

STEP 2: RECORD YOUR SOUND FILE

A The flashing RECORD SOUND will appear.
Press and hold the RECORD button and state
your greeting. The hidden microphone will pick
up your voice. Release the button when you are
done recording. It will beep once when you begin
and twice when you release the button or when
your recording limit of 5 seconds is up!

B To listen to what you recorded:

Choose the flashing RUN icon on the screen
by pressing ENTER. Press EXIT to return to the
Start Screen.

If you’d like to rerecord:

Scroll to EDIT (ENTER). Then scroll to RECORD
SOUND , and press and hold the RECORD button.
Press EXIT to return to the Start Screen.
16
STEP 3:
CLEAR YOUR SAFE ZONE AND SELECT YOUR TRIP

A Create a 3' x 3' square safe zone.

Your Rover’s starting position will be at bottom
center of the zone.

B Scroll to PROGRAM (ENTER).

C When TRIP# is flashing, press ENTER.

This is TRIP #2, so scroll up to 2 (ENTER).

STEP 4:
WRITE YOUR PROGRAM LINES

A Choose the flashing 01 (ENTER).

The first command, DRIVE FORWARD , is
flashing (ENTER).

B As shown on the Mission 02 map, your

RECON 6.0 will first drive forward 2 feet, so
choose the FEET icon (ENTER). 01 (for 1 foot)
will now be flashing. Scroll up to 02 (ENTER).

17
 02
Messaging Protocol
C For Program Line 02, hit ENTER,
MISSION
then scroll over to PLAY SOUND
(ENTER).
BASIC TRAINING

D 01 will flash next to PLAY SOUND .

This stands for the sound file number
you want your Rover to play.
Since you saved the file as SOUND #1 earlier,
choose 01 (ENTER).

E For Program Line 03, hit ENTER,

then scroll over to RECORD SOUND (ENTER).

F 01 will flash next to RECORD SOUND

Since you already recorded your Rover’s
.

introduction as SOUND #1, scroll to 02 (ENTER).

You’ve chosen SOUND #2. This sound file will
record your reply to your Rover.

G For Program Line 04, hit ENTER, then scroll over

to PLAY SOUND (ENTER).
Then choose SOUND #2 by pressing the UP
ARROW and hitting ENTER when you get to the
flashing 02.

H For Program Line 05, hit ENTER, scroll to DRIVE

REVERSE (ENTER). FEET will be flashing
(ENTER). Scroll to 02 (ENTER).

18
SAVE YOUR PROGRAM!
STEP 5: READY TO RUN!
The screen will now display the first 3 lines of the
program code, as shown here.
Place RECON 6.0 in the starting position and choose
RUN (ENTER). Remember, you have 3 seconds before
your Rover begins its mission.

DEBRIEFING
Did it work? Did it introduce itself and then
record and play back what you said? If so,
then congratulations, you’ve passed
Messaging Protocol! If not:
Double-check your code and your
measurements.
Double-check that you recorded your
greeting as SOUND #1.
Did you reply to your Rover’s greeting?

19
 MISSION 03 MISSION OBJECTIVE
Send your RECON 6.0 on a surveillance mission under the cloak of darkness.
In this covert assignment, you’ll program your Rover to search for intruders and
then hightail it back to field command HQ unobserved. After completing this
mission, you’ll know how to:
Night Surveillance
Program the LED headlights to turn on
Use the PAUSE command
Use the RETURN TO HOME command
BASIC TRAINING

MISSION BACKGROUND
The RETURN TO HOME command tells your Rover to turn 1800 and run the entire
sequence of programming code in reverse order. This includes the maneuvering
and the lights. It will not replay any sounds and it won’t rerecord. When you send
RECON 6.0 on an espionage assignment (as in Mission 10), it will make a secret
recording and bring that same recording safely back to you.

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

Send your Rover into a dark closet or a bedroom. Since the map and code have been created
for you here, just make sure your destination is within range. Measure it out in advance to
calculate where to start your Rover. And don’t forget to turn out the lights!

20
 4 feet

ON

2 secs
2 secs
o 900 900

2 secs
900 2 secs
2 secs
900

900

2 secs 2 secs
900

2 secs 900

4 feet 2 secs

900

2 secs

Save

21
 03
LET’S STEP 1: CLEAR
CLEAR YOUR
YOUR SAFE
SAFE ZONE
ZONE
MISSION
Night Surveillance
AND
AND SELECT
SELECT YOUR
YOUR TRIP

GO!
TRIP

BASIC TRAINING

CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
This mission has a whopping 12 program lines, but don’t
worry, a bunch of them are the same.You still have to
program all 12, but you’ll get to repeat the same code a
number of times. Every software

A
Create a 5' x 2' vertical rectangular safe zone. program in existence works this way—
Your Rover’s starting position will be at the bottom with lines and lines of repeated code.
center of the zone, as shown on the map.

B Program Mission 03 as TRIP #3.

STEP 2:
WRITE YOUR PROGRAM LINES
A For Program Line 01, enter code for DRIVE
FORWARD 4 FEET.

B For Program Line 02, scroll over to HEADLIGHTS

(ENTER).
ON will now be flashing (ENTER).

C For Program Line 03, scroll over to

PAUSE (ENTER).
Toggle to SECONDS (ENTER). 01 will now be
flashing. Scroll up to 02 (for a 2-second pause)
and ENTER.

D For Program Line 04, enter code for

RIGHT TURN, 90 DEGREES.

22
E For Program Lines 05–11 (the next 7 lines
of code), enter the following:
CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
To insert a line of code between 2 existing
05­—PAUSE , 2 SECONDS. program lines, use the INSERT button.
The new line will be entered as the same
06—RIGHT TURN , 90 DEGREES. program line number that is flashing.
All the lines after it will shift down and
07­—PAUSE , 2 SECONDS. be renumbered.
08—RIGHT TURN , 90 DEGREES. To delete a line of code, press and hold the
09­—PAUSE , 2 SECONDS. DELETE button for 3 seconds. Remember,
the program line number needs to
10—RIGHT TURN , 90 DEGREES. be flashing.

11—PAUSE , 2 SECONDS.

F For Program Line 12, scroll

to RETURN TO HOME (ENTER).

SAVE YOUR PROGRAM!

STEP 3: READY TO RUN!

Place RECON 6.0 in the starting position and choose RUN (ENTER).

DEBRIEFING
Did it work? Did your Rover follow
the Mission 03 map? If not:
 Did you program the headlights
to come on?
 Did you turn out the lights in
your room?

23
 MISSION 04 MISSION OBJECTIVE
Program your RECON 6.0 to run a safety patrol, securing your bedroom door
and warning potential intruders or unwanted guests to keep out. After completing
this mission, you’ll know how to:
Use the LOOP command
Measure and program your own distance coordinates
Security Patrol

Listen
 to your Rover’s preprogrammed sound files, and use one
in a trip
BASIC TRAINING

MISSION BACKGROUND
By using the LOOP command, your Rover will repeat the sequence (including
lights and sound) as many times as you’d like.

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

    You’ll need to record a warning message first­—something firm and direct:
“Halt! Move away from the perimeter.” “Step away from the door!”
“Security breach! Security breach!”
And don’t forget to use your best angry robot voice!

24
 feet or
inches

#2

Bedroom feet or
inches
feet or
inches

#2
feet or
inches

Door
Save

reverse C reverse
X

Hallway
Door width + 12” = Patrol Distance

Patrol Distance - 2 = Center Point Number

25
 04 STEP 1:
LET’S
MISSION
PREP STEPS—PATROL ZONE

GO!
Security Patrol
TRAINING
BASIC TRAINING

CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
If you want to use one of your Rover’s preprogrammed
BASIC

sounds for this mission, simply LOAD to listen to any of the

sound files from #5–#9. Note the number of your favorite
sound effect.

Your Rover will stop and sound its warning at Measure the width of your door using your tape
the center point (at the middle of the door) before measure (most are between 2 ½ and 3-feet).
continuing to the other side. When you write the DOOR WIDTH: ______
programming code, you’ll need to know at how Add 12 inches (1 foot) to this number.
many feet (or inches) your Rover performs this (That will allow for 6 inches per side.)
act of security. PATROL DISTANCE: ________
Write these numbers in the blanks to the right Divide the patrol distance number in half.
and on your mission map. CENTER POINT NUMBER: _________

STEP 2: RECORD YOUR SOUND FILE

A You’ll want to record your warning under SOUND
#2. Remember, RECORD SOUND will appear.
Press and hold the RECORD button and state your
RECON 6.0’s warning. Release the button when
you are done recording.
Remember, it will beep once when you begin and
twice when you release the button or when your
recording limit of 5 seconds is up!

B To listen to what you recorded:

Choose the flashing RUN icon on the screen
by pressing ENTER.

C
If you’d like to rerecord:
Scroll to EDIT [ENTER]. Then scroll to RECORD
SOUND and press the RECORD button again.
26
STEP 3: WRITE YOUR PROGRAM LINES
A
Program this mission as TRIP #4 .
01­—DRIVE FORWARD , center point FEET or 04—DRIVE REVERSE , center point
INCHES. Use the center point number you FEET or INCHES.
calculated in Step 1. 05—PLAY SOUND #2.
02—PLAY SOUND #2. 06—DRIVE REVERSE , center point
03—DRIVE FORWARD , center point FEET or INCHES.
FEET or INCHES.

B For Program Line 07, scroll to LOOP

(ENTER). 01 will flash on the screen. Scroll to
Recommended: 3 loops. If you work
your Rover too hard, it may get off track.
the number of times you want your Rover to Nobody’s perfect. Even robots need a break!
repeat this patrol (ENTER).
SAVE YOUR PROGRAM!
STEP 4: READY
READY TO
TO RUN!
RUN!
Place RECON 6.0 in the starting position (6 inches to the left of your door) and
rotate its head to the right. Choose RUN (ENTER) to activate your room guard!

DEBRIEFING
Did it work? Did the Rover follow
your Mission 04 map? If not:
 Did you program the sound to
play at the right place?
 Did you calculate the correct
number for your center point?
 Did it get off course? Perhaps
you had it do too many loops.
 Did you make sure it was exactly
parallel to the door?
 Did you calibrate your Rover to
your current surface?

27
 05 MISSION OBJECTIVE CONGRATULATIONS!
ADVANCED TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

Program your RECON 6.0 to tell a You’ve advanced to Advanced

knock-knock joke. Surprise unsuspecting Technical Operations! Be warned­­—
Artificial Intelligence participants and entertain friends and you’re on your own now. Well, there
MISSION
family, while simulating artificial are maps and codes to get you
intelligence (AI). started, but no more step-by-steps.

MISSION BACKGROUND
It may seem like it, but your Rover doesn’t have a brain. It can only perform the tasks
you program it to do, one line of code at a time. In this first Advanced Ops mission, you
will mimic AI technology. If you are successful, you can trick friends and family
members into believing that your Rover actually does think on its own!

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

You’ll need to plan out the joke beforehand. You’ll also have to estimate how long it will
take to say each line. Remember you only have 5 seconds per sound file. Try timing
your Rover’s responses in advance. Oh, and you won’t need a map for this one.

Whether you decide to use the

sample knock-knock joke or one
of your own, you’ll need to:

Start
 by saying each line
in your best robot voice.
Record them into sound
files #2–#4. The pause times
should match the time you’ll
need to say your response lines.

SAMPLE SCRIPT PROGRAM TRIP #5

RECON   KNOCK KNOCK! (RECORD IN SOUND #2) 01­   PLAY SOUND #2.
YOU   WHO’S THERE? 02   PAUSE 2 SECONDS.
RECON   ART. (RECORD IN SOUND #3) 03­   PLAY SOUND #3.
YOU   ART WHO? 04   PAUSE 2 SECONDS.
RECON   R2-D2! (RECORD IN SOUND #4) 05­   PLAY SOUND #4.

28  SAVE.
 #2

2 secs

#3

2 secs

RECON: Knock Knock! #4

Who’s there? (PAUSE SECS

ME:
) 2 Save
RECON:
AUSE SECS)
ME: (P

RECON:______________

THE QUEST FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Ever since mathematician Alan Turing first dreamed up a machine that could “think,” researchers have been
working away on developing an electronic brain—one that not only can solve problems, but can
reason, apply logic, and speak English. And while the idea of artificial intelligence is thousands
of years old, researchers have made great strides in AI technology in the past few
decades, thanks to today’s fast and powerful computers.
29
 06 MISSION OBJECTIVE
ADVANCED TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

Program your RECON 6.0 to play a greeting while kindly delivering a treat to
the family dog, cat, little brother or sister, gerbil, rabbit, or any creature that’ll be
impressed by such an encounter.
MISSION
MISSION BACKGROUND
What’s the point of having a robot if you can’t have a little fun at the expense of the
Alien Contact

sleeping dog or jittery cat? If you don’t have a Fido or Fifi, no problem. Any alien
will do. Just choose an unknowing, and preferably stationary, one. Of course, if you
know where some real aliens hang out, then by all means initiate contact, Earthling.

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

Since your Rover will greet your alien, offering it a treat verbally, you’ll need
to record your greeting first and then program your trip. Don’t forget to load
RECON 6.0’s cargo hold with a snack.

Practice Alien Contact by

following the code provided,
adding your specific distances.
SAMPLE
RECORD IN SOUND #1: SIT, FIDO! STAY.
RECORD IN SOUND #2: GOOD BOY.
TAKE THE TREAT.
PROGRAM TRIP #6
01­ DRIVE FORWARD __ FEET.
02 PLAY SOUND #1.
03­ RIGHT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
04 RIGHT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
05­ PLAY SOUND #2.
06 PAUSE 8 SECONDS.
07 DRIVE FORWARD __ FEET
SAVE.

30
 feet

#1
90 0

90 0

#2

8 secs

feet

Save

BOOLEAN LOGIC
Boolean (BOO-lee-un) logic makes it possible for your computer to play chess with you and to spell-check
your homework, and for your RECON 6.0 to offer your dog a bone and navigate the obstacle course
in your living room. This logical system of true-false statements lets programmers build software
that works kind of like our brains, processing a large number of variables—but coming up
with the correct answers at superfast speed.
31
 So You Think You Can Dance?
MISSION OBJECTIVE
07 RECON 6.0 isn’t just for covert ops and dangerous field assignments; it likes to
have a good time too! In this lighthearted mission, you’ll teach (well, program)
your Rover to perform a funky dance.
ADVANCED TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

MISSION BACKGROUND
MISSION
While RECON 6.0 can do a lot of tricky maneuvering, it can’t move side to side
the way a human can. To make it look more like dancing, program your Rover to
pivot left and right and make short moves forward and back. Don’t forget to add a
soundtrack to Rover’s choreography. SOUND #9 should do the trick.

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

You can program your Rover to do any dance you like. Start by doing
the dance yourself, and then map out those dance steps on a piece of
paper. Turn those steps into forward, backward, left, and right maneuvers
on your mission map. From that point, you should be able to throw
down the code in no time.

Try our sample

choreography first. You
only need to clear a 3' x 3'
safe zone and let your Rover loose.

PROGRAM TRIP #7
01­ PLAY SOUND #9, ON.
02 LEFT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
03­ RIGHT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
04 LOOP, 01.
05­ DRIVE REVERSE 5 INCHES.
06 LEFT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
07 RIGHT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
08 LOOP, 01.
09 LEFT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
10 LOOP, 07.
SAVE.
32
 STAGE #9
90 0

90 0

01
5
inches
90 0

90 0

01
90 0

07

Save

THRILLING
Tokyo’s International Robot Exhibition 2009 featured a first-of-its-kind robot dance-off. Break-dancing
bots and kimono-clad cyberfan dancers hit the stage to strut their stuff. Gold was garnered by
Ryuki II, grooving to a song called “Joyful” by a Japanese pop group. Silver was awarded to
a robot named Black Tiger Neo, dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
33
 MISSION OBJECTIVE
Advanced Field Maneuvering
08 Back in Mission 01, you programmed your RECON 6.0 to perform a simple field
maneuver. This time you’ll program a much more advanced—and exciting— one.
To really put your Rover to the test, you’re going to add some obstacles to the terrain!
ADVANCED TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

MISSION BACKGROUND
MISSION
Obstacles! You can make towers using LEGO® bricks or blocks for your Rover to knock
down or maneuver around. Or build ramps, create tunnels, or design a slalom course.
Plot your trip so there is enough room for the Rover to pass each obstacle.

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

Use the mission map to determine the distances and the turning degrees of the
obstacle course. Enter your findings and calculate where your obstacles should go.
There are a few things to consider. First, your map is one inch for one foot. Second,
your Rover is about 8 inches across. (That’s wider than a line on a map!) Third, your
Rover pivots and turns from its front center, marked with an “x” in the illustration below.
You can also use this point to measure your Rover’s starting and ending positions.
6 INCHES 6 INCHES

PROGRAM TRIP #8
01­ DRIVE FORWARD __ FEET.
02 RIGHT TURN, __ DEGREES. X
03­ DRIVE FORWARD __ FEET.
04 RIGHT TURN, __ DEGREES.
1 FT.
05­ DRIVE FORWARD 34 INCHES.
06 LEFT TURN, __ DEGREES.
07 DRIVE FORWARD __ FEET.
08 LEFT TURN, 90 DEGREES. X
09 DRIVE FORWARD __ INCHES.
10 LEFT TURN, __ DEGREES.
11 DRIVE FORWARD __ FEET. CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
This mission’s obstacle course makes for a real challenge.
12 LEFT TURN, __ DEGREES. Starting your Rover even slightly out of alignment can result
in it ending up a full foot or more off-target. So be sure to start
13 DRIVE FORWARD __ INCHES. your RECON 6.0 in a straight position, or those blocks will
SAVE. tumble! If necessary, recalibrate your Rover using the
34 directions on pages 6–7.
 feet

feet

34
inches

feet

es
ch
inches
in
34

feet

inches

X Save

DOING THE DIRTY WORK

Got dog hair and dust bunnies? It’s Roomba® to the rescue! In 2002 iRobot, a company started by some
scientists from the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab, introduced the ultimate obstacle-course rover.
The Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner uses hazard avoidance technology from defunct
minesweeping robots. It can clean a room without knocking over that Ming vase or
another priceless antique.
35
 MISSION OBJECTIVE
09
ADVANCED TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

Send your RECON 6.0 on a search and rescue mission. Only it won’t be looking
for missing mountain climbers or buried treasure. In this mission, your Rover will
fetch a treat for you—the real reason mankind has been dreaming of robots for
so long.
MISSION
Search and Rescue

MISSION BACKGROUND
Once you’ve decided what you want your Rover to fetch (maybe a cookie, a drink,
or your baseball cards from your baby brother’s clutches), you’ll need to program it
to do your bidding. So record your sound file first—something like, “Please deposit
a cookie into my cargo hold.”

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

Your Rover will need to travel its course, ask for the object, and then head back to
field command HQ. The course can be as simple or complex as possible. You might
want to make it straightforward, like from the living room to the kitchen, where you’re
most likely to catch someone who can fulfill your request.

Check out our sample

below, then use the mission map
and tape measure to map out the
coordinates that work at your house.
The map was left blank for this reason.

PROGRAM TRIP #9
01­ DRIVE FORWARD 5 FEET.
02 RIGHT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
03­ DRIVE FORWARD 4 FEET.
04 PLAY SOUND # __.
05 RIGHT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
06­ RIGHT TURN, 90 DEGREES .
07 PAUSE 15 SECONDS.
08 DRIVE FORWARD 4 FEET.
09­ LEFT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
10 DRIVE FORWARD 5 FEET.
SAVE.
36
 SEARCH AND RESCUE
In 2010 California State University in Los Angeles hosted the Search and Rescue Robot Challenge, a
competition that challenges students from around the world to take artificial intelligence and robotics
technology to a whole new level, creating robots that can aid emergency workers, like police
officers, firefighters, and paramedics.
37
 MISSION OBJECTIVE
10
ADVANCED TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

RECON 6.0 makes the perfect espionage agent. You can program it to gain
access to an off-limits site (your sibling’s room!), record valuable information,
and then return to field command HQ undetected, revealing its findings to you.
MISSION
MISSION BACKGROUND
Reconnaissance

No matter if your course is simple or complicated, you’ll want to make your

Rover as inconspicuous as possible. How? With a little advanced planning.
Scout out a good hiding place behind enemy lines. Then use your tape measure
to carefully calculate the distances you’ll need your RECON 6.0 to return from this
reconnaissance mission.

MISSION TRAINING BRIEF

In order to collect as much information as possible, you can record more
than 5 seconds at a time by doubling or tripling up on sound files.

Check out the sample

reconnaissance schematic.
As in Mission 09, the mission map and
code are blank for you to map out your
unique coordinates.
PROGRAM TRIP #10
01 PAUSE 10 MINUTES.
02 RECORD SOUND #1.
03­ RECORD SOUND #2.
04 RECORD SOUND #3.
05­ DRIVE FORWARD 2 FEET.
06 LEFT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
07­ DRIVE FORWARD 3 FEET.
08 LEFT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
09­ DRIVE FORWARD 7 FEET.
10 LEFT TURN, 90 DEGREES.
11­ DRIVE FORWARD 4 FEET.
SAVE.
38
 SPIDER ROVER
Move over, James Bond; it’s Spider Rover! Scientists in the
United States and Taiwan have developed wall-crawling reconnaissance rovers.
These silicon spies can scale walls, sneak into buildings, and have
audiovisual recording technology.
39
 EXCELLENT WORK!
SPECIAL OPS You’ve earned your wings, and now you’re an ace programmer! By successfully
completing all of these missions, you are licensed to send your RECON 6.0 on the
most difficult and dangerous missions you can dream up! Use the blank maps on
the next few pages to get started.
As any software developer knows, to design good code you need to follow 3
basic steps: design, program, and test. The same is true here. For each Rover
mission, you’ll need to:
DESIGN
 THE MISSION 
This means envisioning what you want RECON 6.0 to do, using your tools
to measure and map out the course.
PROGRAM
 YOUR ROVER 
This means turning your design ideas into a logical sequence by filling in the
blank code map, double-checking to make sure you didn’t miss any steps,
and finally, programming your code.
TEST
 YOUR PROGRAM 
Run your mission. Did your RECON 6.0 do what you wanted it to do? If not,
pinpoint where it went wrong and go back and fix your code. Remember to
use the EDIT command, resave it, and run it again.
RESULTS! 

If you follow all 3 of these steps every time you create a mission, your RECON
6.0 will reward you with perfectly executed missions and hours of fun!

TROUBLESHOOTING
As you experiment with your own missions, your RECON 6.0 may not perform how you
imagined. What now? If you have any problems, review these troubleshooting suggestions
to guide you:
Double-check
 your code. Is all of Did
 you calibrate your RECON 6.0
your programming correct? to the current surface as shown
Is on pages 6–7?
 your starting position accurate?
 Check your measurements. Did  Did it get off track? Perhaps you
you input them correctly? Did you looped it too many times.
use inches instead of feet? Are your batteries low?
Is your payload too heavy?

40
41
42
43
FEATURES & FUNCTIONS GLOSSARY COMMANDING CAPABILITIES
The scientists at SmartLab have worked night and day to produce this
state-of-the-art RECON 6.0 Programmable Rover. And they’ve tricked it out
with some pretty cool features and capabilities:

 The Rover can hold 9 missions at a time in its memory bank with up
to 50 commands each.
  It has a sound file bank of 9 unique sounds: 4 to record yourself
and 5 prerecorded sound effects, including a laser blast!
 You can program multidirectional navigation, turning headlights off
and on, and commands like LOOP and RETURN TO HOME.

LCD SCREEN

EAT YOUR CARROTS

You see LCD screens all over the place these days—on computers, televisions,
video game devices, even alarm clocks, telephones, and calculators! But that
doesn’t make them any less amazing. LCD stands for liquid crystal display. It’s
made up of tiny pixels filled with liquid crystal and backlit to create images. It’s
lightweight and requires very little power to work, which is why it’s used in so many
battery-operated gadgets. Its invention can be traced back to 1888, when an
Austrian scientist discovered liquid crystals while experimenting with carrots!
44
LCD BASICS This is the START SCREEN.
It is the first step of any program.
LOAD accesses a previously recorded trip so you can
view, edit, or run it. It also accesses all 9 sound files, so you
can listen to them.

PROGRAM is where you can start a new trip or

writeover a previously programmed trip from scratch. You
can also access sound files #1–#4 to record your own
custom sounds.

TRIP# A trip is a program that tells your Rover what

you want it to do. You can store up to nine different trips
at a time. # (number) indicates which trip will be loaded
or programmed.

SOUND# There are four 5-second blank sound files

and five prerecorded ones. # (number) indicates which
sound file will be programmed (#1–#4), or loaded:
#5 funny horn
#6 beep! beep!
#7 laser blast
#8 siren
#9 dance beat (This sound needs to be turned on and off,
so your Rover has a soundtrack to dance to.)

RUN activates a programmed trip. It will also play a

sound file.

EDIT allows you to access (and thus edit) an existing trip

or sound file.

PROGRAM LINE Each program line allows you to

program one of 10 commands. It can store up to 50 program
lines per trip. Only 3 program lines are displayed at
one time.

PROGRAM LINE NUMBERS tell you which

line of the program you are on. Each line is automatically
entered into the program as you create a new program line.
Each trip will always begin at Program Line 01.

45
LCD ICONS LOOP is used to run a trip multiple times
without re-entering the same program lines.
The LOOP command programs the Rover to
return to the first line of the program and run
DRIVE FORWARD is used to program it again. When performing multiple loops in a
the Rover to move in a forward straight line.
program, each loop will have the Rover return
Distance can be programmed in units of feet or
to the first line of code that appears one line
inches.
after the previous loop code. The number of
times looped is entered in COMMAND VALUE
LEFT TURN is used to program the Rover (see below). It tops out at 99.
to turn left. Turns can be programmed at either
450 or 900.
COMMAND VALUE After choosing
a command, this is where you indicate the
RIGHT TURN is used to program the Rover number desired. Hold down the button
to turn right. Turns can be programmed at either to scroll through the numbers faster.
450 or 900. For sound files, this number references
the sound file number.
DRIVE REVERSE is used to program
the Rover to move in a backward straight line. DEGREES is used with the LEFT and
Distance can be programmed in units of feet or RIGHT turn commands to program the degrees
inches. of rotation, either 45 or 90.

RETURN TO HOME is used to repeat all MINUTES ­is used in conjunction with the
program lines in reverse order, returning Rover to PAUSE command to program the number of
its starting position. It will turn 1800 and follow its minutes.
same route but will not play sounds or record.
SECONDS is used in conjunction with the
PLAY SOUND is used to play 1 of 9 PAUSE command to program the number of
sounds. Sound files #1–#4 are rerecordable, seconds.
but sound files #5–#9 come prerecorded and
cannot be recorded over.
FEET is used in conjunction with the
DRIVE FORWARD command to indicate
RECORD SOUND is used to program the distance in feet.
the Rover to record a sound while out on a
mission. It will automatically record for a full 5
seconds and save it to the sound file number
INCHES is used in conjunction with the
DRIVE FORWARD command to indicate the
assigned to it.
distance in inches.

PAUSE is used to program the Rover to OFF/ON (on the LCD screen) is used to
stop for a specified length of time. Time can be
program the headlights to go off or on. It is
programmed in units of minutes or seconds.
also used with sound file #9 (dance beat),
so the Rover will be accompanied by music
HEADLIGHTS The Rover has two bright during his time on the dance floor.
LEDs that can be programmed to turn on in one
line of code and then off again in another.
CAUTION:
Do not expose the eyes to the light source.
46 Never stare directly at these LEDs.
 KEYPAD
ON/OFF STOP
 Use the ON/OFF button on the keypad during play,   The STOP button stops the Rover in its tracks. It can
but when you’re done having fun for the day, turn only be used when the Rover is running a trip.
your Rover off using the hard switch on its bottom.
RECORD
 If the ON/OFF button is pressed before a new The RECORD button is used when recording a sound
program has been saved, the program will not be as well as part of the Diagnostics Test on pages 6–7.
saved. Any time the Rover is turned on, it will start
at the Start Screen. ENTER
 The ENTER button is used to make a selection when
INSERT an icon is flashing—including numbers, commands,
 The INSERT button is used to add a new line of programming modes, etc.
programming between existing lines. Press INSERT
on the program line below the one you want to enter.
The program line needs to be flashing for a line of
SAVE
 The SAVE button is used to save a trip after
code to be entered above it.
programming or editing is complete. When the SAVE
button is pressed, any programming previously
DELETE­ assigned to that TRIP# or SOUND# will be erased
 Delete a line of code by pressing and holding the and saved over. The PROGRAM LINE number needs
DELETE button for 3 seconds. The program line to be flashing for SAVE to save.
number you want to delete needs to be flashing.
DIRECTIONAL PAD
EXIT  This pad of arrows is used to scroll through
 Pressing the EXIT button will return the display to numbers or commands, and to navigate program
the Start Screen. If the EXIT button is pressed before lines. The directional pad contains 4 buttons: UP,
saving, your program will not be saved. DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT. Use the LEFT ARROW to
scroll backward.

47