The beginner’s guide
The Photon
Robot
Textbook
The Photon Robot
Textbook
The beginner’s guide
Photon Entertainment sp. z o.o.
5/1.2 Gen. Gustawa Orlicz-Dreszera,
15-797 Białystok, Poland
+48 667 254 321
Bialystok, Poland 2022
Copyright © Photon Entertainment sp. z o.o.
All rights reserved.
support@photon.education
Welcome to Photon World!
Let’s begin this amazing adventure together! Childhood is an exciting time of discovering
own talents, exploring new technologies, and gaining important competencies. We promise
you that the time spent with the Photon Robot is going to be valuable, result in gaining new
skills and create a fantastic learning atmosphere! Together we can move into the education
of the future!
Let us introduce ourselves.
Our mission is to support students and teachers in their development at every stage
of education. At Photon, we believe that implementing new technologies in education
guarantees rapid development and the opportunity to acquire competencies that will help
your students' further education and adult life.
The teaching aids we create allow educators to conduct interesting, interactive lessons
and engage students.
Table of contents:
Get to now your robot
I. Introduction- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11
II. Turning on, turning off, charging, reseting - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13
III. Name (robot's serial number) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15
IV. Design and sensors - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15
V. Updating - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18
VI. Cleaning - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20
The Photon EDU App
I. Controlling the robot - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22
II. Downloading apps - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23
III. Educator and Student Accounts - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 24
IV. Overview of the application - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 26
V. Interdisciplinary use of the robot - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 33
VI. Learning how to program with the Photon Robot - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42
VII. Improve your teaching workshop - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 44
Additional robot capabilities
I. Photon Magic Dongle – USB dongle - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 46
II. Accessories - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48
III. Teaching Kits - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50
Teaching resources
I. Beginner's Course - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 57
II. Photon Portal - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 58
III. Help Center - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 59
IV. Community - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 60
V. Training - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 61
VI. Sample lesson scenarios - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 61
Sample lesson scenarios
Kindergarten
Developing spatial orientation Developing cognitive competencies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 63
Decode your emotions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... Which season doesn’t have...? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 72
Guess what I’m looking at Improving social and emotional competencies - - - - - - - - - - - - - 76
Primary School (early years)
Cardinal directions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 79
Addition to 10. Equations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 82
Photon Robot in a maze - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 87
Grades 4–8
Improving your attention span - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 91
Train their memory - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 93
Improving numeracy skills - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 96
Foreign language – Vocabulary consolidation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 100
Rube Goldberg machine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 105
Programming – the basic level
Photon dances the waltz - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 108
Controlling the robot by willpower - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 113
Robot the Guardian - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 120
Programming – advanced level
To the rescue! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 127
Programming the Photon Robot in Python – Getting to know Photon and Python! - - - - - 132
Programming the Photon Robot in Python – Going from point to point - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 137
Early
Education
Programming
Artificial
Intelligence
Robotics
Physics
Ecology
Social-
-Emotional
Development
Special
Education
Language
& Literacy
Basics
of Math
Geography
& History
Arts
& Crafts
ST
M
PE
TE
CY
D
EV
EL
EN
CI
AL
D
EV
EL
IN
TE
DI
SC
IP
LI
RY
D
EV
EL
Our aim is to support students in three key development areas:
STEM competency development
STEM is an educational program that offers
a different approach to teaching science (S),
technology (T), engineering (E), and math (M).
Instead of teaching each subject separately,
we integrate all four into a comprehensive
learning model based on practical
experiments and applying the knowledge
gained in real-world scenarios.
Social development
We stress the importance
of developing appropriate social
behavior and attitudes, including
the ability to manage one’s
emotions. Our focus is on teaching
self-awareness, building relationship
skills and much more.
Interdisciplinary development
We encourage you to learn computer programming alongside other core curriculum subjects.
This way, we stimulate the synchronized development of the right and left brain hemispheres.
Not Supported
There are issues with
the user engagement
in this area.
Supported
The product takes into account this aspect of
user engagement. Some improvements could
be made in order to improve the support.
Well supported
There are several well executed
features which support this
aspect of user engagement.
2–3
4,33
We have been awarded a certification from Education Alliance Finland,
a global organization that certifies learning solutions. Our products
were rated very high – 92 points for our pedagogical approach
and on average 4.33 points out of 5 for educational engagement!
Contents of this textbook
We have divided this textbook into 5 chapters.
The first one focuses on the Photon Robot. It explains, among others, how to work
with the robot, how it is built, how to upgrade its firmware and take care of it.
Chapter two focuses on our dedicated app. Here we explain how to use it to control
the robot and conduct engaging and unique classes.
The third chapter describes other ways to use the Photon Robot in educational
institutions: getting additional accessories, buying our educational kits,
or a dedicated USB dongle that allows the robot to be operated from a computer
or connected to an interactive whiteboard.
Chapter four addresses an important topic of support provided as helpful resources
and collateral texts. Here you will find all the information you need on resources
we made available to help you develop your knowledge on our products, such
as a beginner’s course or help center.
In the final chapter of this textbook, you can find several ready-to-use lesson
scenarios that show how to use your robot to conduct highly engaging and exciting
activities that allow you and your students to tame new technologies.
Prestigious certification
Get to know
your robot
11
I. Introduction
Photon’s endless possibilities
We have created an interdisciplinary Photon Robot to facilitate the efforts of educators
working with both the youngest children and older students. This is a great tool at any
stage of education – from kindergarten to high school! With the help of our ready-to-use
lesson scenarios or your own and original lesson plans, you can use Photon to teach any
subject - from general education and science to basic and advanced programming. History,
art, linguistics, math, geography, and physics classes are just a few examples where you
and other teachers can make the most of the Photon possibilities.
Read more about
interdisciplinary learning
interfaces on pages 33-40.
It’s not just another gadget
Along with the Photon Robot you get
access to a whole range of lesson scenarios
and a dedicated Photon EDU app to control
the robot from either a mobile device
or a desktop computer. The app includes
several interfaces to facilitate working
with children of different ages and make it
more suitable for specific activities.
The basic interfaces allow you to control
the robot with a virtual joystick or by dragging
your finger on the screen. The more advanced
interfaces require you to plan the robot’s route
first and use instructions (commands) available
in the form of colored tiles.
When using the robot to teach programming,
you can use an interface where you program
the robot by placing tiles with commands
(in English) or use the Scratch app.
For more information
on programming interfaces
see pages 42-43.
12
Evokes emotions, improves attention span
Photon evokes positive emotions straight away. It’s love at first sight as the children
directly associate it with great fun. Despite its many features, it is surprisingly easy
to use and doesn’t distract students; in fact, it helps them focus and stay engaged
throughout any class!
Classes with the Photon Robot are even more interesting when you use additional
accessories. You can use the teaching aids you have in your classroom or use
the solutions we have developed. We offer dedicated colored educational mats
and flexible foam puzzles – use them together with our dedicated flashcards
to conduct any class. You might also want to try our personalization solutions –
robot face masks and themed stickers. If you plan to use an interactive whiteboard
for your Photon classes or want to teach your students advanced coding, please
read on the Photon Magic Dongle (pages 46-47).
For more information on Photon accessories see pages 48-49.
13
II. Switching on, switching off, charging, resetting
Switching on
To switch your Photon Robot on, press the power button on top
of its head and hold it for 1 second (until you hear a beep).
Switching off
To turn off the robot, hold down the power button for 2 seconds. This
feature prevents switching the robot off accidentally, for example
during classes. Photon will signal its shutdown with a sound.
Resetting
If the Photon Robot does not respond to charging or you cannot
switch it on/off, try resetting it. To do this, hold down the power
button on the robot’s head for more than 10-20 seconds. Make sure
to disconnect the robot from charging while resetting it.
On rare occasions, the robot needs more than 30 seconds to respond
to the reset procedure, so don't give up after the first failed attempt.
The robot signals a complete reset with a beep. Then it re-boots.
1 sec
2 sec
10 sec
3 h
MicroUSB
14
Charging in progress…
The robot’s ears flash red when
charging. Ending the charging
process early does not affect
the robot’s performance in any way.
Charging
Please charge the Photon Robot with the micro-USB
cable supplied in the box. The power charger is not
included in the box. You can use most mobile phone
chargers to charge your robot. We recommend
using a 2A charger. You can also charge the robot
directly from any USB port on your computer, but
charging takes longer.
The operation time on a fully charged battery:
approx. 8 hours.
Battery charging time:
up to 3 hours.
The robot has been
fully charged!
When the robot’s ears flash green,
the charging process is complete. You
can now disconnect it from the charger
and start using the robot.
002
15
III. Name (robot’s serial number)
What is the name of your Photon?
Find out your robot's name! Turn it upside down to find a silver sticker on the bottom
– this is where your robot's serial number is. Photon’s serial number consists of 14
characters, and the last three characters in the dark field mark its name. This
character sequence appears in the app when you try to connect to your robot.
IV. Design and cleaning of the robot
The special tasks robot
The Photon Robot’s housing is made of highly durable polycarbonate. Its body is fully
enclosed, making it a safe, educational aid for little children. The robot is equipped
with a wide range of sensors so that students and educators can interact with it
in many ways. Using the robot and its sensors makes classes extremely engaging,
and helps the children stay highly attentive throughout the whole class.
On the following pages, you will learn about the robot’s built-in sensors and features
and how to use them.
For more information
on connecting to the
robot see page 28.
16
The light sensor is located next to the power on/off button on the robot’s head. This sensor
helps the robot respond to different lighting conditions – it detects when it is bright or dark.
The touch sensor is located just above the Photon’s eyes. This is a proximity sensor
that reacts to touch. The Photon Robot detects gentle stroking, touching its forehead
with a finger, or placing a hand on it.
The distance sensor is located on the robot’s chest (behind the black triangle)
and allows the distance to an obstacle to be measured. The Photon can measure
a distance from 0 to 100 cm (0-40 inches), with an accuracy of 1 cm (approx. 0.5 inch).
The obstacle detection sensor is located on the robot’s chest behind the black front
triangle. Detects obstacles based on the following principle: an obstacle is / is not
at a distance of 0-30 cm (1 foot) in front of the robot.
The sound sensor is yet another built-in sensor. The robot reacts to loud sounds, i.e.,
detect clapping, stamping, or shouting.
The Photon Robot uses sounds to interact with others. It communicates with people
using a universal language of sounds of various emotions. It uses up to 75 pre-loaded
sounds, including a full range of emotions and animal sounds. In addition, users can
record up to five custom sounds themselves.
Sensors measuring distance traveled are built-in in the robot’s wheels. This way,
the Photon Robot is able to travel the programmed distance with an accuracy
of 1 cm (~0.5 inch).
What sensors and features does the robot have?
Light sensor
Magnetic
recess
Touch sensor
Distance sensor
Obstacle detection
sensor
17
Sensors that measure the rotation angle are built-in in the robot’s wheels too. Thanks
to them, the robot can rotate by a programmed angle with an accuracy of 1 degree.
Magnetic recess allow attaching external magnetic accessories. There are six
built-in magnets available. Three magnets are located in the robot’s head – one
on each side and one on the top of the head. Magnets allow you to attach all sorts
of external accessories to the robot’s head, such as masks, helmets, or hats. Three
more magnets are located on the robot’s body – on the sides and one on the back,
in special recesses. These allow you to attach additional accessories, such as a marker
holder, backpack, or trailer. We have several types of ready-made accessories on offer,
however, you can create accessories yourself – use cardboard, paper, fabric, or 3D
printed elements. Printer files for 3D printing are available on our Photon Portal.
For more information on the Photon Portal, see page 58.
Changing the colors of the robot's ears and eyes is a unique feature that allows
you to assign different meanings to the colors depending on your activity/lesson
topic. You can change the color of the ears and eyes independently to any color.
To keep basic interfaces simple and clear, you can choose one of 12 distinctive
colors. In more advanced interfaces, it is possible to set any color from the RGB
palette (256 × 256 × 256 colors in total).
The ground contrast sensors are located on the bottom of the robot. The robot reacts
to reflected light, and this works best with contrasting ground colors: white and black.
You can program the robot to perform specific actions depending on the ground's color
or to follow a thick black line on a white background (becomes a line follower).
Changing the colors
of the ears and eyes
Sound sensor
Sensors that measure
the angle of rotation
Sensors that measure
distance traveled
Sounds
Contrast sensor
The robot’s panel
18
V. Updates
Updating the robot
Every few months, along with an update to the robot controlling app, we release an update
to the robot’s firmware to improve its performance or add new features. Internet access
is not required to control the robot via the app, but it is a good idea to connect the device
to the Internet through Wi-Fi or a mobile data transfer to check for updates.
Advice
Whenever a software update is available for your robot, you will receive a notification
message. We recommend that you always have the latest version of the Photon EDU
app installed on your device.
19
Information about updates to the robot is sent as in-app messages. Click Update!
to start the process. Once the update has started, the app may ask you to agree
to a Bluetooth reset on some devices -this feature ensures the update process
completes successfully. An update progress bar appears on your device’s screen.
At the same time, the robot's ears and eyes flash alternately. The update should take
no longer than 2 minutes. Please do not turn off your robot and/or do not charge
it at this time. At the end of the process, you will need to reset the Bluetooth again
– the app does it automatically, but for some devices, you have to allow it by giving
permission on pop-up screens.
Upon successful upgrade, the robot will restart. Completion confirmation will show
up in the app. Now you can connect to your Photon Robot and start learning together.
20
VI. Cleaning
Taking care of the Photon Robot
The robot’s housing is made of highly durable polycarbonate, which is extremely resistant
to damage and contamination. That does not change the fact, we recommend cleaning
your robot regularly. Use a cloth and a window cleaner or water with dish washing
detergent to clean the robot. Remember to give a thorough clean to the black triangle
on the robot’s chest so it can correctly detect obstacles in its path. To remove difficult
stains or marks (e.g., permanent marker or glue), use isopropyl alcohol (often called
‘rubbing alcohol’). Using it does not cause discoloration. You can clean the front wheel
by removing fluff from the bearings with tweezers when necessary.
Important!
Aggressive cleaning agents, such as acetone, must NOT be used to clean the robot!
This strong solvent can damage the Photon’s body.
The
Photon EDU App