Python teaching series:

Python for Makers and Other Hominids; Virtual Rover Bot

Thursday, Feb 28 6:00 -8:00 at the ATX hackerspace

$80.00 per session for non members and $40 per session for ATX members. To get the member discount pay at the class. To register for non-members pay through eventrbite.

Description - Vitrual Rover Bot

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We will use the classic X-Y plotter (turtle) to act as a rover that searches an arena in your computer. The vitrual bot will search according to algorithmic rules that you write in python! ** You will learn python while doing as you write algorithms to search a simple space and make decisions based on data that your rover collects and stores in the python builtin objects. **

This is the third in a series intended to teach you the essential basics of programming using Python and how to apply these basics to **make cool things**. The course can be taken a-la-carte based on the topic or can be attended regularly to become a well rounded python coder. I will cover all aspects of python language over the series.

In the virtual rover class

  • Learn about the key components of python
  • code search algorythims in python
  • record algorithmic behavior with the X-Y plotter turtle
  • Come prepared to learn by doing the fundamentals class require a heavy amout of hands on practices.
  • Get lots of practice

The class will be taught on your laptop by leveraging jupyter notebooks and the Anaconda Package manager. You must bring a laptop to take this class.

About Python

Python is an open source language that will run on a variety of platforms. With this class you’ll be able to write programs for Raspberry Pi, the web, Windows PCs, and many other applications. The basics taught in this class will relate to many other programming languages. Let this class be a stepping stone to help you with your own projects or even a career in programming.

Your instructor

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Gunnar Kleemann will be teaching this class. Gunnar holds a PhD in genetics and a Masters in Data science. Gunnar is a faculty member UC Berkeley’s Masters in Data Science (MIDS) and has been teaching Python for data science the last 3 years and. He currently runs Austin Capital Data from the ATX Hackerspace and is the a Principal Data Scientist with Berkeley Data Science Group.

Details

This is a two hour course held every other Thursday (600-800PM)

Class Size Min 2 Max 15

Biweekly schedule (tentative)

  • 1/31 Applications Class 1 - Computer Generated Art with Python
  • 2/14 Fundamentals Class 2 - Built in objects and types
  • 2/28 Applications Class 3 - Search strategies and the virtual rover
  • 3/14 Fundamentals Class 4 - Flow control and functions
  • 3/28 Applications Class 5 - TBA
  • 4/11 Fundamentals Class 6 - Data loading and visualization
  • 4/25 Applications Class 7 - TBA

getting to the hackerspace

The hackerspace is located at 3701 Dessau Rd. Bldg 3 - dirve to the back of the lot and make a right, the hackerspace main entrance is on the right.


  • image credit: http://www.sclance.com/pngs/python-logo-png