Resources¶

All course materials, starter code, tests, and reference guides are organized by week below.

Course Environment Setup¶

Required Software & Configuration¶

Before starting the course, you need to set up your development environment. This section covers Python installation, library configuration, and optional IDE setup.

System Requirements¶

Operating System: Windows, macOS, or Linux
Python Version: Python 3.8 or newer (64-bit)
Important: Some specific Python versions may be incompatible with certain ROS2 or library versions. If you encounter compatibility issues, consult the library documentation or course support.
Hardware: Modern laptop/desktop (for later ROS2 and simulation work, a dedicated GPU or recent integrated graphics is recommended)

1. Install Python 3¶

Download Python 3 from python.org and install the 64-bit version for your operating system.

Windows-specific: During installation, check "Add Python to PATH" to make Python accessible from the command prompt.

macOS/Linux: Python may already be installed. Check by opening Terminal and running:

python3 --version

2. Test Your Installation¶

Open a terminal/command prompt and test Python:

python --version
# or
python3 --version

You should see output like:

Python 3.10.5

To enter the Python interactive shell, type python or python3. Exit with exit().

3. Install Python Libraries¶

The course requires NumPy at minimum. Install it via pip:

pip install numpy
# or
pip3 install numpy

Optional but recommended: - pytest (unit testing framework):

pip install pytest

OpenCV (computer vision, useful for later robotics modules):
```
pip install opencv-python
```

4. (Later Weeks) ROS2 Setup¶

ROS2 (Robot Operating System 2) is introduced in Week 10. For Go2 robot integration, you'll need:

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (recommended) or compatible Linux distribution
ROS2 Humble or newer
Go2 SDK (Unitree-specific tools and libraries)

Detailed ROS2 setup instructions will be provided in Week 10 materials.

5. Troubleshooting¶

Problem: Python not found in terminal - Solution: Reinstall Python with "Add to PATH" option (Windows) or verify installation path (macOS/Linux)

Problem: pip not found - Solution: Use python -m pip instead of pip, or reinstall Python with setuptools included

Problem: Import errors (ModuleNotFoundError) - Solution: Ensure required libraries are installed: pip install numpy pytest

Week 1: Unit Testing & Binary Search¶

Exercise Files¶

Exercism: Binary Search¶

Source: Exercism Python Track

[Files not yet added to resources - download from Exercism]

Week 2: Advanced Testing & Algorithms¶

Instructor Materials¶

String Interning Jupyter Notebook¶

File: string-interning-notebook.ipynb
Purpose: Interactive lecturer-led demonstration of Python object model and string interning
Topics: Object references, id(), string interning, mutable vs immutable, comparison operators

Exercise Files¶

Exercism: Tisbury Treasure Hunt¶

Starter Code: tuples.py
Test File: tuples_test.py
Source: Exercism Python Track

Exercism: Change¶

Starter Code: change.py
Test File: change_test.py
Source: Exercism Python Track

Week 3: Professional Testing Environment¶

Exercise Files¶

Mecha Munch Management (Dictionary Methods)¶

Starter Code: dict_methods.py
Test File: dict_methods_test.py
Test Data: dict_methods_test_data.py
Source: Exercism Python Track

Week 4: Object-Oriented Programming & RobotBase Assessment¶

Assessment Files¶

RobotBase Implementation (Competency-Based)¶

Specification: robot-base-specification.md - What you need to implement
Starter Code: robot-base-starter.py - Save as solution.py
Test File: robot-base-tests.py - Run with pytest robot-base-tests.py -v
Sample Solution: sample-solution.py - Reference implementation
Assessment Guide: assessment-KAD/AT2-Session-4-RobotBase-Implementation.md
Marking Guide: assessment-KAD/AT2-Session-4-RobotBase-Marking-Guide.md

Reference Guides¶

Unit Testing Guide - Comprehensive reference for unittest framework

Additional Learning Resources¶

Exercism Python Track - Free practice platform
Python unittest Documentation - Official docs
CS50 Harvard - Comprehensive Python course