Course Outline
Level
For absolute beginners, suitable if you are completely new to programming. Students will be guided as needed to complete the programming tasks.
Suitable For
Adults, Teenagers, Kids
Description
Build a remote controlled robot powered by a BBC Microbit.
Detail
Anatomy of a Robot
We will examine a robot like the one you will build to understand the component parts.
Working with the Micro:bit
This small, cheap microcontroller will be the brains of the robot. You will plug it in and see how it works, creating a simple program to control some lights.
Selecting the Components
You will consider the mechanics and design the robot body. You will select from a range of body shapes and sizes, motor speeds and wheel sizes.
Assembling the Robot
You will assemble the robot, adding a motor controller board and wiring the components together.
Basic Programming
You will program your robot to make simple movements.
Remote Control
You will learn how to program another Micro:bit to work as a remote control using the radio function.
Tweaking, testing and optimisation
You will make changes and test the robot. Students working at a faster pace can add additional robot actions and enhancements.
Competition time!
Finally, pit your remote driving skills against other students and their robots in the obstacle course!
Other activities
If time permits students can add other components and sensors to their robot to extend its capabilities or add a gamepad to improve the remote control capabilities. Students can also customise the design of the robot.
Duration
10 hours (usually over 2 days)
Price
Prices depend on location. See individual dates for details.
Skills you will pick up in the course
Key skill categories
- Robotics
- Electronics
- Engineering
- Problem solving
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to
- Explain the overall workings of a simple remote controlled robot.
- Describe the physical design principles for a wheeled robot.
- Breakdown complex computational problems into manageable tasks.
- Understand and apply the capabilities of the Microbit and various components
- Write code to implement robotic behaviours.
Dates
Note that the course content may vary slightly from location to location. Please check the external link the exact course content.