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Complete beginner

A robot that avoids obstacles and follows a line. 26 lessons · ~14.1 h · Ages 12+, no experience

What is a robot?Sense, think, act (the control loop)Types of robotsSafety in roboticsThinking like an engineerVoltage, current and resistanceOhm's lawSeries and parallel circuitsUsing a breadboardYour first circuit: light an LEDUsing a multimeterPowering your robotChoosing your first kitArduino UNOArduino C++ basicsProject: blink and buttonWhat is a sensor?Buttons, switches and bump sensorsDC and geared motorsMotor drivers and H-bridgesServo motorsConditional logic (if / else)Ultrasonic distance sensorsObstacle-avoiding robotIR line sensorsLine-following robot
NowWhat is a robot?Foundations · Beginner · 15 min
GoalA robot that avoids obstacles and follows a line
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All lessons

  1. What is a robot?Foundations · Beginner · 15 minA simple, useful definition of a robot and how to tell a robot from an ordinary machine.
  2. Sense, think, act (the control loop)Foundations · Beginner · 20 minHow every robot runs the same loop, input → process → output, many times per second.
  3. Types of robotsFoundations · Beginner · 15 minMobile robots, robot arms, humanoids, drones and more, and what each is good at.
  4. Safety in roboticsFoundations · Beginner · 20 minThe safety rules for electricity, batteries, tools and moving robots that every builder follows.
  5. Thinking like an engineerFoundations · Beginner · 20 minThe engineering design process (ask, imagine, plan, build, test, improve) and the habits that make debugging easier.
  6. Voltage, current and resistanceElectronics · Beginner · 25 minThe three ideas behind every circuit, explained with a water-pipe analogy.
  7. Ohm's lawElectronics · Beginner · 25 minV = I × R, the one equation you'll use in every robot circuit, with worked examples.
  8. Series and parallel circuitsElectronics · Beginner · 25 minHow current and voltage behave when parts are connected in a chain or side by side.
  9. Using a breadboardElectronics · Beginner · 20 minHow breadboards are connected inside, and how to build circuits on one without soldering.
  10. Your first circuit: light an LEDElectronics · Beginner · 30 minPick the right resistor for an LED, wire it on a breadboard and add a push button.
  11. Using a multimeterElectronics · Beginner · 25 minMeasure voltage, current, resistance and continuity, the essential debugging tool.
  12. Powering your robotElectronics · Beginner · 30 minChoose batteries, estimate run time, and power motors and microcontrollers without resets or damage.
  13. Choosing your first kitPlatforms · Beginner · 15 minCompare Arduino, micro:bit, LEGO and VEX by age, budget and goals, and pick the right first kit.
  14. Arduino UNOPlatforms · Beginner · 30 minGet to know the Arduino UNO board, install the Arduino IDE and upload your first program.
  15. Arduino C++ basicsProgramming · Beginner · 40 minsetup(), loop(), pins, delays, variables, if statements and the Serial Monitor, explained line by line.
  16. Project: blink and buttonProjects · Beginner · 45 minYour first Arduino project. Wire an LED and a push button, then program a light that responds to you.
  17. What is a sensor?Sensors · Beginner · 20 minHow sensors turn the world into numbers, and the difference between digital and analog signals.
  18. Buttons, switches and bump sensorsSensors · Beginner · 25 minRead buttons reliably with pull-up resistors and debouncing, and use switches as bump sensors.
  19. DC and geared motorsActuators · Beginner · 25 minHow DC motors spin, how speed and torque trade off, and how to choose a gear motor for a robot.
  20. Motor drivers and H-bridgesActuators · Beginner · 30 minControl motor direction with an H-bridge and speed with PWM, using drivers like the L298N and TB6612FNG.
  21. Servo motorsActuators · Beginner · 25 minMove to an exact angle with a hobby servo: how they work, how to code them and how to power several.
  22. Conditional logic (if / else)Control & autonomy · Beginner · 25 minMake a robot respond to its sensors with if, else if, else, comparisons and logical operators.
  23. Ultrasonic distance sensorsSensors · Beginner · 30 minMeasure distance with sound echoes using the HC-SR04, and use it to avoid obstacles.
  24. Obstacle-avoiding robotProjects · Beginner · 2 hBuild a robot that roams a room and steers around obstacles with an ultrasonic sensor.
  25. IR line sensorsSensors · Beginner · 25 minHow reflected infrared light detects a black line, and how two sensors steer a robot.
  26. Line-following robotProjects · Beginner · 2–3 hBuild, wire, program and tune a two-sensor line follower, then upgrade it with proportional control.