Connect code to sensors, motors, circuits, and safe physical systems.
Robotics foundations
Status: Hardware-aware outline. Simulation is the default when hardware is unavailable.
Prerequisites
- Python conditions, loops, functions, and debugging
- Basic measurement units and graphs
- Adult supervision for powered circuits, batteries, and moving parts
Learning objectives
- explain how sensors, controllers, actuators, and power systems interact;
- build a sensor-to-action loop in simulation before hardware;
- represent behavior with states and explicit safety conditions; and
- measure uncertainty, latency, and failure behavior.
Ordered subtopics
- Electricity, circuits, and power safety
- Microcontrollers and GPIO
- Digital and analog signals
- LEDs, buttons, and serial communication
- Distance, light, temperature, and motion sensors
- Servos, DC motors, encoders, and motor drivers
- Sense-plan-act programs
- Finite-state machines and event loops
- Feedback and proportional control
- Simulation, logging, and emergency stops
Planned projects: traffic light, line follower, obstacle avoider, and sensor station.
Completion evidence
Demonstrate a sensor-to-action loop, explain the units and uncertainty of the sensor, include an emergency stop or safe shutdown, and show behavior in at least one unexpected condition.
Best practices
- Disconnect power before changing wiring.
- Test one component and one sensor at a time.
- Keep units and coordinate directions explicit.
- Simulate and limit speed before testing moving hardware.
- Make stop behavior safe when a sensor is missing or contradictory.