KevsRobots Learning Platform

Robotics 101

64% Percent Complete

Skills and Knowledge

What you’ll need to know to build robots and bring them to life

By Kevin McAleer,    2 Minutes


Skills and Knowledge Venn diagram

Design - Making the physical robot

Programming - Writing the code to control the robot

Electronics - Send and receive signals to the sensors and motors


Design & Engineering

How to build a robot.

Building a robot requires:

  • A design or blueprint
  • Practical skills
  • Materials & parts - wheels, filament, glue,
  • Tools & Machinery, a 3d printer
  • Time, Patience and practice

SMARS is a 3d Printed Robot, the designs can be found at: https://www.smarsfan.com

SMARS robot


Programming

What is a program?

  • A program is a list of human-readable instructions for the computer to carry out
  • A program is written in a computer language, such as Python, Javascript, C++
  • Programs can also constructed visually, using blocks in software such as Scratch

An example program, written in Python:

Python code example


Electronics

How to wire up a robot Electronics skills & Knowledge:

  • How a circuit works
  • Voltage, Current, Resistance
  • Common components
  • Batteries
  • Connectors
  • Protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART

SMARS uses off-the-shelf components, so is easy to wire up

SMARS robot


< Previous Next >