Section outline

  • 🧠 Programming Basics – Giving Brains to Robots

    So far, we’ve learned that sensors gather data and actuators perform actions. But how does a robot decide what to do? That’s where programming comes in — it’s like giving the robot a brain!

    • 💡 What is Programming?

      Programming is the process of writing instructions that a robot (or any computer) can follow.

      Think of it like this:

      Sensor: "I see a wall!"

      Program: "If you see a wall, turn left."
      Actuator: Turns the robot left

      Just like a recipe tells you what to do step-by-step when cooking, a program tells a robot exactly what to do, when, and how.

      🔄 The Sense-Think-Act Cycle

      Most robots follow this simple cycle:

      1. Sense – Get data from the environment using sensors.

      2. Think – Process that data using logic or rules.

      3. Act – Trigger an actuator to move or respond.

      💡 Example: Obstacle Avoidance Robot

      • Sense: Ultrasonic sensor detects an object 10 cm away.

      • Think: "If object is closer than 15 cm, stop and turn."

      • Act: Robot stops and turns using its wheels.

      This cycle happens again and again — sometimes 100 times every second!

    • 🧱 Programming with Logic Blocks (for Beginners)

      For school-level learners, many kits use block-based coding like:

      • Scratch

      • Blockly

      • Arduino blocks

       

      🔲 These look like colorful puzzle pieces:

      [IF] distance < 15 cm
           ⮡ [THEN] stop and turn right

       

      This helps young learners understand programming without needing to type complicated code.

    • 🧮 Understanding Simple Logic

      Let’s break down a few key concepts:

      Concept What it Means Example
      if Check a condition If button is pressed
      else Do something different if condition is false Else, keep moving
      loop Repeat something Keep checking distance
      variable Store information distance = 10 cm

      🧠 Robots are not clever on their own — they follow exactly what you write. No more, no less!

      🔌 Programming Languages Used in Robotics

      Here are some common languages and where you might see them:

      Language Where It's Used
      Blockly Educational kits like LEGO, Arduino IDE blocks
      Scratch Beginner platforms and games
      Arduino C Microcontroller programming (e.g., Arduino boards)
      Python Popular in advanced robotics and AI
      ROS (Robot Operating System) Used in real-world robots and research

       

      📌 Key Takeaways

      • Programming gives robots decision-making ability.

      • The sense-think-act cycle is the brain of robotics behavior.

      • Simple logic like "if-else" and loops can create smart behavior.

      • You don’t need to be a coder to start — even block coding works!