Day 1: Robot Birth + Dead Reckoning

Robotics Engineer Pathway · Build a real autonomous machine and make it move on command
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1. Spark: Robot Unboxing

Woven notebook: open your notebook now. As you move through this phase, write your answers to every reflection, prediction, and inventory question before moving on. Sketch the kit contents. Your notebook is the record of your thinking - and your engineering log for the next 4 days.

Welcome to Cyber:bot Engineering Camp. For the next 4 days you will build, code, and battle a real autonomous robot. The cyber:bot in your hands is not a toy. It is a real microcontroller (a small computer chip on a circuit board) running the same architecture that colleges use to teach automation, robotics, and cybersecurity. By the end of camp, your robot will move on its own, sense its environment, and talk to other robots over the air. Today is Day 1: birth. We get the hardware breathing.

Real-world stakes: A Mars rover engineer at NASA-JPL once said: 'Every line of code we write has to survive the cruelest test environment in the solar system - 140 million miles from the nearest screwdriver.' If a wire is loose on Earth, you fix it. On Mars, the rover is dead. That is why robotics engineers learn to BUILD before they CODE. Today, you build.
Returning students: welcome back. Your robot is already built. At each session's Build phase you can skip past the assembly and jump to the ★ ADVANCED CHALLENGE callout (gold). Those are tuned for you - differential calibration, cybersecurity eavesdropping attacks, 3D-printed accessories. New students: ignore the ★ callouts on first pass. Work the base build first. If you finish early, your facilitator will green-light you to try one. Everyone: the Padlet portfolio still works the same. By Friday you have 4 video clips that show your week.
1Read the welcome above (~1 min). Now meet the hook story below.
The Hook: In 2008 a 22-year-old Caltech student named Bob Balaram was on the team that built the first Mars rover, Sojourner. His job? Drive it. Not with a joystick - with code. He had to predict every meter the rover would roll, every degree it would turn, before the robot ever left Earth. They called it dead reckoning - moving by code and timing alone, no sensors yet. If a wheel slipped or a rock was in the way, the rover got stuck. That is exactly what your cyber:bot will do today. Build it. Code it to drive a square. Watch what goes wrong.
2Watch the 2-minute unboxing video below. Then pull every part out of your kit and lay them on the table.

Parallax cyber:bot Unboxing

Watch this short unboxing before you tear into your kit. CYBER. ORG walks through every component you are about to pull out of the box. Pause when you see something you do not recognize.

Master curriculum - the entire camp is driven by these Parallax tutorials: https://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/grade/grades-9/cyberbot/ Two tracks (you will use MakeCode for this camp): - MakeCode series: https://learn.parallax.com/book_collection/cyberbot-makecode-tutorial-series/ - Python series (optional for advanced kids): https://learn.parallax.com/book_collection/cyberbot-tutorial-series/ Each day of camp scaffolds you through specific lessons from the MakeCode series. The lessons are the curriculum; the workshop is the camp pacing.
Where we are in the arc: Day 1 · BUILD - Robot birth + dead reckoning (today) Day 2 · SENSE - Whiskers + maze navigation Day 3 · TALK - IR + radio communication Day 4 · COMPETE - Final mission + tournament showcase Today's cross-cutting theme: HARDWARE BEFORE SOFTWARE. Code is useless without a body. The first thing every roboticist does is build the body and prove it works.

Today's Big Question

How do code and hardware translate into physical movement? Today you will learn the answer with your own two hands.

3Open your kit. Do NOT start assembling yet. Pull every piece out and lay it on the table. Use your inventory checklist to confirm you have everything. If something is missing, raise your hand.
4In your notebook, sketch the cyber:bot you THINK these parts will become. You have not seen the assembled robot yet - just guess. 60 seconds, no erasing.
5Name your robot with your partner. Write the name + a 1-sentence personality on the gold slip on your table. Tape the slip to the front of your kit.

2. Hardware Sprint: Build the Body

Woven notebook: keep your notebook open during the build. Sketch each major sub-assembly as you finish it. When something does not work, write 1 sentence in your notebook: what failed, what you tried, what fixed it. This is your engineering log.
1Watch the 12-min cyber:bot Build video (below) ONCE start to finish before you touch a screwdriver. Time check: 12 min, then we build.

Step-by-step cyber:bot Build (CYBER. ORG, 12 min)

Your visual reference for the entire build. Watch in full first.

Materials check (1 min)

★ Advanced Challenge - already done this base build before? Differential Calibration Troubleshooting Every cyber:bot rolls at a slightly different rate. Set servo speeds to pin18=75 + pin19=-75 and watch what happens - the bot WILL drift left or right. It will not go straight. Your job: find the magic pair of numbers that makes YOUR specific bot drive straight. Try pin18=75 + pin19=-78. Then 74/-76. Iterate until the bot drives a 3-meter straight line within 10 cm of the line. This is the SAME troubleshooting professional roboticists do every day at iRobot, Tesla, and SpaceX. Every motor has slight manufacturing variance; you tune around it. Document your magic numbers in your notebook. Time-box: 15 min max. New students: ignore this callout. Stick with the base build above.
Safety - read this once: 1. RED wires = positive (+). BLACK wires = negative (-). Reversed = fried servo. 2. Do not install AAs until your facilitator has checked your wiring. 3. Red BLINKING power LED = weak batteries. Swap them.
Source of truth - Parallax MakeCode course: Build your cyber:bot (Rev C Board) Master link: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/ ROUND 1 - Chassis (~25 min): 1.0 Meet the cyber:bot board: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/meet-the-cyberbot-board_makecode/ 1.1 Connect micro:bit to Rev C board: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/connect-the-microbit-to-a-rev-c-board_makecode/ 1.2 Center the Servos First: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/center-the-servos-first_makecode/ 1.3 Build the chassis: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/build-the-chassis_makecode/
2Do ROUND 1 lessons above. Your chassis should be solid - no wobble. Come back here when done.
ROUND 2 - Electronics + BLINK test (~45 min): 1.4 Add the Topside Hardware: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/add-the-topside-hardware_makecode/ 1.5 Remove the Servo Horns: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/remove-the-servo-horns_makecode/ 1.6 Install the Servos: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/install-the-servos_makecode/ 1.7 Install the Battery Pack: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/install-the-battery-pack_makecode/ 1.8 Attach the Wheels: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/attach-the-wheels_makecode/ 1.9 Attach Board to Chassis: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/attach-board-to-chassis_makecode/ 1.10 BLINK test - proof of life: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/build-your-cyberbot-rev-c-board_makecode/lessons/the-cyberbot-system_makecode/
Stop. Raise your hand BEFORE powering on - facilitator must check your servo wiring.
3Got facilitator green light? Continue with lessons 1.4-1.10 (~45 min). Aim for the BLINK test.
BLINK passed? Your bot just did its first action. You took a kit of parts and gave it a heartbeat. Pause. Celebrate. Then head to Phase 3.

3. First Move: Code the Square

Woven notebook: open to a fresh page. Draw a 1-meter square. Label each side with target time + target servo speed. As you test, write the actual time and what you adjusted between trials. This is your calibration log.

Today's goal: drive a 1-meter square. 4 forwards + 4 turns. No sensors yet - just timing.

The challenge: get your bot to close the square within 10 cm of where it started. Time-box: 45 min total. The teams that win iterate FASTER, not LONGER.
Source of truth - Navigation with the cyber:bot: Master: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/navigation-with-the-cyberbot_makecode/ 4 quick lessons (~20 min total). Do them in order: 1.0 Are the Servos Centered?: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/navigation-with-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/are-the-servos-centered_makecode/ 1.1 Servo Direction: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/navigation-with-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/servo-direction_makecode/ 1.2 Forward and Backward: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/navigation-with-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/forward-and-backward_makecode/ 1.3 Left and Right Turns: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/navigation-with-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/left-and-right-turns_makecode/
1Do all 4 lessons (~20 min). You should now have 4 working blocks: forward, backward, turn left, turn right. Come back here.
Workshop bonus: Square Calculator (below). Predicts the EXACT timings to type into your forward + turn blocks. Defaults match the stock kit - just click CALCULATE.
2Open the Calculator (above, 2 min). Click CALCULATE. Write Forward Time and Turn Time in your notebook. Use those in your MakeCode code.

Predict before you run

31-min prediction. Fill in the blank: 'My square will miss by ___ cm because ___.' That is it. Done? Move to the test.

Run the square

4Build the square in MakeCode (4x forward + 4x turn right). Flash. Place at the masking-tape corner. Press reset. Watch.
5Measure the closing gap in cm. Compare gut vs Calculator vs reality. Write 1 sentence: what pushed it off course.
Did your square miss? 9 out of 10 times the culprit is SERVO CREEP - one wheel keeps rolling at speed 0. Code can't fix it. Screwdriver can. Next 5 min.

Center the servos (5 min)

6Do Parallax lesson 1.0 again (this time as a fix, not intro). Put bot on a book. Speed = 0. Nudge the recessed center-pot screw 1/8 turn until BOTH wheels are still.
7Re-flash square code. Re-run. The error should shrink. Log new error next to first trial.
8Tune time-box: 10 MINUTES MAX. Change ONE timing or speed value. Re-flash. Re-run. Stop at 10 min - you only get 2 official trials in Phase 4 anyway.
Square closing within 10 cm? Outstanding. You just calibrated a real robot. Take Phase 4 with confidence.
★ Advanced Challenge - already done this base build before? Drive a Figure-8 (much harder than a square) A figure-8 is two circles tangent to each other. Your bot has to drive ONE full circle, transition smoothly, then drive a SECOND circle in the opposite direction. The transition is the hard part - servo speeds have to change in sync with no pause. Try: forward at speed 70 with left wheel slightly slower than right (e.g., 65 vs 75). After 4 sec, swap the servo speeds (75 vs 65) and run another 4 sec. Tune the speeds + times until the bot traces a clean figure-8. Time-box: 15 min max. Film a 30-sec clip if it works and add it to the Padlet (caption: 'figure-8 challenge'). New students: ignore this callout. Stick with the base build above.

4. The Square Challenge - Class Showdown

Woven notebook: write your trial 1 + trial 2 closing error here. After the showdown, write your answer to the big question: why did every robot turn differently when we all wrote the same code?
Copy this scoreboard into your Woven notebook BEFORE the showdown starts. Sketch the column headers neatly on a fresh page. As pairs run, fill in their pair name + error. Your facilitator will fill the same scoreboard on the whiteboard.
Day 1 Square Challenge Scoreboard
Pair NameRobot NameTrial 1 Error (cm)Trial 2 Error (cm)Best (cm)
How to use the Mission Scoreboard app: this is a class-shared digital scoreboard. After each pair runs, your facilitator will type the pair name + best error into the app and a leaderboard will sort live.
1Open the Mission Scoreboard (above). When it is your turn, walk your robot to the marked start corner and press reset. Your facilitator will measure your closing error and enter it into the scoreboard.
2Run trial 1. Note your error in your notebook AND on the class table.
3Make ONE change to your code OR ONE physical adjustment (servo center, wheel friction). Run trial 2. Note your error.

The Big Reflection

Stake of the day: You and every other pair wrote the SAME code. Drive forward 2000 ms, turn 600 ms, repeat 4 times. Yet every robot ended up in a different spot. WHY? This is the question that built sensors. NASA's first Mars rover ran dead-reckoning - it failed within 5 meters because rocks and slopes pushed reality off-course. Modern Roombas, self-driving cars, and surgical robots all use sensors to CORRECT for the gap between code and reality. Tomorrow you will install whiskers - your robot's first sense of touch.
4In your notebook, write 3 bullets answering: (1) Why did every robot turn differently? (2) What ONE thing pushed your robot off course the most? (3) What kind of sensor would have caught it?
✓ DONE? Drop your win to the class Padlet. Your bot just attempted a 1-meter square. Show it off. Pull out your phone, film 15-30 seconds, and post it. By Friday you have a 4-clip portfolio. This is your dopamine hit. Take it.
5Record your video (15-30 seconds). Your bot driving its 1-meter square (or the closest attempt). FILM TIP: hold your phone HIGH ENOUGH that the full 1-meter square fits in the frame (a top-down or 45-degree-from-above angle works best). The viewer needs to see the bot's WHOLE PATH and where it closes (or misses) the square. A close-up of just spinning wheels does not tell the story. You can hold the phone yourself or have your partner film while you talk.
6Open the Padlet (below). Click the + button. Fill in: - SUBJECT: "Day 1 - <RobotName> - Square Challenge run" - BODY (1-2 sentences): name your robot, your best closing error in cm, and what you tuned between trial 1 and trial 2 (servo center, forward time, turn time) - ATTACH: your video clip. Hit Publish. Your facilitator approves and the post goes live in the class portfolio.

5. Wrap + Career Connection

Woven notebook: as you watch the career video, write 1 sentence: what did you see in this engineer's job that connects to what you did today?

Career Connection - Hardware Engineer

Inside An Apple Lab That Makes Custom Chips For iPhone And Mac

CNBC tour of Apple's silicon engineering lab. The custom chips Apple designs for every iPhone and Mac are built using the same engineering loop you ran today: design, simulate, prototype, test, fix.

Career Bridge - Hardware / Chip Engineer: Role: Hardware Engineer (chip / embedded systems). Who hires: Apple, NVIDIA, Tesla, AMD, Intel, every consumer electronics company, every car company, every medical device company. Starting salary: ~140-180k in California right out of a 4-year electrical or computer engineering degree. Skill bridge from today: you wired up servos to a microcontroller and proved the chain (battery -> chip -> servo -> wheel). That is exactly the chain a hardware engineer at Apple wires up between the battery, the M-series chip, and the Face ID camera. Same logic, bigger scale.
1In your notebook, write your Day 1 reflection: (1) the hardest moment today, (2) the most surprising moment, (3) one thing you want to remember tomorrow when you add whiskers.
Tomorrow: your robot grows a sense of touch. We will build whiskers (real bumper sensors) on the breadboard, code the robot to feel walls, and run an Escape Room maze. Bring your notebook. Bring your robot.
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Day 2: Tactical Sensing + The Maze

Mechanical Engineer Pathway · Give your robot a sense of touch
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1. Spark: Robots that Feel

Woven notebook: open your notebook. Today every prediction, sketch, and trial result goes here. You will use yesterday's calibration log too - keep that page bookmarked.

Welcome to Day 2. Yesterday your robot moved. Today your robot FEELS. We will install whiskers - real bumper sensors that detect when the bot bumps into something - and code the robot to navigate a cardboard maze using touch alone. By the end of today, your bot has its first sense.

Where we are in the arc: Day 1 · BUILD - Robot birth + dead reckoning (yesterday) Day 2 · SENSE - Whiskers + maze (TODAY) Day 3 · TALK - IR + radio communication Day 4 · COMPETE - Final mission + tournament Today's cross-cutting theme: SENSE BEFORE ACT. Yesterday you proved that pure code without sensors fails. Today we fix that.
Real-world stakes: A Roomba does not have eyes. It has bump sensors - the simplest of all robotic senses, almost identical to the whiskers you will build today. The same touch logic keeps surgical robots from over-pressing on tissue, keeps warehouse robots from crushing packages, and keeps hospital delivery robots from bumping into nurses. Touch is the FIRST sense any robot needs - and the cheapest.
Look over to the corner of the room. Your facilitator has built a cardboard MAZE for you - water bottles and small cardboard boxes forming a winding corridor about 8 feet by 8 feet on the floor. You will not enter it today. Today you build the whiskers. TOMORROW (or later this afternoon, depending on schedule), you walk over to it in Phase 3 and your robot has to navigate it using only the whiskers you are about to build. Preview the maze floor plan below so you know what is coming.
1Open the Maze Blueprint (above). Trace the dashed path with your finger. Count the 4 turns. Notice the corridor width (~20 inches) and the wall material (cardboard boxes). Your facilitator built it before class - you do NOT build it. You navigate it.

Today's Big Question

How can a robot react to things it cannot see? Today you give your robot the simplest sense possible - touch - and watch how much smarter it gets.

2Power up your robot from yesterday. Run your Day 1 square code one time. Confirm it still works. If not, troubleshoot now (battery first, code second).
3Predict in your notebook: a kitten in a dark room can navigate without bumping into walls. WHY? What does the kitten do that you could code into your robot? Sketch + 1 sentence.

2. Whisker Build

Woven notebook: sketch the whisker wiring as you build it. Label every wire color. When you test, write the digital input value you see for each whisker state (touching wall, not touching). This is how engineers prove a circuit works.

Today's build: wire 2 whiskers (metal switches on the front of your bot). When the bot bumps a wall, the whisker triggers.

1Watch the 5-min Whisker Build video (below). Time check: 5 min, then we wire.

Cyber Literacy: Whisker Build (CYBER. ORG, 5 min)

Visual reference. Replay sections as you wire.

Materials check (1 min)

Safety: whisker wire tips are sharp. Handle from the bent end. DO NOT power on while wiring.
Source of truth - Parallax MakeCode course: Touch Navigation for the cyber:bot Master link: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/ ROUND 1 - Build the circuit (~25 min): 1.0 Build the Whisker Circuits: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/build-the-whisker-circuits_makecode/ 1.1 How Whisker Switches Work: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/how-whisker-switches-work_makecode/
2Do ROUND 1 lessons above. Both whiskers wired + you understand the circuit. Come back here when done.
ROUND 2 - Test in MakeCode (~15 min): 1.2 Testing the Whiskers: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/testing-the-whiskers_makecode/ 1.3 How the Whisker Test Code Works: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/how-the-whisker-test-code-works_makecode/
3Do ROUND 2 lessons above (~15 min). When both whiskers register on the LED grid, you are done with this round.
Stop. Raise your hand. Facilitator inspects wiring BEFORE you power on.
Whiskers registering on the LED grid? Your bot can FEEL. That's the first sense it has ever had.
4Celebrate your first sense (30 sec). Now jump to the Whisker Decision Trainer below to lock in your maze logic.
Workshop bonus: Whisker Decision Trainer (below). Click each of 4 states, pick the action, CHECK MY ANSWER. Lock all 4 green. ~5 min.
5Lock all 4 states in the trainer (5 min). Copy the final table into your notebook - it is the brain of your maze code in Phase 3.

3. The Maze - Wall Following

Woven notebook: write your maze run trial log here. Trial 1: did the bot make it through? Trial 2: what did you change? Trial 3: same. The pattern of changes is your engineering log.

Today's challenge: code your bot to navigate the cardboard maze (8 ft x 8 ft) using ONLY the whiskers. Time-box: 60 min.

1Watch the 90-sec Parallax demo below. This is your bot's success state.

cyber:bot with touch sensitive whiskers (Parallax Inc., 90 sec)

What your bot will do by end of phase.

Trace the maze with your finger BEFORE you code. Open the Blueprint (below) and count the 4 turns. ~2 min.
2Open the Blueprint. Trace the dashed path. Sketch the maze in your notebook (~2 min).
Source of truth - Parallax MakeCode course: Touch Navigation lessons 1.4-1.7 (maze code) Master link: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/ ROUND 1 - Basic back-up + turn (~20 min): 1.4 Navigating by Touch: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/navigating-by-touch_makecode/ 1.5 How Navigating by Touch Code Works: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/how-the-navigating-by-touch-code-works_makecode/
3Do ROUND 1 lessons above. Bot drives forward + reacts to one whisker hit. Come back here when done.
ROUND 2 - Handle dead ends (~15 min): 1.6 Escaping Corners: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/escaping-corners_makecode/ 1.7 How Escaping Corners Works: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/touch-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/how-escaping-corners-works_makecode/

Predict before you run

41-min prediction. Fill in: 'My bot will finish the maze in ___ seconds. The hardest spot will be ___.'

Run + iterate (time-boxed: 20 min)

5Trial 1: flash code, place bot at start, watch. Log time + where it got stuck.
6Iterate: spend up to 20 MIN MAX. ONE change per trial (longer back-up, longer turn, faster speed). Aim for 3 trials. Stop at 20 min.
Bot through the maze? Your code beat the corridor. That's reactive control - same architecture as a Roomba. Big win.

4. Maze Runner Race

Woven notebook: write your race time + finishing position. Then answer the corner-cases question (below).
Copy this scoreboard into your Woven notebook BEFORE the showdown starts. As pairs run, fill in their times. Lower is better.
Day 2 Maze Runner Scoreboard
Pair NameRobot NameTime to Finish (sec)Got Stuck? (Y/N)Place
How to use the Mission Scoreboard app: your facilitator will type each pair's finish time into the app. Lower time wins. Bots that stall over 10 sec get a 'DNF' but still earn a participation place.
1Open the Mission Scoreboard (above). When called, place your bot at the start. Press reset. Your facilitator runs the stopwatch.
2Watch other teams. Note in your notebook: what is each team's bot doing differently? Different turn times? Different speeds?

Corner Cases

Stake of the day: Whiskers fail in the real world more than you think. They cannot detect: - Glass walls (whisker bounces off, then forward, then bounces, forever) - Transparent doors (same problem) - Drop-offs / cliffs (whisker is horizontal, the bot drives off the table) - Soft fabric (curtains - whisker pushes through, then bot is tangled) This is why every modern robot has MORE than one sensor. Tomorrow we add IR - infrared light - which detects obstacles WITHOUT touching them. Now your bot will be able to feel AND see.
3In your notebook: list 3 places in your house where a whisker-only robot would fail. For each, what other sensor would solve it?
✓ DONE? Drop your win. Your bot just stumbled through the maze using ONLY touch sensors. Film a 15-30 sec clip + caption. Post to the Padlet (below).
4Record your video (15-30 seconds). your bot navigating the cardboard maze using whiskers (record from start to wherever it gets to). You can hold the phone yourself or have your partner film while you talk.
5Open the Padlet (below). Click the + button. Fill in: - SUBJECT: "Day 2 - <RobotName> - Maze Runner" - BODY (1-2 sentences): name your robot, your finish time (or where it stalled), and what your final whisker logic table looked like (forward / back-right / back-left / back-180) - ATTACH: your video clip. Hit Publish. Your facilitator approves and the post goes live in the class portfolio.

5. Wrap + Career Connection

Woven notebook: as you watch the career video, write 1 sentence: what part of this engineer's job felt like what you did today?

Career Connection - Mechanical Engineer

Day at Work: Mechanical Engineer

ConnectEd takes you inside a working mechanical engineer's day. The whiskers, springs, and physical sensors you wired up today are the bread and butter of mechanical engineering at every robotics company.

Career Bridge - Mechanical Engineer: Role: Mechanical Engineer (ME). Who hires: every robotics company (Boston Dynamics, iRobot, Tesla), every car company, every aerospace company, every medical device company. Starting salary: ~85-115k starting in California with a 4-year ME degree. Skill bridge from today: you mounted servos to a chassis, designed a touch-sensor circuit, and tuned a control loop. That is exactly the daily work of a junior ME at iRobot tuning the next generation of Roomba bumpers.
1In your notebook, write your Day 2 reflection: (1) the moment your robot first 'felt' a wall, (2) one thing you would change about your whisker design, (3) one prediction for tomorrow's IR sensors.
Tomorrow: your robot stops needing to TOUCH things to know they are there. Same tool: we stay in MakeCode (makecode.microbit.org with the cyber:bot extension you already loaded). Same kind of 4-state decision logic you wrote today, just with an IR DETECT block instead of a whisker pin read. What we add: IR sensors (infrared light) for non-contact obstacle detection AND we make robots TALK to each other over radio. Bring your notebook. Bring your robot.
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Day 3: Invisible Waves - IR + IoT Radio

Embedded Systems Engineer Pathway · Light, radio, and machines that talk
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1. Spark: How Robots See Without Eyes

Woven notebook: open your notebook. Today every prediction, observation, and 'aha moment' goes here. You will use this notebook tomorrow during the showcase - it is your engineering portfolio.

Welcome to Day 3. Yesterday your robot felt walls. Today your robot SEES without eyes (IR light) and TALKS to other robots without wires (radio). By the end of today, two of your bots can run a coordinated mission across the room - controlled from a single micro:bit.

Where we are in the arc: Day 1 · BUILD - Robot birth + dead reckoning Day 2 · SENSE - Whiskers + maze (yesterday) Day 3 · TALK - IR + radio communication (TODAY) Day 4 · COMPETE - Final mission + tournament Today's cross-cutting theme: INVISIBLE WAVES. Light you cannot see (infrared) and radio you cannot hear are how 99 percent of modern devices communicate. WiFi, Bluetooth, garage door openers, TV remotes, AirPods - all of them are talking, all of them are invisible to you.
Real-world stakes: A self-driving car has roughly 30 sensors. None of them are touch sensors. They are all NON-CONTACT - cameras, LiDAR, radar, ultrasonic, IR. By the time a touch sensor would trigger, it is already too late. Today you graduate from contact sensing (yesterday's whiskers) to non-contact sensing (IR). This is the same upgrade Tesla, Waymo, and every modern robotics company made between 2010 and 2015.

Today's Big Question

How do machines communicate without physical contact? Today you give your robot two new superpowers: a way to SENSE without touching, and a way to TALK without wires.

1Power up your robot. Confirm yesterday's whisker maze code still runs.
2Predict in your notebook: what kinds of obstacles will an IR sensor catch that a whisker MISSES? What kinds will it MISS that a whisker CATCHES? Sketch + 1 sentence.

2. IR Object Tracking

Woven notebook: sketch the IR LED + receiver layout as you wire it. Label every pin (P14, P13, P1, P2). When you test, write the digital reading for each receiver at 3 cm, 10 cm, and 20 cm from an obstacle. This is your IR calibration log.

Today's build: 2 IR (infrared) pairs on the front of your bot. The bot will see obstacles WITHOUT touching them. Time-box: 60 min.

Materials check (1 min)

★ Advanced Challenge - already done this base build before? Build a Drop-off Detector (table-edge safety) An IR pair aimed DOWNWARD at the floor detects when the bot is approaching a table edge or a stair. The same pattern stops a Roomba from falling down stairs. Do Parallax IR lessons 1.9-1.11 (Drop-off Detector + Simulate a Drop-off with Poster Board + Avoid Drop-offs): 1.9 https://learn.parallax.com/courses/infrared-light-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/drop-off-detector_makecode/ 1.10 https://learn.parallax.com/courses/infrared-light-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/simulate-a-drop-off-with-poster-board_makecode/ 1.11 https://learn.parallax.com/courses/infrared-light-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/avoid-drop-offs_makecode/ Mount a 3rd IR pair facing down. Wire it to a free pin (P8 is open). Test by placing the bot near a table edge - it should back up + turn before falling. Time-box: 25 min max. New students: ignore this callout. Stick with the base build above.
Safety: IR light is invisible but real - don't stare at LED tips. Set cyber:bot PWR to POSITION 0 before wiring.
Source of truth - Parallax MakeCode course: Infrared Light Navigation for the cyber:bot Master link: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/infrared-light-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/ ROUND 1 - Concept + wiring (~25 min): 1.1 Infrared Light Signals (concept): https://learn.parallax.com/courses/infrared-light-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/infrared-light-signals_makecode/ 1.2 Build the IR Circuits (wiring): https://learn.parallax.com/courses/infrared-light-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/build-the-ir-circuits_makecode/
1Do ROUND 1 lessons above. Both IR pairs wired, facilitator signed off. Come back here when done.
ROUND 2 - Test + navigate (~25 min): 1.3 Test the IR Object Detectors: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/infrared-light-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/test-the-ir-object-detectors_makecode/ 1.7 Navigate and Avoid Obstacles: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/infrared-light-navigation-for-the-cyberbot_makecode/lessons/navigate-and-avoid-obstacles_makecode/
Stop. Hand up. Facilitator inspects wiring BEFORE PWR -> 1. Reversed power destroys IR LEDs.

Predict before you test

21-min predictions: 'My IR detects a HAND from ___ cm. A WHITE WALL from ___ cm. A BLACK SHIRT from ___ cm.' (Hint: dark = absorbs, light = reflects.)

Test (10 min) + Drive (15 min)

3Bot on a book (wheels up). Move hand toward each IR pair. Log max detection distance for hand / white wall / black shirt.
4Set PWR to POSITION 2. Bot on floor. Walk around with obstacles. Bot should back up + turn away WITHOUT contact.
Bot avoiding obstacles without touching them? You just upgraded your bot from BLIND to SEEING. Same upgrade Tesla made between 2010 and 2015.

3. Robot Talk - micro:bit Radio

Woven notebook: write your assigned radio group number here in BIG. As you test, log every message you successfully send and receive. If a message is missed, write why.
Today's setup: - You will pair up with ANOTHER team. - Team A's micro:bit is the REMOTE (held in hand, tilted to send commands). - Team B's micro:bit stays in their robot (receives commands, drives). - Swap roles halfway. Then both robots join a class-wide synchronized dance. Your radio group: assigned on the whiteboard.
1Read the setup above. Get your radio group number from the whiteboard. Write it in your notebook (1 min).
Today's lesson scaffold - Cybersecurity: Radio Basics (start here) + Radio Tilt Control: First do Radio Basics 1.0-1.3 (the foundation - send + receive). Then jump to the Radio Tilt Control course for the full tilt-to-drive code: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cybersecurity-radio-tilt-control_makecode/ Master course: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cybersecurity-radio-basics_makecode/ Do these lessons IN ORDER (each has the wiring photos + code + test instructions you need): 1.0 Introducing the micro:bit radio: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cybersecurity-radio-basics_makecode/lessons/introducing-the-microbit-radio_makecode/ 1.1 Make micro:bit Radios Send and Receive: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cybersecurity-radio-basics_makecode/lessons/make-microbit-radios-send-and-receive_makecode/ 1.2 Send Radio Messages: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cybersecurity-radio-basics_makecode/lessons/send-radio-messages_makecode/ 1.3 Receive Radio Messages: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cybersecurity-radio-basics_makecode/lessons/receive-radio-messages_makecode/
Workshop bonus tool - Radio Channel Visualizer: Test your radio group BEFORE you write code. Simulate sending a message between two groups. If both teams pick the same group, the message arrives. Different groups = silence. Use this to make sure you and your partner team are on the same group.
2Open the Visualizer. Pick your team's group on the LEFT, your partner team's group on the RIGHT. Send a test. Confirm it arrives.
3Decide who is REMOTE (Team A) and who is ROBOT (Team B). Work through Radio Basics 1.0-1.3 together. Then move to the Radio Tilt Control course and implement the tilt-to-drive pattern.
4Test: Team A tilts the remote micro:bit left/right/flat. Team B watches their robot react. Swap roles halfway.
5Add ONE upgrade: button A on remote = stop, button B = spin. Press, watch.
★ Advanced Challenge - already done this base build before? Cybersecurity: Eavesdrop on a Team + Encrypt your own messages Radio is the gateway to IoT and cybersecurity. Anyone on the same radio group can LISTEN to your messages. Try it: tune a 3rd micro:bit to your partner team's group number. You will see their messages on your LED grid in real time. That is a SNIFFING ATTACK. Then defend against it. Encrypt your messages with a simple Caesar cipher before sending. Your partner team decrypts on receive. Now the eavesdropper sees gibberish. This is exactly what happens when WiFi traffic gets intercepted at a cafe - and it is exactly why HTTPS exists. Real-world cybersecurity, run from your wrist. Parallax MakeCode Cybersecurity course series (do these in order): Sniffing Attacks + Defenses: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cybersecurity-sniffing-attacks-and-defenses/ Encryption Intro: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cybersecurity-encryption-intro/ Brute Force Attacks + Defenses: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cybersecurity-brute-force-attacks-defenses/ Time-box: 25 min max. Film the eavesdrop moment for the Padlet (caption: 'I intercepted Team X's commands'). New students: ignore this callout. Stick with the base build above.

4. Synchronized Robot Dance

Woven notebook: as you watch the dance, write 1 sentence: where in the real world have you seen many machines doing the same thing at the same time?
How this works: 1. Your facilitator turns on the MASTER micro:bit (set to radio group 0). 2. Your robot's micro:bit code: change the radio group on your robot to GROUP 0 too. Re-flash. 3. Place your robot in a clear arena (the masking tape circle on the floor). 4. Your facilitator presses buttons on the master micro:bit, broadcasting dance commands. Every robot in the room receives them at the same time and executes the same move. 5. Watch. Cheer.
1Update your robot's code: change radio group to 0. Re-flash. Snap the micro:bit back into your robot.
2Place your robot in the arena with the others. Step back. Let the facilitator run the dance.
Stake of the day: What you just saw - every robot in a room executing the same command at the same time - is exactly how Amazon's warehouse robots coordinate. Around 750,000 Kiva robots move in synchronization across Amazon facilities, all controlled by a master command system. Same pattern. Same code. Different scale. The principle does not change.
3In your notebook, write 3 bullets: (1) what surprised you about the dance, (2) what would happen if two warehouses had robots on the SAME radio group, (3) one safety risk of using radio control for robots.
Portfolio drop - Day 3 success video: Your bot just did the thing. Show it off. Pull out your phone (or laptop), film a 15-30 second clip of the synchronized dance with multiple robots executing the same broadcast (zoom out so 2-3 bots are visible if you can), and post it to the Cyber:bot Camp Padlet. By the end of camp, the Padlet is your portfolio - 4 video clips that show how your engineering grew across the week.
4Record your video (15-30 seconds). the synchronized dance with multiple robots executing the same broadcast (zoom out so 2-3 bots are visible if you can). You can hold the phone yourself or have your partner film while you talk.
5Open the Padlet (below). Click the + button. Fill in: - SUBJECT: "Day 3 - <RobotName> - Robot Dance" - BODY (1-2 sentences): name your robot, the radio group number you ran on, and one custom command you added to your remote (button A, button B, tilt, etc.) - ATTACH: your video clip. Hit Publish. Your facilitator approves and the post goes live in the class portfolio.

5. Wrap + Career Connection

Woven notebook: as you watch the career video, write 1 sentence: what part of Jamie's invention reminds you of what you built today?

Career Connection - IoT / Smart Device Founder

Jamie Siminoff: Inventor of Ring Doorbell | Innovation Nation

Mo Rocca interviews the inventor of Ring. The doorbell is sensors plus radio plus cloud, the same recipe you ran today on a smaller scale.

Career Bridge - IoT / Smart Device Engineer: Role: Embedded / IoT Engineer. Who hires: Ring (Amazon), Nest (Google), Ecobee, Tile, every smart home company, every smart appliance company, every fleet logistics company. Starting salary: ~110-150k starting in California with a 4-year computer engineering or EE degree. Skill bridge from today: you wired a sensor (IR) to a microcontroller and used a radio to send the sensor's state across the room. That is exactly what every Ring doorbell does - a motion sensor talks to a chip, the chip talks to your phone over WiFi. Same pattern. The cloud just adds another hop.
1In your notebook, write your Day 3 reflection: (1) the most surprising moment today, (2) one thing you want to use in tomorrow's tournament, (3) one IoT product idea you would build if you could.
Tomorrow: The Final Mission. You pick ONE of three challenges (Sumo, Search & Rescue, or Warehouse Logistics) and integrate everything you have learned this week. Tournament-style finale at the end. Cheat-sheet for tomorrow (state machine concept): your final code will not be one giant 'forever' loop. It will track a STATE variable that flips between modes - SEARCH, ATTACK, RETREAT, RESCUE, etc. Each state has its own actions. When a sensor triggers, you flip the state. Sneak preview: let state = 'SEARCH' forever: if (state == 'SEARCH') { drive forward + look for target } if (state == 'ATTACK') { drive at full speed toward target } if (state == 'RETREAT') { back up + turn 180 } // sensor checks flip state here Bring your A-game tomorrow.
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Day 4: Final Mission + Tournament Showcase

Robotics Engineer Pathway · Pick a mission, integrate sensors and IoT, win the showcase
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1. Mission Briefing

Woven notebook: open to a fresh page. Today is integration day. Write your mission choice + strategy sketch BEFORE you touch any code. Engineers plan first.
Today's lesson scaffold - cyber:bot Sumo Contests with MakeCode: For SUMO mission: 3 short lessons. For WAREHOUSE mission: see the QTI Line Follower course at https://learn.parallax.com/courses/qti-line-follower-for-cyberbot_makecode/ - same MakeCode environment, different sensor. SEARCH & RESCUE has no canonical Parallax course - use Day 2 whisker logic + Day 3 IR detection blended. Master course: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cyberbot-sumo-contests-with-makecode/ Do these lessons IN ORDER (each has the wiring photos + code + test instructions you need): 1.0 Parts: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cyberbot-sumo-contests-with-makecode/lessons/parts-2/ 1.1 Instructions: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cyberbot-sumo-contests-with-makecode/lessons/instructions-2/ 1.2 Customizations: https://learn.parallax.com/courses/cyberbot-sumo-contests-with-makecode/lessons/customizations-2/

Welcome to Day 4. The final day. For the next 3 hours you will combine everything from Days 1-3 (movement, whiskers, IR, radio) into a SINGLE coordinated mission. You and your partner pick from 3 missions. You build, test, redesign, and compete in a tournament showcase at 2:15 PM.

Where we are in the arc: Day 1 · BUILD - Robot birth + dead reckoning Day 2 · SENSE - Whiskers + maze Day 3 · TALK - IR + radio communication Day 4 · COMPETE - Final mission + tournament (TODAY) Today's cross-cutting theme: INTEGRATION. Every previous day was one capability. Today you put them all on one robot, running together, in service of a single goal.
Real-world stakes: A Mars rover does not have ONE skill. It drives. It senses. It navigates. It transmits photos back to Earth. It does ALL of these in coordination. The first rover that successfully landed on Mars in 1997 (Pathfinder) had the same architecture you do: a chassis with motors, sensors for collision avoidance, and a radio link back to Earth. The Insane Engineering of Perseverance (the 2021 rover) shows how Mars rover engineering has progressed - but the core integration challenge is the same.

How does a Mars Rover work? (Perseverance)

Jared Owen's animation walks through the systems on the Perseverance rover. Pay attention to how each subsystem (drive, sense, communicate) is independently designed but works together. That is what you are about to do.

The Three Missions

Mission rubric (what your bot MUST do vs what is optional): For all 3 missions, your bot MUST use: - Day 1 drive code (forward / turn at known timings) - Day 2 whisker logic (4-state decision) OR Day 3 IR detection (your choice based on mission) Radio (Day 3) is OPTIONAL - useful for Sumo's sideline-controlled mode but not required for any mission. Pick ONE mission. Do not try to do all 3. The teams that win are the ones who scope tightly.
1Read the 3 missions below (~2 min each). Then pick ONE with your partner.

Pick one of three missions

MISSION 1 - SUMO BATTLE Goal: push the opposing bot out of a 1m diameter ring before it pushes you out. Time limit: 60 sec. Sensors used: IR (detect opponent + ring edge), whiskers (collision contact), radio (optional - team controls a master from the sideline). Win condition: opponent out of the ring OR your bot is the only one inside at 60 sec. Vibe: aggressive, fast, hilarious.

OR...

MISSION 2 - SEARCH & RESCUE Goal: find and 'rescue' (knock over) as many 'survivors' (bottles) as possible in 90 sec. Sensors used: IR (find bottles without bumping into walls), whiskers (back up from boundaries), radio (optional - send 'SOS' radio messages between team's two robots to coordinate). Win condition: most bottles knocked over. Vibe: heroic, methodical, mission-critical.

OR...

MISSION 3 - WAREHOUSE LOGISTICS Goal: push a wooden block ('package') from start, along the 8-inch tape track, into the goal zone in 90 sec. Sensors used: IR (line following on the tape track), whiskers (sense the block contact), radio (optional - manual override from sideline). Win condition: package fully inside goal zone. Multiple successes ranked by time. Vibe: precise, calm, repeatable.
2Walk over to the 3 arenas. See each one. Talk with your partner.
3Choose your mission. Tell your facilitator. Once chosen, no swap.
4In your notebook, sketch your strategy: which sensors will you use? Will you use radio? What is the FIRST thing your code will do? Write 3 bullets, then sketch a flowchart of your bot's decision logic.

2. Mission Build + First Test

Woven notebook: keep your strategy sketch visible. As you build, mark each test on a timeline: 'Test 1 - what happened. Test 2 - what changed.' This is your mission engineering log.
Today's task with your bot: INTEGRATE Day 1 + Day 2 + Day 3 code into a single program for your chosen mission. Start small - get ONE behavior working first (e.g., line-following for warehouse, IR target detection for S&R). Then layer on the rest. What You Need Open: makecode.microbit.org with the cyberbot extension. Your notebook with the strategy sketch.
1Read your task above. Now look at the worked Sumo skeleton below - adapt it for your chosen mission.
Cheat Sheet - Worked Example: Sumo Skeleton (copy + adapt for your mission) // Day 1 brings: drive forward + turn timings you already calibrated // Day 2 brings: whisker logic to back away from ring edge // Day 3 brings: IR detection to find the opponent let state = 'SEARCH' forever: let leftW = pins.digitalReadPin(DigitalPin.P5) let rightW = pins.digitalReadPin(DigitalPin.P11) let leftIR = cyberbot.irDetect(P14, P13, 37500) let rightIR = cyberbot.irDetect(P1, P2, 37500) if (leftW == 1 || rightW == 1) { // hit ring edge (Day 2 whisker) - back up state = 'RETREAT' } else if (leftIR == 0 || rightIR == 0) { // opponent detected (Day 3 IR) - attack state = 'ATTACK' } else { state = 'SEARCH' } if (state == 'SEARCH') cyberbot.driveForward(50, 100) if (state == 'ATTACK') cyberbot.driveForward(100, 200) if (state == 'RETREAT') { cyberbot.driveBackward(50, 500); cyberbot.turnRight(50, 800) } Change the IF conditions and speeds for S&R or Warehouse missions. The state machine pattern stays the same; only the trigger conditions and actions change.
How to Use the Mission Scoreboard app: This is the SAME app from Days 1-2 but configured for today's mission. Your facilitator will switch the event between SUMO / S&R / WAREHOUSE during the tournament round.
2Open the Mission Scoreboard (above). Note your team name will be entered by your facilitator at tournament time. For now, this is the practice scoreboard.

Build the Mission Code

3Open MakeCode. Start a new project named 'Day 4 Mission - <your mission>'. Copy the BEST parts of your Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 code in.
4Build the FIRST behavior. Just one. Flash. Test on your arena. Does it work? Yes -> keep going. No -> debug before adding more.
5Add the SECOND behavior. Flash. Test on your arena. Iterate.
6Add the THIRD behavior (and radio link if you are using it). Flash. Test.
★ Advanced Challenge - already done this base build before? 3D-Printed Mission Accessory (overnight print queue) Design a 3D-printable accessory for your bot that gives you an edge in the tournament. Examples by mission: - SUMO: an angled scoop front plate that wedges UNDER opponents (Tinkercad: 80x40x10 mm wedge, 30 degree angle) - S&R: a wider front bumper that knocks over bottles more reliably (T-shaped extension, 120 mm wide) - WAREHOUSE: a tall back-wall pusher that keeps the package from sliding sideways Open Tinkercad (https://tinkercad.com). Design a part that fits the cyber:bot's standoff holes (2 mounting holes, 12 mm apart). Export as .STL. Upload to the Padlet (caption: 'my mission accessory + the mission it is for'). Facilitator prints it overnight and you bolt it on Day 5 morning. Time-box: 30 min Tinkercad design + STL export. New students: ignore this callout. Stick with the base build above.

3. Iterate on the Arena

Woven notebook: write 'Trial 1, Trial 2, Trial 3...' rows. For each trial: time, what worked, what failed, what you changed. Your facilitator will look at this log between rounds.

Today's goal: take your bot to the arena and run trial after trial. EVERY trial gives you data. Write down what happened. Change ONE thing. Run again.

Cheat Sheet - Iteration Discipline: 1. Run trial. 2. Note ONE thing that failed. 3. Change ONE thing in code OR hardware. 4. Run again. 5. Note if it improved. Do NOT change 5 things at once. You will not know which fix mattered. This is the slowest mistake every robotics team makes.
1Take your bot to the arena. Run a full trial. Note the result.
2Change ONE thing. Run again.
3Continue until your facilitator calls time. Aim for at least 5 trials in 30 min.
4Final trial: pretend it is the tournament. No more changes after. Run the run. Note your time / score. This is your baseline going into the tournament.

4. Tournament Showcase

Woven notebook: as other teams run, write 1 sentence per team: what was their best move? You will reference this at the gallery walk after.
Tournament Rules: 1. Each pair gets ONE official mission run (Sumo gets 2 head-to-head rounds). 2. Time limit per run: 60 sec (Sumo) or 90 sec (S&R, Warehouse). 3. Your facilitator records your score in the Mission Scoreboard app. 4. Music on. Crowd cheering allowed. Robot tampering during a run = disqualification. 5. After all pairs run, the leaderboard sorts. Trophies awarded for top of each mission + 'Hard Problem of the Day' (best engineering log).
1Read the rules. Find your team name on the leaderboard below (1 min).
Why this app: The Mission Scoreboard tracks scores across all 3 missions live, sorts the leaderboards in real time, and shows the winning teams. Same app you used in Days 1, 2, 3 practice.
2Open the Mission Scoreboard (above) and watch the live leaderboard. When your facilitator calls your team, walk your bot to the arena. Place at the start. Press reset on your facilitator's GO.
3Run your run. Keep your hands behind your back. No tampering.
4After your run, return to your seat. Watch the other teams. Cheer.
5After ALL rounds: gallery walk. Visit the other arenas. Take a photo of the winning bot and your bot. Talk to the team that won your mission - ask 1 question.
Portfolio drop - Day 4 success video: Your bot just did the thing. Show it off. Pull out your phone (or laptop), film a 15-30 second clip of your tournament run AND a 10-second selfie testimonial after the run answering 'what was the hardest problem we solved this week and how we fixed it', and post it to the Cyber:bot Camp Padlet. By the end of camp, the Padlet is your portfolio - 4 video clips that show how your engineering grew across the week.
6Record your video (15-30 seconds). your tournament run AND a 10-second selfie testimonial after the run answering 'what was the hardest problem we solved this week and how we fixed it'. You can hold the phone yourself or have your partner film while you talk.
7Open the Padlet (below). Click the + button. Fill in: - SUBJECT: "Day 4 - <RobotName> - <MissionName> - Tournament Final" - BODY (1-2 sentences): your mission (Sumo / S&R / Warehouse), your tournament result (rank or score), and the Hard Problem of the Week in 1-2 sentences. This is your final portfolio piece. - ATTACH: your video clip. Hit Publish. Your facilitator approves and the post goes live in the class portfolio.

5. The Hard Problem + Career Connection

Woven notebook: this is your closing reflection. Write the 'Hard Problem of the Week' you solved. 3 sentences max.

Your Hard Problem

1Look back through your Days 1-4 notebook. Find ONE moment where something was broken and you fixed it. Did you reverse a wire? Re-tune a servo? Swap a battery? Catch a code bug? Pivot a strategy?
2Write your Hard Problem in your notebook in 3 sentences: (1) what was broken, (2) how you knew it was broken, (3) what you did to fix it. Example: 'My LEFT servo kept creeping forward even at speed 0. I knew because when I ran the centering test, the left wheel rotated slowly while the right was still. We turned the recessed pot screw on the servo body with a screwdriver about 1/8 turn at a time until the wheel was perfectly still.'
3Stand up. Tell the room. 30 seconds. The class claps after each one.

Career Connection - Robotics Engineer

Day in the life of a Robotics Engineer at Boston Dynamics

Watch a real Boston Dynamics engineer's day. Pay attention to how much of their work is the same iteration loop you ran this week.

Career Bridge - Robotics Engineer: Role: Robotics Engineer. Who hires: Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Tesla (Optimus team), iRobot, Amazon Robotics, NASA-JPL, every drone company, every surgical robot company, every autonomous vehicle company. Starting salary: ~120-180k starting in California with a 4-year computer science, EE, or robotics degree. Master's degree adds ~25 percent. Skill bridge from this week: in 4 days you wired hardware, coded a state machine, integrated multiple sensors, used wireless communication, and competed in a real mission. That is exactly the daily work of a junior robotics engineer at any of those companies. The skills you used this week are the foundation. College + internships layer on the math + the abstractions. The core loop is identical.
What's next: Want to keep going? Three free paths: 1. learn.parallax.com - the cyber:bot tutorials. Same hardware, more challenges (line following, sumo strategies, IoT alarms). 2. microbit.org/projects - hundreds of micro:bit projects, all free, all step-by-step. 3. Start a project at home: build a smart light using your micro:bit + an LED + a tilt switch. The same architecture you used this week.
4Final notebook entry: write your name, what you built this week, and ONE thing you want to build next. This is your engineering pledge to your future self.
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Bonus Day: Sphero Soccer Showdown

Optional add-on · Drop in any time · Sphero soccer in the spirit of the World Cup
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1. Learn the Sphero

Woven notebook: open to a fresh page. As you drive, write down what you notice. Does the Sphero go straight? Does it drift? When you push the ball, does it go where you aimed? These observations become your strategy notes for the tournament.
Today you will build a harness for your Sphero and play soccer. First step: learn to drive it well enough to actually play. Connect up, get the aim right, and run through the drills below.

Sphero Soccer — Connect and Drive

Watch before you touch yours. Pay close attention to the AIM step — that blue tail light tells the Sphero which way is forward. Get that wrong and nothing works.

Step 1 — Connect (5 min)

1Install 'Sphero EDU' on one phone or tablet per pair. Ask for a backup tablet if the install fails.
2Open the app. Tap + to connect. Place your Sphero on the table — it should appear within 10 seconds. Tap to pair.
AIM — do this every time you pair: 1. In the Drive screen, tap the Aim button (target icon) 2. A blue tail light appears on the Sphero 3. Spin the aim ring until the blue tail points AWAY from you 4. Tap Done Now forward = away from you. If it drives sideways, re-aim.

Step 2 — Practice Drills (15 min)

Four quick drills. One partner drives, the other watches and gives feedback. Switch after each drill.
3DRILL 1 — Straight line. Drive from one end of your table to the other. Does it drift? Re-aim until it goes straight.
4DRILL 2 — Tight turn. Drive a square: forward, left, forward, left. Note how much space a full turn takes.
5DRILL 3 — Ball touch. Place a ping-pong ball on the floor. Drive up to it slowly and stop 1 inch away. Then nudge it gently. Watch where it rolls.
6DRILL 4 — Cup shot. Set up one cup as a goal. From 3 feet away, push the ball into it. Get 2 in a row before moving to the next section.

2. Watch + Build Your Harness

Woven notebook: before you build, sketch your harness design. Label your materials and note whether your design is built for offense (scoring) or defense (blocking). After you test it, write one sentence: what worked and what you'd change.
The Sphero alone is a smooth ball — hard to control a ping-pong ball with it. Your job: design a harness that goes over the Sphero and makes it better at playing soccer. Watch how others did it, then build your own.

Sphero Soccer — Harness Designs in Action

Watch how players built cup harnesses, added skewer spikes, tried shovel attachments, and tested them in actual matches. Notice which designs scored and which fell apart. You're about to make your own version.

Build Your Harness (20 min)

Your harness starts with a plastic cup over the Sphero. From there, your design choices: OFFENSE: - Skewer spikes — trap the ball and push it forward, but break on hard impacts - Shovel — a small cardboard strip taped to the front scoops the ball DEFENSE: - Extra weight — tape something heavy to the cup to win robot-on-robot collisions You can combine them. Tape everything securely — your harness will take hits.
1Sketch your design in your notebook first. Offensive, defensive, or hybrid? What materials will you use?
2Build it. Tape the cup over your Sphero. Add your attachment. Tape everything you don't want falling off — matches are rough.
3Test it. Drive your harnessed Sphero at the ping-pong ball. Can you push it in a straight line? Can you aim a shot at the cup goal? Does the harness survive 60 seconds of play?
4Iterate if needed. One small fix before the tournament. Write your change in your notebook.

3. World Cup Showdown

Woven notebook: between matches, write one thing your harness did well and one thing you'd redesign. After the tournament, write your final answer: offense or defense — which mattered more?

Pick Your Country (2 min)

Countries on the board: Brazil, Argentina, USA, Japan, Germany, France, Morocco, Mexico. First pair to call it owns it.
1Call your country. Write it at the top of your notebook page. That's your team name for the tournament.

Set Up the Field (5 min)

2Push tables along both sides of the play area — these are your sideboards, same as in the video. Set 2 cups at each end of the field as goals. Drop the ping-pong ball at center.

Play the Tournament

Rules: 1. One Sphero per team. Drive it (RC) or run a program — your choice. 2. Push the ping-pong ball into the other team's cups to score. 3. Matches are 3 minutes. Most goals wins. 4. If a harness piece breaks mid-match: play on. That's engineering under pressure. 5. Tie after 3 minutes: 60-second sudden death. First goal wins.
3Check the bracket on the board. Find your first match and which field you're on.
4Place your Sphero on your side. Aim it. Wait for the signal.
5Play. Between matches: update your notebook, adjust your harness if needed, watch other teams' designs.
Want to code instead of drive? Open Sphero EDU, load your program from earlier, and run it during the match. Autonomous play counts the same as RC. If your code isn't working, fall back to drive mode — tournament keeps moving.

4. Reflect + Career Bridge

Woven notebook: three quick reflection questions. Write at least one sentence per question. 1. What did your harness do well? What would you change for a rematch? 2. Which mattered more today — your driving skill or your harness design? 3. What's one thing you learned today that you couldn't have learned on the cyber:bot?

Shoutouts

Tournament winner, most creative harness design, best comeback, best sportsmanship. Everyone should hear their name once.

Career Bridge

What you did today — engineering an attachment, testing it under pressure, iterating mid-game — is the same loop that robotics engineers run at the highest levels. RoboCup is a real international robot-soccer tournament. The goal: by 2050, build a robot team that can beat the human World Cup champions. Same problem shape as today. Way bigger stakes.

RoboCup 2025 Finals — Real Robots Playing Real Soccer

Watch and notice the design choices, the failures, and the iteration. That's exactly what you just did.

Portfolio drop: film a 30-60 second clip of your best moment from the tournament — a goal, a save, your harness design, or your team. Post it to the class Padlet below. By the end of camp you have a full 5-day portfolio.
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