Stage 01 of 03 · Explorer

Robot Friends: First Builds

First robot, first reactions to the real world.

Ages: 7 – 12

What students learn

Their first programmable robot — built, sensored, and reacting to the room around it. Students learn what every robot actually does (sense, decide, act) and write the simple logic that makes their build come alive. By week six they’re demoing a working sumo bot or maze-solver to family. The mental model they take with them — machines you can reason about, take apart, and improve — sits underneath every engineering course they’ll take after this.

What a robot actually is — a machine that senses, decides, and acts. Students get hands-on with motors, sensors, and the simple programs that tie them together. By the end they can explain (and demo) what their robot does and why.

Module-by-module

01

What is a robot?

Input → process → output. Take one apart and explain it.
02

Drive and turn

Wheels and motors. Robot drives a square.
03

Sense the world

Distance, line, light sensors. Robot stops at a wall.
04

Make a decision

If/else logic in blocks. Robot follows a black line.
05

Make it react

Sense + decide + act. Robot avoids obstacles.
06

Showcase build

Pick a behavior and demo it (sumo, dance, maze-solver).

What they make

A sumo-style robot that drives, senses obstacles, and reacts.

Walk away with

Programmable logic intuition. Sensors vs. actuators as a mental model. Confidence taking apart and rebuilding a real machine.

Learn on your own pace

This course can be self-studied end-to-end using these vetted free resources. Work through them at your own pace — alone, or with a parent alongside.

Honorable mentions

Next step

Move to C7 Robotics Engineering Fundamentals when ready — or jump to C6 Robotics League for the competition track.

Ready to enroll?