Asha

Robotics 1.0 Course

This course introduces students to robotics and physical computing using the Circuit Playground Express (CPX) and Crickit with CircuitPython. It guides learners from understanding basic electronics, coding, and built-in sensors to building and programming robots with external sensors and actuators, culminating in designing their own creative automation projects.
Lesson No Title Description
1 Hello CircuitPython Learn basic Python concepts such as variables and conditional statements, and use the Mu editor to program the Circuit Playground Express via UF2 firmware.
2 Hello CPX Connect the CPX, control an LED using code, and save the program as code.py on CIRCUITPY.
3 Lights, Action, CPX! Program the CPX to use the buttons, the slide switch and the buzzer output.
4 Shake-o-meter Implement a simple lighting game that controls the NeoPixels based on the tilt of the accelerometer.
5 Make Your Own Piano Create a digital piano using the capacitive touch pads (A1-A7) and play “Where Is Thumbkin?”, learning about input, output and arrays.
6 Clap It On Use the CPX's sound sensor to detect a clap and trigger an externally powered light through a relay. Also introduces defining functions in Python.
7 Serve It Cool Connect a servo motor to the CPX and control it with the slide switch, introduce the IR sensor, and handle servo errors using try-except.
8 Hello Crickit Understand what the Crickit board is, how to assemble and power it, and how to control a servo motor using CircuitPython.
9 Let's Explore - Building a Rover Build a simple rover using the CPX and Crickit, and control its movement using DC motors programmed in CircuitPython.
10 Let's Drive - Control the Rover Connect a joystick and read its inputs to control the rover's movement - forward, backward, turning and speed.
11 Let's Follow - Line Tracking Rover Use IR sensors on the rover to detect and navigate a guided path on its own.
12 Let's Sense - Obstacle Avoiding Rover Use an ultrasonic sensor with the CPX and Crickit to detect obstacles and program the rover to navigate while avoiding them.
13 Exploring Sensors Understand digital and analog sensors, connect a limit switch, light sensor, soil moisture sensor and pressure sensor with CPX and Crickit, and read their values using CircuitPython.
14 Exploring Actuators and Power Limitations Control an MG996R servo and a 28BYJ-48 stepper motor using CPX and Crickit, and understand battery capacity, current requirements and power limitations.
15 Mini Project 1 - Plant Project Apply knowledge of sensors and actuators to build small interactive projects - Plant Detective, Water Wizard and Sun Seeker.
16 Mini Project 2 - Automatic Door with Rack and Pinion Apply knowledge of actuators, sensors and mechanisms to build an automatic door using a limit switch, a pressure sensor and a servo motor.
17 Mini Project 3 - Vertical Lift with Rack and Pinion Apply knowledge of actuators, mechanisms and sensors to build a controlled vertical lifting mechanism using a rack and pinion and a telescopic slide.
18 Build a Bot - Design Plan and design an automatic garbage sorting robot: define the problem, sketch a design and select the required sensors, actuators and materials.
19 Introduction to 3D Printing Understand the fundamentals of 3D printing, common 3D model file formats, installing Anycubic Slicer Next, and the workflow for preparing a model for printing.
20 Ready, Set, Print! Download ready-made models from Printables, perform simple editing operations and prepare models for printing.