Robium Desktop Car — Block Coding Version

Robium Desktop Car is a fast-paced 2-hour robotics workshop where students build, program and test their own autonomous robot car.

The car is based on an ESP8266 microcontroller and uses a DRV8833 dual H-bridge motor driver to control two DC motors. An HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor allows the robot to measure the distance to objects in front of it and react to obstacles.

Students assemble the robot, connect the main electronic components and program its behaviour using RobiumBlock, our visual block-based coding environment. They create a simple autonomous driving algorithm: the car moves forward, checks the distance ahead, stops when an obstacle is detected, reverses, chooses a new direction and continues driving.

During the workshop, students also learn the basic idea behind an H-bridge and how changing the direction of current through a motor allows a robot to drive forwards, backwards and turn.

The session is designed to be practical and engaging, with plenty of time for testing, experimenting and improving the robot’s behaviour. At the end of the workshop, every student takes home their own fully working Robium Desktop Car.

Over a series of lessons, students will:

• Build and assemble a Robium Desktop Car
• Connect motors, motor driver and ultrasonic sensor
• Program the robot using RobiumBlock
• Control forward and backward movement
• Make the robot turn left and right
• Measure distance using an ultrasonic sensor