GestureBot Racer. The Morning Set
VAT inc
Available for: 8+ years old
5 days, from 27 Jul'26 - 31 Jul’26
Start at 9.00 until 12.00
GestureBot Racer is a gesture-controlled robotic car designed for young robotics learners. In this project, children build and control a small robot car using a special motion controller that can be held in the hand or attached to a glove.
The robot is made from two main parts: the car itself and the wireless controller. The car uses an ESP8266 microcontroller and a DRV8833 motor driver to control two DC motors. The controller also uses an ESP8266, together with a GY-521 motion sensor, to detect how the hand is tilted.
When the controller is tilted forward, the car moves forward. When it is tilted backward, the car moves backward. Tilting the controller left or right makes the car turn. When the controller is held in the middle position, the car stops. This makes the project easy to understand because children can directly see how their hand movements affect the robot.
Students in this age group use block-based programming to create the control logic. They learn how to send commands such as forward, backward, left, right, and stop, and how these commands are used to control the motors. The project helps children understand the basic ideas of robotics, sensors, wireless communication, and motor control in a fun and practical way.
GestureBot Racer is a hands-on project where children can build, test, improve, and play with their own gesture-controlled robot.
That is take home project!
The Camp Dates and Time
5 days, from 27 Jul'26 - 31 Jul’26
Start at 9.00 until 12.00
Age: from 8 years old (to 11)
Location
Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.
Parkshot, Richmond TW9 2RE
The closest parking at the Old Deer Park (Extension).
Learning outcomes
- Understand the main parts of a robot
Pupils learn that the robot has a controller, motors, a motor driver, a battery/power source, and a wireless control system.
- Build a simple robotic car system
Pupils connect the main electronic parts and see how the microcontroller, motor driver, and motors work together.
- Explore gesture-based control
Pupils learn how tilting a hand controller can make the robot move forward, backward, left, and right.
- Use block programming to control movement
Pupils create simple logic blocks for commands such as forward, backward, turn left, turn right, and stop.
- Understand basic wireless communication
Pupils discover that one device can send movement commands wirelessly to another device.
- Test and improve robot behaviour
Pupils experiment with movement, turning, stopping, and control sensitivity, then adjust their program to make the robot easier to drive.
There are some requirements exist for the course:
1. You must be confident in using a computer, keyboard and mouse. At the good user level.
2. Know how we save files on a computer, what a file and folders are, etc.
3. Be able to switch between windows in the operating system. Use the keys’ shortcuts.
4. No previous experience with 3D modeling is required
5. No previous experience Robotics is required.