Arduino Robotics Course

Lesson 1 • Setting Up the Development Environment

Installs and configures the Arduino IDE for code upload and serial monitoring. Connects the workflow from code editor to physical board.

Lesson 2 • Core Electronics Concepts

Covers voltage, current, resistance, and Ohm's Law as applied to Arduino circuits. Establishes the electrical vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Arduino Hardware Overview

Identifies the Uno board's pins, ports, and power rails. Students map each physical component to its functional role in a robot system.

Lesson 1 • Sketch Structure and Data Types

Explains setup(), loop(), and variable declarations in Arduino C++. Anchors all subsequent programming work in correct sketch architecture.

Lesson 2 • Functions and Modular Code

Teaches function declaration, parameters, and return values to organise code. Reduces repetition and prepares students for multi-file robot programs.

Lesson 3 • Control Flow and Logic

Covers if/else, for, while, and switch statements for decision-making. Enables conditional hardware responses based on sensor or timer values.

Lesson 4 • Timing and Interrupts

Uses millis(), micros(), and hardware interrupts for non-blocking time control. Enables precise event-driven behaviour in robot programs.

Lesson 1 • Signal Filtering Techniques

Applies moving average, low-pass, and median filters to noisy sensor streams. Improves reliability of all sensor-driven robot behaviours.

Lesson 2 • Inertial Measurement Units

Reads accelerometer and gyroscope data over I2C from an MPU-6050. Establishes orientation sensing needed for balancing and heading control.

Lesson 3 • Serial and I2C Communication Protocols

Configures UART Serial and I2C buses to connect sensors and peripherals. Prepares students for multi-device robot architectures in later chapters.

Lesson 4 • Infrared Line and Proximity Sensors

Reads analog and digital IR sensors for line-following and edge detection. Introduces threshold calibration for varying surface reflectivity.

Lesson 1 • Servo Motor Control

Uses the Servo library to position standard and continuous-rotation servos. Adds pan-tilt sensor mounts and gripper actuation to the robot.

Lesson 2 • DC Motor Fundamentals

Explains back-EMF, stall current, and motor ratings relevant to robot drive trains. Prevents component damage and informs driver selection.

Lesson 3 • H-Bridge Motor Drivers

Wires and programs an L298N or L293D H-bridge for bidirectional DC motor control. Enables forward, reverse, and speed control via PWM signals.

Lesson 4 • Stepper Motor Basics

Drives a stepper motor with a ULN2003 or A4988 driver for precise angular positioning. Introduces step modes and acceleration profiles.

Lesson 1 • System Integration Testing

Runs subsystem checks and full-system smoke tests before autonomous code. Establishes a repeatable debug workflow for hardware faults.

Lesson 2 • Power System Design

Selects batteries, voltage regulators, and fusing for safe robot power delivery. Separates logic and motor power to prevent microcontroller resets.

Lesson 3 • Wiring Harness and Cable Management

Routes and secures wiring to prevent shorts, strain, and interference. Produces a maintainable robot that survives repeated testing cycles.

Lesson 4 • Sensor Mounting and Field of View

Positions ultrasonic, IR, and IMU sensors for optimal detection coverage. Aligns physical placement with software assumptions in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Encoder-Based Odometry

Uses wheel encoder pulses to estimate position and heading on a flat surface. Enables dead-reckoning navigation between waypoints.

Lesson 2 • PID Control for Robot Motion

Implements a full PID controller for heading and speed regulation. Elevates line-following and obstacle avoidance to smooth, stable performance.

Lesson 3 • Obstacle Avoidance Strategies

Implements wall-following and reactive avoidance using ultrasonic sensor data. Applies motor control and sensor reading skills in a unified behaviour.

Lesson 4 • Line-Following Control

Programs proportional control over IR sensor arrays for smooth line tracking. Introduces feedback control concepts applied to a physical robot.

Lesson 1 • Telemetry Logging and Visualization

Streams sensor and state data to a host computer for real-time plotting. Supports tuning and debugging of autonomous algorithms remotely.

Lesson 2 • Wi-Fi Control with ESP8266

Connects an ESP8266 module to a local network and serves a web control page. Introduces TCP/IP concepts in the context of robot teleoperation.

Lesson 3 • IR Remote Control Integration

Decodes NEC-protocol IR signals to map remote buttons to robot commands. Provides a simple wireless interface before introducing RF modules.

Lesson 1 • Memory and Performance Optimization

Reduces SRAM and flash usage through data type choices and code restructuring. Prevents memory-related crashes in complex robot programs.

Lesson 2 • Capstone Build and Iteration

Assembles, programs, and iteratively tests the capstone robot against defined criteria. Applies the full engineering design cycle in a single project.

Lesson 3 • Code Documentation and Handoff

Writes inline comments, README files, and wiring diagrams for project handoff. Produces professional documentation standards expected in team environments.

Lesson 4 • Project Planning and Requirements

Defines project scope, success criteria, and a build schedule using engineering documentation practices. Translates a robot concept into actionable tasks.