Top 3 Classroom Robotics Projects Using RoboRider Parts

Audience: STEM teachers and facilitators looking for reliable, high-engagement lessons that fit within one or two class periods.

Each project below uses core parts your students likely already have and maps cleanly to learning goals in design, programming, and systems thinking. Pick one for a standalone lesson—or run all three as a rotating set of stations.

🧩 Helpful references: Technical Centre • HC-SR04 Guide • SG90 Servo Guide • LM2596 Power Module

1) Mini Obstacle Avoider (Ultrasonic)

Concepts: distance sensing, decision logic, actuator control

Materials: 1 × HC-SR04, 2 × SG90 servos (or a geared DC drive), microcontroller, battery/adapter, LM2596 set to 5.00 V, chassis or cardboard base.

Wiring notes

• HC-SR04: VCC to 5 V, GND to GND, TRIG to a digital output, ECHO to a digital input (use a divider if the board is 3.3 V logic).
• Servos powered from the LM2596 5 V rail (not the Arduino 5 V). Share grounds.

Starter logic

// Pseudocode: obstacle avoid
distance = readUltrasonicCM();
if (distance < 20) { turnRight(); delay(300); } else { forward(); }

Learning outcomes

• Translate sensor input to discrete actions (if/else flow).
• Test-measure-iterate on thresholds (e.g., 15 cm vs. 25 cm).

Classroom tips

• Standardize on a tuned 5.00 V rail for stability across teams.
• Use a masking-tape obstacle course; mark “test lanes” so teams can compare results fairly.

Extensions

• Median/averaging of multiple distance samples to reduce noise.
• Add a “reverse then turn” behavior when distance is extremely small (< 8 cm).

2) Line-Follower Bot (Two Servos + Line Sensor)

Concepts: feedback control, proportional thinking, calibration

Materials: 2 × SG90 continuous-rotation servos (or drive motors + driver), line sensor module, microcontroller, LM2596, black tape track.

Wiring notes

• Servos: signal to PWM pins (e.g., D9/D10), power from LM2596 5 V rail; share GND with the microcontroller.
• Line sensor: VCC 5 V, GND, OUT pins to digital/analog inputs (per module type).

Calibrate → follow

// Pseudocode: simple line follow
left = readLeftSensor();
right = readRightSensor();
error = left - right;          // negative = drift left, positive = drift right
base = 90;                     // neutral servo speed
adjust = map(error, -100, 100, -20, 20);
servoLeft.write(base - adjust);
servoRight.write(base + adjust);

Learning outcomes

• Use sensor differences as feedback to guide motion.
• Discuss why proportional control reduces oscillation vs. on/off logic.

Classroom tips

• Have students record “black” and “white” sensor values to choose thresholds.
• Lift wheels when first testing to avoid runaways; then place on track.

Extensions

• Time-trial challenges; add gentle curves and intersections.
• Introduce a simple PID by adding integral or derivative terms (qualitative discussion is enough).

3) Light Seeker (Photodiode/LDR + Servo)

Concepts: sensing, mapping values to angle, scan & respond

Materials: 1 × SG90, 1 × light sensor (LDR + resistor or light module), microcontroller, jumper wires, optional cardboard “sensor mast.”

Wiring notes

• Servo on a PWM pin (e.g., D9); power from the LM2596 5 V rail; share GND.
• Light sensor to an analog input; form a voltage divider if using a bare LDR.

Starter logic

// Pseudocode: sweep & track strongest light
bestAngle = 90; bestValue = -1;
for (angle = 0; angle <= 180; angle += 10) {
  servo.write(angle); delay(60);
  val = analogRead(A0);
  if (val > bestValue) { bestValue = val; bestAngle = angle; }
}
servo.write(bestAngle);

Learning outcomes

• Sampling and selection (argmax) over a search space of angles.
• Relate sensor magnitude to a directional actuator response.

Classroom tips

• Close blinds or run the activity under consistent lighting for fair comparisons.
• Use a phone torch as a controllable light source; set a distance rule for tests.

Extensions

• Make it dynamic: re-scan every few seconds to follow a moving light.
• Build a two-axis tracker with a second servo (pan/tilt).

Assessment Ideas (fast, fair, and fun)

• Engineering log: Students sketch wiring, note pin assignments, and record two test iterations with results.
• Performance rubric: Define success as completing the course, following a taped S-curve, or aligning to a light within 2 seconds.
• Explain it: Short exit ticket: “Which change improved your robot most and why?”

Differentiation & Accessibility

• Beginner: Provide a starter sketch with clearly labelled variables.
• Intermediate: Ask students to tune thresholds and explain their choices with data.
• Advanced: Add median filtering for sensors or proportional control on speed/turn rate.

Grab wiring diagrams and printable worksheets in the RoboRider Technical Centre, and refer to the HC-SR04, SG90, and LM2596 guides for step-by-step wiring and troubleshooting.

Quick Checklist for Teachers

• Power servos and sensors from a stable 5.00 V rail (LM2596), not the Arduino 5 V pin.
• Share grounds across all modules; keep leads short and tidy.
• Test with minimal sketches before integrating logic.
• Use standardized tracks/obstacles for fair comparisons between teams.