Robotics · lesson 2 of 30 · free

Sense, think, act — Robotics for kids

Every robot works in a loop. First it senses: a bumper is pressed, a light sensor reads the floor or a camera spots a wall. Then it thinks: the controller runs the program, compares numbers and decides. Then it acts: wheels spin, a gripper closes or a buzzer beeps. Then it senses again. A robot vacuum that bumps into a chair feels the bump, decides to turn, turns with its motors and drives on.

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Robot tip

The robot loop — “sense → think → act, and then sense again, many times a second”

  1. Sense = taking in information with sensors (touch, light, sound, distance, camera).
  2. Think = the controller running the program and deciding.
  3. Act = doing something: motors move, a gripper grips, a buzzer beeps, a light shines. Then the loop starts again.

Use it for: Understanding any robot, planning a robot project and reading robot programs later in the course.

Worked example: 🧠 Sense, think or act: “a bumper is pressed”? → sense

  1. A bumper is a touch sensor at the front of the robot.
  2. When it is pressed, the robot is taking in information, so it is sensing.

Check: “the wheels spin” would be act, “it decides to turn” would be think ✓

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✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

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🏁 Lesson 2 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

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🖨️ Robotics Worksheet: Sense, Think, Act

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