Chassis design and build

Computing

Introduction to physical computing

Working with motors

Ultrasonic sensors to measure distance

Optical sensors for navigation

Creating an autonomous vehicle

Adding additional features to your buggy

Presenting a physical computing project

This unit introduces pupils to physical computing by building a robotic buggy. They will use a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller to explore inputs and outputs, and utilise a range of hardware components, including motors, reflective optical sensors, LEDs, and an ultrasonic sensor.

Using physical computing to create a robot buggy

to provide structural support for all components

What is the main purpose of a buggy chassis?

What type of inspection involves carefully looking for problems or faults before they become serious?

Put these steps in order for building and testing a buggy chassis:

components must be positioned and secured carefully for reliability

Which statement best explains why simply attaching components does not guarantee a buggy will work properly?

What do motors do in an electronic circuit?

the motor needs more power than the microcontroller can provide

Why can’t a microcontroller drive a motor directly?

What do you call the physical points on a microcontroller for connecting wires?

What is the essential part of a circuit that provides a return path for electric current?

physical connection point on a microcontroller

protecting microcontrollers from high currents

Which of the following is NOT a function of a motor driver?

Introduction

What will you need for this lesson?

Are you ready to learn?

Equipment

Worksheet