Making Things Move & Feel
A brain is useless if it can't see the world or act upon it. Learn how inputs (sensors) and outputs (motors & lights) bring robots to life.
1. The I/O Loop
Every robot follows a simple loop: Sense ➡️ Think ➡️ Act
1. Sense (Input)
2. Think (Brain)
3. Act (Output)
2. The Hardware Parts
How the robot feels the world.
The simplest input. Is it pressed? Yes or No. Sends electricity when pushed down.
Changes resistance based on how bright the room is. Great for "night light" robots.
Reads how wet the dirt is by sending electricity through its prongs.
Looks like two eyes. Sends out an inaudible "ping" and times how long the echo takes to return to measure distance.
How the robot acts upon the world.
Turns electrical energy directly into light without getting hot. Good for visual warnings.
A tiny speaker that beeps when electricity hits it. Great for audio alarms.
A smart motor. Instead of spinning forever like a fan, you can tell it to turn to an exact angle (like 90 degrees) to act as a robotic elbow.
A dumb motor. It just spins as fast as it can while it receives power. Used for driving wheels.
3. Match the I/O!
For each robot idea below, pick the correct missing part.
Hardware Hacker! ⭐
You understand the building blocks of physical computing! The physical world is now yours to command.
Finish the matching game to unlock this!