Robotics & Basic Electronics Quick Review

Course Standards & Grading

Aim: mastery of basic electronics, Arduino microcontroller parts, coding structure, and circuit design.
Performance standard: build & program an Arduino circuit that reacts to input and produces output, highlighting teamwork & community benefit.
Grading: $20\%$ Written Work · $60\%$ Performance Task · $20\%$ Exam.

Lab / Classroom Rules

Single-line formation to and from lab; maintain silence.
Stay at assigned PC; respect peers & teacher.
Raise one finger to request restroom break.
Protect equipment (esp. Arduino kit); no new software, social-media login, flash drives, or vandalism.

Robotics Essentials

Robot: automated machine reducing human effort; executes tasks with limited/no human input.
Robotics: multidisciplinary field covering robot design, engineering, programming.
SAT core: Sense (sensors) · Act (actuators) · Think (processor/controller).
Key abilities: Sensing, Movement, Energy supply, Intelligence.
Common uses: cleaning, delivery, surgery, manufacturing, rescue, human interaction.

Major Robot Categories

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs): free navigation via sensors + AI.
Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs): follow fixed tracks/markers.
Articulated Robots: multi-jointed "robotic arms" for industry.
Humanoids: human-like form & interaction.
Hybrids: combine features (e.g., mobile base + arm).

Brief History Milestones

$1921$ Capek coins “robot”.
$1942$ Asimov’s Three Laws.
$1948\text{–}49$ Walter’s tortoise robots (Elmer & Elsie).
$1970$ Freddy I/II assembly robots.
$1989$ MIT “Genghis” cheap insect-like robot.
21st C: self-driving cars, advanced humanoids (e.g., Sophia), space rovers (Perseverance).

Electronics Fundamentals

Current $I$ : flow of electric charge.
Voltage $V$ : potential difference causing current.
Resistance $R$ : opposition to current (unit $\Omega$ ).
Polarity: direction/path of current.

Circuit Types

Simple Circuit: closed loop with source, conductive path, load.
Series: single path; removing one part stops current.
Parallel: multiple paths; one open branch doesn’t stop others.

Safety When Working with Circuits

Dry hands / use gloves; clean, dry workspace.
No liquids or conductive clutter nearby.
Read component labels; know lab layout before powering.

Key Components

Voltage Sources: batteries (chemical $\rightarrow$ electrical), AC-DC power supplies.
Wires: solid (rigid) vs. stranded (flexible) conductors.
Breadboard: solder-less prototyping board with vertical tie-points & horizontal power rails.
LED: polarized diode; long leg = anode (+) to $5\text{ V}$ , short leg = cathode (−).
Resistor: passive part limiting current; value in $\Omega$ determined by color bands.

Reading Resistor Color Codes

Mnemonic: “BB ROY of Great Britain had a Very Good Wife”

Digits: Black 0, Brown 1, Red 2, Orange 3, Yellow 4, Green 5, Blue 6, Violet 7, Gray 8, White 9.
4-band: Band 1 = 1st digit, Band 2 = 2nd digit, Band 3 = multiplier, Band 4 = tolerance.
Example: Red (VALUE 2) – Violet (7) – Brown ( $\times10$ ) – Gold ( $\pm5\%$ ) $\Rightarrow 270\,\Omega \; \pm5\%$ .
Higher values: $1\,000\,\Omega=1\,\text{k}\Omega$ , $1\,000,000\,\Omega=1\,\text{M}\Omega$ .

Quick Self-Check Statements

Robots cannot perform every human task or feel emotions.
Robots are used in surgeries and require power supplies.
Robot “intelligence” comes from programmed processors, not independent thought.

Typical Assignments

Identify & record resistor values via color bands.
Research circuit components for future labs.
Design & present Arduino prototype showcasing digital + analog I/O.