Introduction to Robotics — Student Project Booklet

Student Project Booklet

Introduction
to Robotics

Ages 12–18 · 12 Weeks · Project-Based Arduino Course

📅 12 Weeks

⏱ 2 Hrs/Session

🔧 In-Person Lab

🤖 Arduino Powered

👨‍🏫

Instructor

Mr. Shamila Wijekoon

🎓

Qualification

BSc (Hons) in Engineering in Mechatronics Engineering (UG)

🔗

linkedin.com/in/shamila-wijekoon

01

Getting Started

Welcome to the Course

"

Hello, Builder! 👋

Welcome to Introduction to Robotics — a hands-on journey where you'll design, wire, and program real robots using Arduino. Over the next 12 weeks, you won't just learn about robotics — you'll actually build circuits, write code, debug hardware, and create a robot of your own.

Whether you've never touched a breadboard before or you've already soldered a few LEDs, you belong here. All you need is curiosity and a willingness to get your hands a little dirty — and your code a little buggy at first. Let's build!

SW

Your Instructor

Mr. Shamila Wijekoon

BSc (Hons) in Mechatronics Engineering · ECLIPSE Academy of Arts & Technology

linkedin.com/in/shamila-wijekoon

📅

Duration

12 Weeks of Building

⏱

Per Session

2 Hours / Session

🔧

Platform

In-Person Robotics Lab

🎯

Age Group

12 – 18 Years

💡 Your Mindset for This Course

→ There are no silly questions. Every engineer has burned out an LED at least once.
→ You don't need to know how to code yet. We'll build that skill from scratch, one sketch at a time.
→ Wires will come loose, circuits will short, and code will throw errors — that's normal, not failure.
→ Think like a debugger: check power, then wiring, then code.
→ Have fun. Robotics is one part science, one part art, and one part stubbornness!

02

The Journey

Course at a Glance

The course is split into 3 phases, each building toward your final robot. You'll start with the electronics and code fundamentals, then move into building and programming real robots, and finish by designing and showcasing a project of your own.

🔌 Phase 1 — Electronics & Arduino Foundations (Weeks 1–4)

WEEK 1

What Is Robotics? Meet the Arduino

WEEK 2

Circuits, Sensors & Digital I/O

WEEK 3

Analog Input & PWM Control

WEEK 4

Programming Logic — Loops & Functions

🛠 Phase 2 — Building & Programming Robots (Weeks 5–8)

WEEK 5

Motors & Motor Drivers — Making Things Move

WEEK 6

Sensors for Robots — Ultrasonic, IR & Line

WEEK 7

Build Your Robot Chassis

WEEK 8

Program Your Line-Following Robot

🤖 Phase 3 — Advanced Robotics & Final Project (Weeks 9–12)

WEEK 9

Wireless Control — Bluetooth & Remote Robots

WEEK 10

Obstacle Avoidance & Autonomous Behaviour

WEEK 11

Servos, Robotic Arms & Final Build

WEEK 12

Final Showcase & Robot Demo Day 🎉

🏆 What You'll Be Able to Do by Week 12

✓ Wire and read circuits confidently using a breadboard, resistors, and sensors.
✓ Write and debug Arduino sketches using digital I/O, PWM, and control structures.
✓ Control DC motors and servos to create real physical movement.
✓ Use ultrasonic, IR, and line sensors to give your robot "senses."
✓ Design, build, and present your own working robot at the Final Showcase.

03

Full Schedule

Week-by-Week Breakdown

Week	Topic	Focus Areas	Key Activity
Week 1	Meet the Arduino	TheoryBuild	Unbox your kit, wire & upload your first Blink sketch
Week 2	Circuits & Digital I/O	TheoryBuild	Build a push-button circuit with digitalRead/Write
Week 3	Analog & PWM	TheoryBuild	Fade an LED with PWM, read a potentiometer
Week 4	Programming Logic	TheoryBuild	Build a reaction-time game with buttons & buzzer
Week 5	Motors & Motor Drivers	BuildSafety	Wire an L298N driver, spin a DC motor both ways
Week 6	Sensors for Robots	BuildTheory	Test ultrasonic (HC-SR04), IR & line sensors
Week 7	Build Your Chassis	BuildProject	Assemble chassis — wire motors, driver & sensors
Week 8	Line-Following Robot	BuildProject	Program & tune your line-following algorithm
Week 9	Wireless Control	BuildTheory	Add Bluetooth (HC-05) control from a phone app
Week 10	Obstacle Avoidance	BuildProject	Program autonomous obstacle-avoidance behaviour
Week 11	Servos & Robotic Arms	BuildTheory	Sweep a servo & build a simple gripper arm
Week 12	🎉 Final Showcase	ProjectBuild	Present your robot — live demo & judging

Theory = Concept learning

Build = Hands-on wiring & coding

Safety = Electronics & lab safety

Project = Robot build milestone

04

Before Week 1

What You'll Need

Make sure you have everything ready before your very first session. Tick each item off the checklist!

✓
An Arduino Uno R3 (or compatible) board and a USB cable
✓
A breadboard and an assorted pack of jumper wires
✓
Basic components: LEDs, resistors, push buttons & a potentiometer
✓
DC gear motors, wheels & a robot chassis kit
✓
An L298N (or similar) motor driver module
✓
An HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor plus IR/line-tracking sensors
✓
A laptop with the free Arduino IDE installed
✓
A notebook & pen for your Build Log — yes, real paper!

05

Lab Expectations

Our Lab Rules

🔌

Power Down Before Wiring

Always disconnect power before changing any connection. It protects you and your components.

📐

Follow the Diagram

Double-check your wiring against the schematic before you power anything on.

🧯

Ask Before You Test

If something looks off or smells hot, power down immediately and call the instructor.

🧰

Keep Your Bench Tidy

Small components vanish fast — organize your parts bin at the start of every session.

📓

Document Your Build

Keep a build log: sketches, wiring notes, code snippets, and what worked (or didn't).

🐛

Debug Systematically

When something doesn't work: check power, then wiring, then code — one variable at a time.

06

Toolkit

Tools & Platform We'll Use

💻

Arduino IDE

Free software used to write, compile & upload code (sketches) to your board

🔲

Arduino Uno

The microcontroller board at the heart of every project we build

🧪

Tinkercad Circuits

Free browser simulator for testing circuits before wiring them for real

🎨

Fritzing

Software for drawing clean breadboard & wiring diagrams for your build log

⚙️

L298N Motor Driver

A module that lets your Arduino control a motor's speed & direction

📏

HC-SR04 Sensor

An ultrasonic sensor that measures distance using sound, just like sonar

07

Key Vocabulary

Mini Glossary

Microcontroller

A small computer on a single chip that reads sensors and controls outputs — the "brain" of your Arduino.

Sketch

The name for a program written for Arduino; you write it in the Arduino IDE and upload it to the board.

PWM

Pulse Width Modulation — rapidly switching a pin on and off to simulate an analog signal, used to control motor speed and LED brightness.

Breadboard

A reusable board for building and testing circuits without any soldering.

Actuator

Any component, like a motor or servo, that turns an electrical signal into physical movement.

H-Bridge

A circuit, often built into a motor driver module, that lets you control a motor's direction as well as its speed.

Debouncing

A coding or circuit technique that stops a single button press from being read as several rapid presses.

08

Track Your Progress

Weekly Build Log

Each session has a small task to complete before the next class. Tick the box when you're done!

Week 1

Sketch your first LED-blink circuit in your Build Log and label what each part does

Week 2

Build a button circuit and try inverting the digitalRead() logic

Week 3

Fade an LED at 3 different PWM speeds and record the code for each

Week 4

Add one new feature to your reaction-time game (a high score or a buzzer sound)

Week 5

Wire your motor driver and log which pins control direction vs. speed

Week 6

Take ultrasonic distance readings in 3 different rooms and compare accuracy

Week 7

Sketch your chassis wiring diagram before assembling it in class

Week 8

Tune your line-following code with 2 different sensor threshold values

Week 9

Test your Bluetooth control range — how far can you drive before it disconnects?

Week 10

Improve your obstacle-avoidance routine — add a "reverse and turn" behaviour

Week 11

Finalize your final project plan — parts list, code outline & presentation notes

🎓 Your Final Project — Week 12

A Build it: Design & build an original Arduino robot that solves a real problem (a plant waterer, a security alert bot, a delivery bot)
B Push the limits: Take your line-follower or obstacle-avoider further — add a new sensor or a smarter behaviour
C Design a concept: Propose a robotics solution for your school or home — parts list, wiring diagram & pseudocode
D Teach someone: Film a short tutorial teaching one robotics concept to a total beginner

Wire it.
Code it.
Build it.

Your Robotics Journey Starts Now

🔧

Curiosity

⚡

Precision

🤖

Persistence

🌍

Innovation

Instructor: Mr. Shamila Wijekoon · BSc (Hons) in Engineering in Mechatronics Engineering (UG)
ECLIPSE Academy of Arts & Technology
linkedin.com/in/shamila-wijekoon-467490246
Introduction to Robotics · 12-Week Arduino Project Course