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Name: ______________________________

Date: ____________________

Week 1

What Makes Something a Robot?

Sort robots from ordinary machines, and map how a robot senses, thinks, and acts.

60-75 minutes

Key ideas

What a robot really is

People call all sorts of things robots, but a real robot has three abilities: it can sense the world, decide what to do, and act - and it can do this on its own by following a program.

Machines vs robots

Every robot is a machine, but not every machine is a robot. A stapler and a bicycle are machines: they do work, but a person makes every decision.

Inputs, processing, and outputs

Robots work in a loop: input, then processing, then output. First a sensor gives an input (like 'wall is close'). Then the controller does the processing (it decides 'I should stop'). Then an actuator makes the output (the wheels stop).

The three main parts: controller, sensors, actuators

A robot has a controller (its brain), one or more sensors (how it senses), and one or more actuators (how it acts).

A program makes it repeatable

A program is the list of instructions the controller follows. Because the robot follows a program, it can do the same job again and again without a person guiding each step.

Autonomous vs remote-controlled

An autonomous system runs its own program and uses its sensors to decide, with no person steering. A remote-controlled system does exactly what a person tells it, moment by moment.

Robots and machines all around us

Use the sense-decide-act test on things you see every day. Some are true robots, some are just machines, and some are in between.

Words to know

Robot:
A machine that can sense its surroundings, decide what to do, and act on its own using a program.
Machine:
A tool that does work, like a bicycle or a stapler. A machine is only a robot if it can sense and decide by itself.
Input:
Information a robot takes in from the world, usually through a sensor.
Processing:
The 'thinking' step where the controller uses the inputs to decide what to do.
Output:
The action a robot takes, like moving a wheel or turning on a light.
Controller:
The robot's 'brain' - the small computer that runs the program and makes decisions.
Sensor:
A part that measures something about the world, like distance, light, or touch.
Actuator:
A part that makes something move or happen, like a motor, wheel, or buzzer.
Program:
A set of instructions the controller follows to do a job the same way every time.
Autonomous:
Acting on its own, using sensors and a program, without a person steering it.
Remote-controlled:
Steered by a person in real time, for example with a joystick or app.

Your activity

Robot-or-Not investigation

Goal: Sort real devices into robot, machine, or in-between, and defend each choice with the sense-decide-act test.

  1. Look at each device and ask three questions: Can it sense anything? Can it decide on its own? Can it act? A real robot can do all three by itself.
  2. Put each device on a line from 'just a machine' to 'full robot', and write one reason for where you placed it.

Write what happened:

Robot System Mapper

Goal: Map one real device as a robot system: label its inputs, processing, outputs, controller, sensors, and actuators.

  1. Pick one device that senses and decides. On the mapper sheet, draw arrows for the input, processing, and output loop.
  2. Then label the three parts: which piece is the controller, which are the sensors, and which are the actuators.

Write what happened:

Helpful Robot design challenge

Goal: Invent a robot that does one helpful job and sketch it with its inputs, processing, and outputs labeled.

  1. Think of a small, real problem at home or school that a robot could help with.
  2. Sketch your robot and label at least one sensor (input), the decision it makes (processing), and at least one actuator (output).

Write what happened:

Predict

Write your guess before you test.

Before the investigation: which of your devices do you think is the 'most robot', and why?

Knowledge check

Answer each question. For choice questions, circle the best answer.

  1. Decide what kind of system this is.

    A toy car drives forward when you push a button on a handset and turns when you move a lever. It never changes what it does on its own.

    • A.An autonomous robot
    • B.A remote-controlled machine
    • C.Not a machine at all
    • D.A machine with a distance sensor

  2. Which of these are actuators? Select all that apply.

    • (Circle all that apply.)
    • A.A motor that spins a wheel
    • B.A distance sensor
    • C.A buzzer that makes a sound
    • D.A light the robot turns on

  3. What makes something a robot instead of just a machine?

    • A.It is made of metal
    • B.It can sense, decide, and act on its own
    • C.It has an on/off switch
    • D.It is expensive

  4. In the input-processing-output loop, what is the 'processing' step?

    • A.The robot measures the world with a sensor
    • B.The robot moves a wheel or turns on a light
    • C.The controller decides what to do with the input
    • D.The robot charges its battery

  5. Which part of a robot is the actuator?

    • A.The motor that turns the wheel
    • B.The distance sensor
    • C.The controller board
    • D.The battery

  6. A robot vacuum cleans a room by itself with no one steering it. This is an example of a system that is:

    • A.Remote-controlled
    • B.Autonomous
    • C.Not a robot at all
    • D.Broken

  7. Why does a robot need a program?

    • A.So it looks more high-tech
    • B.So it can do a job the same way on its own, again and again
    • C.So it can be heavier
    • D.So it does not need sensors

Reflect

What job would you trust a robot to do? What job should still require a person? Explain.

Think of a robot you have seen. What does it sense, decide, and do?

What job would you most want a helpful robot to do for you, and what sensor would it need?