Robotics Part 1: Building Engineering Foundations

Advanced students in Nanan Academy’s youth program have successfully completed the first half of Robotics Prodigies, a full-length course equivalent to Robotics & Automation 30 curriculum. This class is designed to help students move confidently into robotics and electronics by combining hands-on experiments, structured programming, and real-world problem solving.

This circuits and robotics course integrates electrical/computer engineering concepts to help students understand how modern robotic systems work. Students develop skills in circuit design, programming, sensor integration, troubleshooting, and the engineering design process, while also building essential skills in collaboration, communication, and creativity.

In the first half of the course, students completed foundational learning and finished the term by building and programming an autonomous robot vehicle. The second half will continue on more advanced topics.

Inspiring Students Through Real-World Experience

The course began with a special guest presentation from Eugene Kilochek, a graduate of the Computer Engineering Technology program from Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Eugene currently works as a Manufacturing Engineering Technologist at Calian Advanced Technologies.

During his presentation, Eugene shared his journey through post-secondary education and into a high-tech career. He spoke about preparing for life after high school and the value of strong technical skills. This session helped connect classroom learning to real career pathways in STEM.

Understanding Electric Circuits

In the early weeks of the course, students focused on building a foundation in electric circuits. They learned Ohm’s Law and how voltage, current, and resistance interact within a circuit. These concepts were reinforced through hands-on lab activities.

Students studied and built:

• Series circuits
• Parallel circuits
• Series-parallel circuits

They practised proper wiring techniques on breadboards and learned how to safely use electronic instruments such as bench power supplies and digital multimeters to measure voltage and current. Students also learned to draw circuit schematics using KiCAD, a computer-aided design software used in education and industry.

Logic Gates and Digital Systems

Once students had an understanding of analog circuits, they moved into digital circuits. They learned the difference between analog and digital signals and how computers represent information using binary numbers. Students practised converting between binary and decimal numbers.

They also studied basic logic gates AND, OR, and NOT gates. Students learned how these gates form the building blocks of digital systems. They connected integrated circuits onto breadboards, read datasheets, identified pinouts, and created truth tables to describe circuit behaviour.

With both analog and digital foundations covered, students were introduced to microcontrollers using the Arduino. They wrote programs to control sequences of LEDs and learned C++ programming concepts that included variables, decision statements, and functions.

Designing an Autonomous Robot

Students began their first project: a two-wheel-drive autonomous obstacle-avoidance robot. This project brought together everything they had learned so far.

The robot used:

• Arduino Uno or Nano
• HC-SR04 ultrasonic distance sensor
• 6V DC motors
• A dual H-bridge motor driver TB6612FNG
• 6V (4xAA) battery pack to power the motors
• 9V battery to power the Arduino and discrete circuits

Students also learned about transistors and how they are used in motor control applications.

Over several sessions, students:

• Studied how H-bridge circuits control motor direction and speed
• Pulse width modulation for speed control
• Built and tested motor driver circuits
• Wrote programs to control robot movement
• Integrated the ultrasonic sensor to detect obstacles
• Debugged wiring and software issues using structured troubleshooting methods

In the final class, students learned how capacitors are used to reduce electrical noise generated by motors, improving reliability and performance. Each student completed a functioning robot capable of detecting objects and turning to avoid collisions.

The term concluded with reflection activities, helping students recognize their growth in problem-solving and persistence.

What’s Next for Part 2?

Students will advance to more complex systems and applications, including:

• Servo motors and precision motion control
• Programming a robotic arm
• Light and temperature sensors
• LCD displays
• Introductory AI applications in computer vision
• A comprehensive capstone project

The students’ dedication, curiosity, and confidence in engineering skills set a foundation for continued success. We look forward to seeing their completed capstone projects demonstrated at the next Nanan Academy’s Student Project Showcase, where students will present their work and share what they have learned with the community.