Programming Foundations

Learn the fundamental programming concepts that control all robotic systems. This unit covers the logical structures and problem-solving approaches you’ll use throughout the course.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Write basic programs with variables, conditions, and loops
  • Debug common programming errors
  • Understand how code controls hardware
  • Apply programming logic to robot behaviors

Core Concepts

Variables and Data

  • Storing sensor readings and robot state
  • Using numbers, text, and boolean values
  • Naming conventions and best practices

Control Structures

  • Conditions: Making decisions with if/else statements
  • Loops: Repeating actions with for and while loops
  • Functions: Organizing code into reusable blocks

Hardware Integration

  • Reading sensor inputs
  • Controlling motors and actuators
  • Timing and synchronization

Programming Environment

We’ll use a beginner-friendly environment that lets you:

  • Write code with helpful syntax highlighting
  • Test programs step-by-step
  • See immediate results on robot hardware
  • Get helpful error messages when things go wrong

Practice Projects

Start with simple programs and build complexity:

  1. Hello World: Your first program
  2. Sensor Reading: Get data from the environment
  3. Motor Control: Make things move
  4. Conditional Logic: Respond to different situations
  5. Loops and Timing: Create patterns and sequences

Debugging Skills

Learning to find and fix problems in your code:

  • Read error messages carefully for clues
  • Test small pieces of code at a time
  • Use print statements to see what’s happening
  • Ask for help when you’re stuck

Next Steps

Once you master these fundamentals, you’ll apply them in:

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