Caveat Academy course · Grades 8 to 12

Robotics II: sensors, control and autonomy

The second semester of robotics, where a robot stops following a script and starts doing a job on its own: turn encoder ticks into distance and echo times into range, tune a PID controller and read its step response, write state machines that recover from a missed grab, track position with odometry, plan a path around a blocked square, and size an arm's gearing from its load. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Robot systems and requirements

    Write testable requirements, compare designs with a weighted decision matrix, and compute drivetrain speed and battery runtime.

    • Requirements, subsystems and trade-offs
    • Drivetrains and speed
    • Power budgets and batteries
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Sensors in depth

    Convert encoder ticks to distance, compute ultrasonic distances from echo times, and choose filters for noisy sensors.

    • Encoders and measuring distance
    • Distance sensors: ultrasonic, infrared and lidar
    • Gyros, IMUs and sensor noise
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Feedback control

    Explain the three terms of a PID controller and analyze a step response for overshoot and steady-state error.

    • PID control
    • Tuning a controller
    • Motion profiles and turning
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Programming for reliable robots

    Design state machines with timeouts and non-blocking timers, and debug a robot with logs and targeted tests.

    • State machines
    • Non-blocking code and timing
    • Debugging, logging and testing
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Navigation and autonomy

    Compute line position from a sensor array, update odometry for a differential drive, and plan grid paths with breadth-first search and A*.

    • Line following with several sensors
    • Odometry and dead reckoning
    • Planning a path
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Mechanisms and competition design

    Size arm gearing from load torque, compute pneumatic force, and evaluate competition strategy by points per second.

    • Arms, lifts and torque
    • Intakes, claws and pneumatics
    • Strategy, scouting and design reviews
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 5 · Odometry and dead reckoning

Worked example: one odometry update

  1. Track width W = 0.30 meters. In one short interval the left wheels move 0.10 meters and the right wheels 0.40 meters.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High SchoolAlso for Academics · Middle School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished second semester of robotics: you can write requirements a stopwatch can settle, compare designs with a decision matrix, compute drivetrain speed and battery runtime, convert encoder ticks and echo times into distances, filter noisy readings, tune a PID controller from its step response, plan motion profiles and short-way turns, write state machines with timeouts in a non-blocking loop, track position with odometry, plan grid paths with breadth-first search and A*, size an arm from its load torque and judge a strategy by points per second. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 8 to 12 who have finished a first robotics course or season and want the control and programming ideas that make robots reliable, members of school and club robotics teams, and homeschool families who want a full semester of engineering. The lessons work with any classroom kit or a free online robot simulator.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics; also listed for the Middle School space in Caveat Academics (the same course serves the middle school Robotics II title).
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

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Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. OpenStax, University Physics Volume 1, the chapters on rotation and torque, a free college textbook: openstax.org
  2. MIT OpenCourseWare, Introduction to Robotics and Feedback Control Systems course materials: ocw.mit.edu
  3. FIRST Robotics Competition Control System documentation, on PID control, motion profiling, state machines and odometry: docs.wpilib.org
  4. NASA Glenn Research Center, Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics, speed of sound: grc.nasa.gov
  5. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and battery-maker guidance on lithium-ion battery safety: cpsc.gov

Robotics II is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It follows the sequence of a typical second robotics course but does not replace a school course, a team mentor or supervised shop time and awards no credit. Example numbers in worked problems, including motor ratings and pressures, are labeled as examples; always use the datasheets for your own parts and the rules of your own competition. Charge lithium batteries only with a matching charger, never unattended, and keep hands clear of powered mechanisms. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.