repeat patrolcontinue the route
Public lesson / Robotics
How Can a Robot Patrol Without Getting Stuck?
A patrol robot follows its route perfectly until somebody moves a box. Should it continue, stop forever, or use a sensor reading to choose a recovery action?
Lesson rhythm
The idea moves toward a demonstration.
Story, problem, or provocation
Name the problem before opening the build.
Theory and concept
Make the hidden rule visible with small tests.
Guided build
Use the idea inside a working project system.
Modification challenge
Change one rule and predict the effect.
Demonstration and cleanup
Explain the result, save safely, and leave a known state.
Learning goals
What students should be able to do and explain.
- Combine a repeated patrol with sensing.
- Use a condition to choose a correction.
- Represent patrol state.
- Test an obstacle edge case.
- Explain the feedback loop.
Theory kernel
Small examples before the larger build.
if obstacle neardetect a reason to change
turn and check againcorrect from new information
state = RECOVERINGremember the current mode
Guided-build preview
Robot Patrol Challenge
Patrol a route until an obstacle appears, then choose a response that does not involve turning forever in a corner.
A repeatable patrol, An obstacle signal, At least one response state, A correction and recheck.
Loops, Sensors, Conditions, State, Feedback.
A working version, one modification, one repaired problem, and an explanation.
Teacher checkpoints
Evidence before adding complexity.
- 1A normal patrol can be demonstrated.
- 2An obstacle changes behaviour.
- 3The system checks again after correcting.
- 4Recovery does not become an endless turn.
- 5Student explains Sense-Decide-Act.
Common mistakes
Pause, inspect, and test one cause.
- Patrol never reads the sensor.
- One obstacle causes permanent recovery mode.
- Turning occurs without checking the result.
- The stop condition is missing.
Modification challenge
Three levels, one concept kept visible.
Higher levels are optional. They deepen the current idea rather than turning a beginner lesson into an unrelated advanced task.
Builder
- Stop and signal at an obstacle.
Inventor
- Try a second route after turning.
Boss Level
- Track failed directions and choose a recovery state.
End-of-class demonstration
Explain the work while it is still visible.
- What repeats during patrol?
- What does the system sense?
- Which condition changes the plan?
- How does it check the correction?
- What limit remains?