Build systems that have to work.
4 builds, ordered by what each one assumes you can already do — from a single controlled output up to a multi-sensor system that manages itself. Nothing is locked, and every project says plainly what it expects of you.
One of them
Line-Following Robot
Inventor · 1 hr 30 min
The control loop
Perception — Two sensors read whether the line is under the left or right side.
Decision — Your code compares both readings to figure out which way to correct.
Action — The motors turn at different speeds to steer back onto the line.
Repeat — This sense-decide-correct cycle runs continuously — that's closed-loop control.
What it assumes you can do
- Reading a sensor's input
- Controlling a motor with code
- Tracking state across a program
- Combining sensor input with motor output
- Designing automated behavior
Derived from the builds that lead into this one — not a gate. You can start here.
The projects
4 builds
Status is what you have demonstrated against what each build assumes. It is information, not a gate — every one of these is open right now.
Blink an LED
Wire up your first circuit and write the code that makes a light blink on and off.
- Building a basic circuit
- Controlling a digital output
- Using timing and loops in code
Status: Assumes nothingLevel: ExplorerTime: 20 minDistance Alarm
Use an ultrasonic sensor to measure distance and trigger an alarm when something gets too close.
- Reading a sensor's input
- Measuring distance
- Using conditional (if/else) logic
- +1 more
Status: Assumes 3 you haven't shownLevel: BuilderTime: 45 minLine-Following Robot
Build a robot that steers itself by continuously reading sensors and following a taped line.
- Reading and comparing multiple sensors
- Closed-loop sensing and correction
- Differential-drive steering
- +2 more
Status: Assumes 5 you haven't shownLevel: InventorTime: 1 hr 30 minSmart Home
Build a scaled-down smart home model that combines sensors, status indicators, and an automated entry barrier into one coordinated system.
- Integrating multiple subsystems into one system
- Reading and comparing multiple sensors
- Tracking state across a program
- +4 more
Status: Assumes 6 you haven't shownLevel: ChallengerTime: 2 hrs