Skip to content
BetaDE

Learning area

Robotics with LEGO SPIKE

You program a LEGO SPIKE Prime robot with Pybricks. Every program runs straight away in the simulator in your browser – and later exactly the same on your real robot. The code comes from the book “Python for Robots”.

0 of 8 lessons done

Chapter 1Start

  1. 01
    20 minutes

    Your first Pybricks program

    Import Pybricks building blocks · Control the hub with scrolling text, light and icons · Add pauses with wait()

Chapter 2Movement

  1. 02
    30 minutes

    Driving with the DriveBase

    Combine two motors into a DriveBase · Drive precisely with straight(), turn() and arc() · Watch movements on the side with wait=False

Chapter 3Sensors

  1. 03
    30 minutes

    Sensors – colour, distance, force

    Read the colour sensor, ultrasonic sensor and force sensor · Use the pattern “measure, check, react” · Combine driving and measuring

Chapter 4Control

  1. 04
    30 minutes

    Following lines with a P controller

    Understand why on/off steering jerks around · Build a P controller from error and gain · Tune KP and speed sensibly

Chapter 5The hub

  1. 05
    25 minutes

    Buttons and gyro sensor

    Wait for a button press on the hub · Measure the heading with the gyro sensor · Calculate the shortest turn angle with modulo

  2. 06
    25 minutes

    Display and sounds

    Build your own image as a list of lists · Control single pixels and their brightness · Calculate a status display from measurements · Play sounds and melodies

Chapter 6Real hardware

  1. 07
    30 minutes

    Calibrating

    Understand why real robots never drive perfectly · Measure the distance with the distance sensor and the turn with the gyro · Recalculate wheel_diameter and axle_track correctly

  2. 08
    30 minutes

    Moving to the real SPIKE

    Put Pybricks onto the SPIKE hub · Transfer programs from the simulator to the real robot · Measure sensor values before the first run instead of guessing

🏁 Robotics challenges

Five courses in the simulator: who gets the robot into the finish fastest? Share your best time as a link – it's re-checked on the other end.

📘 Book bonus – the 5 big projects

Robot vacuum, PID line follower, alarm system, dance and gripper in the simulator. Unlock them with a question about the book.

Roadmap

Coming next

Stage 1

Real hardware

  • Transferring programs to SPIKE