Once a robot can move, the interesting question becomes: can you make it behave differently on purpose? These three challenge briefs are designed for learners who already have a working mBot2 setup. They are learning designs, not hardware-tested, step-by-step tutorials.
Use Makeblock’s current setup and coding documentation for exact blocks, extensions, device connections, and firmware. The manufacturer supports block coding and Python through mBlock. Begin with whichever environment already works for you; changing both the language and the behavior at once makes faults harder to isolate.
Challenge 1: give the robot a personal-space rule
Goal: stop or signal when an object is closer than a chosen distance. First display the distance reading while the robot is stationary. Place a broad piece of cardboard at several measured positions and compare the values. Only add slow movement after the reading makes sense.
Make it yours: change the threshold and predict when the behavior will trigger. Use a light or sound to show which branch of the condition is active. Explain what happens exactly at the threshold: does your rule use “less than,” or “less than or equal to”?
Evidence of understanding: the learner can describe why the same object triggers one setting but not another. This is more informative than simply showing a robot that stops.
Challenge 2: deliver a message between two stations
Goal: travel from a starting mark to a destination and signal arrival. Begin with a short, straight route in a clear floor area. Mark the start position so repeated trials are comparable. Record how close each attempt finishes to the target.
Make it yours: change only one movement parameter, then compare three runs. Add a turn after the straight segment is reliable. Ask whether the robot is measuring progress or merely running a timed instruction; those are different control strategies.
Evidence of understanding: the learner can name a reason repeated runs might differ, such as the surface or starting alignment, and propose a controlled test.
Challenge 3: fix an intentionally broken rule
Goal: diagnose a simple program where the intended and observed behaviors disagree. An adult can reverse a comparison or alter one threshold in a copy of a known working program. Keep the original version available.
Make it yours: ask the learner to predict the faulty program’s behavior before changing it. Then require a single edit and an explanation. Avoid changing connections, code, and batteries simultaneously; that makes it impossible to know which change helped.
Record the experiment
For each challenge, write the goal, prediction, changed parameter, observed result, and next question. A short video or drawing can capture the explanation without turning the activity into an essay. If a project becomes frustrating, return to the smallest working behavior.
Reference: Makeblock’s mBot2 learning resources. Stuck? Follow our robot troubleshooting checklist.