What students build
- A maze or grid
- A known start and direction
- A command vocabulary
- A predicted route
- A tested revision
- A demonstration trace
Guided Project
Guided ProjectRobot Maze Logic
Deliver a repair part through a maze using instructions precise enough for a robot that cannot guess what 'go around it' means.
Project brief
What students learn
- Decomposition
- Sequence order
- Direction tracking
- Prediction
- Route testing
- Debugging one command
What students need
- Paper and pencil or browser simulation
- Optional floor grid
- No robot hardware required
This works on paper or in a grid simulation. Physical robot hardware is optional and depends on the class setup.
Suggested build order
- 01
Define the command language
Task: Choose exact forward, turn, and stop commands.
- Checkpoint
- Every command has one meaning.
- Likely mistake
- Using vague human directions.
- 02
Mark start and direction
Task: Record both position and facing direction.
- Checkpoint
- Another student can reproduce the setup.
- Likely mistake
- Recording position but not direction.
- 03
Predict the route
Task: Write the complete sequence before testing.
- Checkpoint
- The final position is predicted.
- Likely mistake
- Changing commands during the first run.
- 04
Trace or simulate
Task: Run one command at a time and record state.
- Checkpoint
- The failure point is identifiable.
- Likely mistake
- Skipping intermediate states.
- 05
Repair the first error
Task: Change the earliest incorrect command and run the route again.
- Checkpoint
- You can explain why the change should work.
- Likely mistake
- Rewriting the whole route at random.
Test questions
- Does the route track facing direction?
- Can the robot cut through corners?
- What happens at the edge?
- Does stop occur at the target?
- Can another student follow the same commands?
Common mistakes
- Directions assume a human viewpoint.
- Turns are confused with movement.
- The robot is treated as a point with no size.
- Several commands are revised at once.
Extension ideas
- Find a shorter route.
- Add one blocked square.
- Create a reusable turn routine.
- Swap command lists with another student.
Challenge levels
Builder
Complete and trace one route.
Inventor
Optimize the route after proving it works.
Boss Level
Design a maze and command verifier for another student.
What to demonstrate
- Command vocabulary
- Known start and direction
- Written prediction
- Complete trace
- One evidence-based repair
- Final route explanation