Build & Test Your Robot (Practical)
Does the robot actually meet its design brief?
- Construct a working simple robot from your prototype
- Run staged tests during and after construction
- Evaluate the robot honestly against the original design brief
Overview
This week we move from cardboard to a working robot. We test each sub-system as we go — a motor before the wheels are attached, a sensor before the code is finished. Then we run full system tests, demo the robot, and write an honest evaluation with version-2 improvements.
Staged testing
Do not build the whole robot then hope it works. Test each part as you add it: is the motor spinning the right way? Is the sensor reading? Does the switch break the circuit? Fixing one part at a time is far easier than fixing five.
System testing against the brief
Go back to the design brief. For each objective, ask: does the robot meet it? Record the result — pass, partial, or fail — with evidence (a photo, a measurement, a run time).
Honest evaluation
A good evaluation says what worked, what failed, and what version 2 would change. Marks reward honesty, not perfection.
Mini-expo demo & evaluation
- Finish building your robot; run at least 3 staged tests as you go.
- Run a full system test against every objective in the brief.
- Present at the class mini-expo (3 minutes): show the robot and answer questions.
- Write a one-page evaluation with version-2 improvements.
- Why test sub-systems as you build?
Reveal answer
So faults are found and fixed one at a time, not all at once at the end.
- How do we know if the robot passes?
Reveal answer
It meets the objectives in the design brief, with recorded evidence.
- What should a written evaluation include?
Reveal answer
What worked, what failed, and what version 2 would change.
List two changes you would make to your robot with double the budget and explain why.