LEGO Spike Prime

Prime Lessons 

Created by students, for students. Your go-to resource for teaching and scaffolding students' learning using Spike Prime Robotics. I typically recommend working through the lessons in order.

Integration & Project Ideas

• Design a Robot to solve a real-world problem - eg. Underground Mining Support, Lunar / Planetary Rovers.

  • • Extend by creating a simulated lunar/planetary surface (cardboard, paper, etc) with obstacles, and require the robot to carry and deliver equipment to a specific location

• Design a Musical Instrument (use sensor input to play instruments/tunes)

• Sumo Wrestling Robots

• Dance / Dramatic Theatre Performances (robots as characters in a scene or choreographed dance to music)

• Robotic Rube Goldberg Machines

• Move without Wheels Challenge

• Build a Fairground Ride (introduction to gears)

• Competitions - RoboCup Junior On-Stage Performance, FIRST LEGO League Challenge

Skills Scope and Sequence 

Typically, in their first year of robotics, students will focus on beginner skills and aim to learn at least one sensor. 

Beginner 

I can:  

• Explain the difference between a robot and a machine  

• Explain how a robot is a digital system incorporating inputs (through sensors) and outputs (e.g. pictures, text, movement).

• Use plain English pseudocode to plan out my code

• Configure robot movement (set movement motors, speed, brake)

• Program my robot to move forward and backwards using rotations, degrees, and centimeters

• Understand how to use port view to measure what my sensors are doing

• Program my robot to make a 90 degree right angle turn using the gyro sensor

• Explain the difference between a "spin turn" and a "pivot turn" 

• Use the LED screen to display pictures or text

• Use loop and wait until blocks to repeat certain actions

Intermediate  

I can: 

• Use maths operators to convert rotations/degrees to program my robot to move in centimetres (cm)

• Use IF/THEN and IF/THEN/ELSE blocks to make my robot do something in response to a sensor input (e.g. if distance is less than 10cm, then …)

• Use the force (touch) sensor to detect and avoid physical obstacles in front of my robot 

• Use the ultrasonic sensor to detect obstacles at a specified distance 

• Use the colour sensor to detect different colours. 

• Calibrate the colour sensor (using reflected light) 

• Build and use My Blocks (custom code) for repeatable tasks (e.g. line following, obstacle detection). 

• Use the brick buttons as sensors - e.g. when top button pressed, run program 1 

• Build a simple gearbox and lever system using the medium motor - adding a moving attachment to the robot 

 Advanced 

I can:  

• Use the gyro sensor to go straight 

• Build a proportional line follower (using 2 colour sensors) 

• Program with logic blocks e.g. Make your robot move forward until EITHER the touch sensor is pressed, or the colour sensor detects black 

• Program the robot to detect and exit a stall (when the robot is prevented from moving due to collision with an object) 

• Program the robot to square on lines

Spike Prime Blocks Explained