Robotics

Through Smith’s Robotics program, students gain practical experience with electronics, coding in Python, and hardware integration using the Raspberry Pi Pico, a compact microcontroller platform. Working in the Thonny IDE program to do their own coding, they master tasks ranging from programming blinking LED lights and reading sensor data to building autonomous robots capable of obstacle avoidance. Along the way, students discover the thrill of bringing their ideas to life—like a robot that can find its way through a maze, act as a calculator, display text messages or favorite images like 8-bit video game characters, or even dance! Each lesson reinforces core technical skills such as wiring, programming, and troubleshooting, preparing students to design and construct a final project that they get to show off to friends and family at the bi-annual Smith School Showcase!