Mechanical Foundations provides participants with knowledge and hands-on experiences with a variety of tools and hardware components. By understanding the foundational mechanical principles that underpin robotics, participants develop the ability to design, construct, and maintain these systems with increased confidence and efficacy. The course covers topics such as structure, power transmission, motion, and mechanisms using hands-on activities with VEX V5 kits.

As part of the SMART Robotics Technician Program, Mechanical Foundations is aligned to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that robotics technicians need to be successful. The SMART Robotics Technician Program is endorsed by the ARM Institute. 

Software Foundations is an introduction to core robot control concepts with a focus on navigation, sensing, and machine vision. Participants learn to adapt and validate code through an iterative software engineering process. Using the ShieldBot and HuskyLens AI camera, they iterate on increasingly complex control algorithms that incorporate loops, conditionals, and AI-driven perception to solve real-world challenges.

Software Foundations is an introduction to core robot control concepts with a focus on navigation, sensing, and machine vision. Participants learn to adapt and validate code through an iterative software engineering process. Using the ShieldBot and PixyCam, they iterate on increasingly complex control algorithms that incorporate loops, conditionals, and sensors to solve real-world challenges.

Software Foundations is an introduction to programming concepts. Students who complete this curriculum demonstrate an understanding of the software engineering process through repeated planning, testing, and iteration throughout the units. Students also learn basic robot movement, how to use feedback from different kinds of sensors, and how to create complex programs using loops and decision-making logic.

 Robotics Integration introduces students to situations where technicians receive multiple components of a robotics system that require assembly, installation, and debugging. Students learn how to integrate components such as a vision sensor (camera) system, breadboard, servo motors, and embedded microprocessor from multiple hardware vendors. The learner will "unpack and test" components and refine “robot navigation programming" through this curriculum. 

Robotics Integration introduces students to situations where technicians receive multiple components of a robotics system that require assembly, installation, and debugging. Students learn how to integrate components such as a vision sensor (camera) system, breadboard, servo motors, and embedded microprocessor from multiple hardware vendors. The learner will "unpack and test" components and refine “robot navigation programming" through this curriculum.

Electrical Foundations focuses on the foundational concepts around basic electricity and how circuits work. In this course, students learn how to use multimeters to measure various parts of a circuit. Students learn how to control signals using a microcontroller, how to utilize binary sensors like Limit Switches, and analog sensors like an Ultrasonic Sensor. The culminating project is an e-panel consisting of all of the components found in a typical robotic system.

Fabrication Foundations introduces students to hand tools to cut, drill, and file down multiple materials to create a robot chassis and motor mount. Students also learn how to use additive manufacturing (3D printing) to create a sensor mount. The skills taught include safety, basic measurement, reading and interpreting drawings, basic hand tool use, and handling materials.

Introduction to Programming provides a structured sequence of programming activities in real-world project-based contexts. The projects are designed to get students thinking about the patterns and structure of not just robotics, but also programming and problem-solving more generally. This curriculum includes videos, animations, and step-by-step lessons designed to help beginners learn behavior-based programming using the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 hardware and EV3 Classroom scratch-based programming software.

This badge is a free preview of the Introduction to Programming with Virtual EV3 curriculum. Learn how to access the full curriculum here.

The Introduction to Programming with Virtual EV3 curriculum features a programming interface and virtual robot embedded directly within the curriculum. Teachers and students can follow along with the included videos, animations, challenges, and step-by-step lessons designed to help beginners learn coding and computational thinking - and they can do so using a virtual EV3, the physical LEGO® MINDSTORMS EV3 hardware, or even a combination of both.

The curriculum is broken down into 5 major units:

Introduction to Programming with Virtual EV3 is designed to encourage independent learning and problem-solving in pursuit of a goal. All lessons are self-contained, require a minimum of instructor supervision, and include many built-in opportunities to self-assess progress. The curriculum includes over 70 virtual environments so that students can follow along with all lesson content. The curriculum contains all of the material for both physical robots AND virtual robots, so educators that need to balance both (as is the case with many hybrid learning implementations) don’t need to also balance multiple curricula.

The virtual robot itself contains simulated versions of the programmable motors, sensors, and other components. A built-in sensor dashboard allows students and teachers to quickly inspect the values the robot sees, speeding up the process of developing and troubleshooting their code. Try these exciting tools out for yourself in the Virtual EV3 Sensabot activity included below!

Introduction to Programming with Virtual LEGO EV3 takes a just-in-time and embedded approach. As students make progress through the course (which the CS2N Learning Management System keeps track of), CS2N ensures sure that students are presented with the corresponding instructions, virtual environment, and programming interface. CS2N automatically saves student code progress with each activity so that they never lose it and teachers never have to track it down. Virtual activities can be run as many times as the student needs to foster their understanding, and their completion is automatically awarded so that students know when to move on. 

NOTICE: On 8/18/2021, Amazon AWS permanently discontinued support for network protocols used by Robot Virtual Worlds, Virtual Brick, and Expedition Atlantis. These products are no longer able to communicate with CS2N. Please see this article for details.

Introduction to Programming provides a structured sequence of programming activities in real-world project-based contexts. The projects are designed to get students thinking about the patterns and structure of not just robotics, but also programming and problem-solving more generally. This curriculum includes videos, animations, and step-by-step lessons designed to help beginners learn behavior-based programming using the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 hardware and EV3-G icon-based programming software.

Introduction to Programming (1st Gen) provides a structured sequence of programming activities in real-world project-based contexts. The projects are designed to get students thinking about the patterns and structure of not just robotics, but also programming and problem-solving more generally. This curriculum includes videos, animations, and step-by-step lessons designed to help beginners learn behavior-based programming using the VEX IQ hardware and VEXcode IQ Blocks scratch-based programming software.

NOTICE: On 8/18/2021, Amazon AWS permanently discontinued support for network protocols used by Robot Virtual Worlds and Expedition Atlantis. These products are no longer able to communicate with CS2N. Please see this article for details.

Introduction to Programming provides a structured sequence of programming activities in real-world project-based contexts. The projects are designed to get students thinking about the patterns and structure of not just robotics, but also programming and problem-solving more generally. This curriculum includes videos, animations, and step-by-step lessons designed to help beginners learn behavior-based programming using the VEX IQ hardware and ROBOTC Graphical programming software.

NOTICE: On 8/18/2021, Amazon AWS permanently discontinued support for network protocols used by Robot Virtual Worlds and Expedition Atlantis. These products are no longer able to communicate with CS2N. Please see this article for details.

The VEX Cortex Video Trainer provides a structured sequence of programming activities. The activities are designed to get students thinking about the patterns and structure of not just robotics, but also programming and problem-solving more generally. This curriculum includes videos, animations, and step-by-step lessons designed to help beginners learn behavior-based programming using the VEX Cortex hardware and ROBOTC Text programming software.

Applying for your Electrical Foundations Micro-Certification
As a member of a FIRST Robotics Competition or FIRST Tech Challenge team, you have built up a number of valuable technical skills. The SMART Electrical Foundations Micro-Certification, brought to you by FIRST and the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy, let you showcase these skills as part of a college application or resume, or simply let others know what you have accomplished through FIRST.

Electrical Foundations covers basic wiring and electrical tasks commonly performed by technicians on robotics systems.

To apply for yours:

**Requires purchasing Student Certification Access and have CMRA or a CMRA Certified instructor approve uploads