Getting to Know the Pieces
The brick is like the brain of your robot. All the motors and sensors that you use will connect to the brick with wires.
Brick:
Brick for EV3
Brick for WeDo
This piece is what actually makes your robot move. The motor can be programmed to spin. An axle is what gets put in the motor.
Motor:
Motor for EV3
Motor for WeDo
Wire
Wires are what connect the motors and sensors to the brick. It is easy to forget them, but remember your program won't work without them
Wires:
Gears:
Gears have teeth on the outside and these teeth fit together like pieces in a puzzle. They can be put on an axle, so that when the axle turns, the gears spin, moving whatever they are connected to. Gears have many different sizes.
Teeth fit together
These are different sensors that you should take a look at once you become familiar with the more simple parts.
Ultrasonic:
The name may sound complicated, but the ultrasonic sensor functions similarly to a pair of eyes. Its main job is to measure distance. One of the "eyes" sends out sound waves at such a high frequency that not even humans can hear them. Cool, right? The other "eye" measures how long it takes for the sound waves to bounce off the object in front of it and come back to the sensor. The longer the time, the longer the distance.
Touch:
The touch sensor has a button on the front of it. You can program the touch sensor so that when that button is pushed, it triggers a program you have written. For example, when the button is pushed, you can make the robot move forward or say "hello"
Gyro:
The gyro sensor, also called a tilt sensor, measures the position of something by measuring rotational movement. A program is only triggered by this sensor when the sensor is rotated from its original position. If you were on a roller coaster that only went straight, the gyro sensor program would not be triggered, but if you went on a roller coaster with turns or a loop, then it would be.
Color:
The color sensor does exactly what it sounds like. A program can be triggered when the sensor sees a certain color. It can tell the difference between colors just like you and me! The color sensor, not only senses colors, but it also senses light. This means that a program can be triggered if the sensor senses that light goes away and it gets dark.
