Maker Lab
Design it. Print it. Wire it. Code it. Build your first robot — from zero.
Three courses that work as one: 3D Printing & Design, Invent It (circuits and prototyping) and Robots from Zero. One path, a free robot simulator in your browser, and 10 projects that use everything together. The first 3 challenges of every course are open. No student accounts. Your progress stays on your device.
- ✏️ Design
- 🖨️ Print
- ⚡ Wire
- 💻 Code
- 🤖 Robot
- 💡 Invent
Three courses, one path
🖨️ 3D Printing & Design from Zero
Measure, design, slice and print parts that fit. Includes the Print it gallery with ready robot parts.
Open the course → · Print it gallery →⚡ Invent It from Zero
Safe battery circuits, sensors, transistors, motors and enclosures for your prototypes, with a circuit sandbox.
Open the course →🤖 Robots from Zero
27 challenges: sensors, motors, safe power, a printed chassis, MicroPython and Arduino, PID, a robot arm, vision and ethics. Junior path for Grades 3-5 with an adult.
Open the course → · Simulator →👀 See Electricity Move
Never built a circuit? Start here: moving pictures of every part, a water view, a 3D X-ray and a quick check. No experience needed.
Start from zero →See how it works (for total beginners)
No experience needed. Watch every part move, follow the signal or the plastic, then try it yourself.
🤖 See How a Robot Works
Sense, think, act; an X-ray 3D robot; power vs signal; code that becomes motion; and a build-it game.
Open it →🖨️ See How a 3D Printer Works
Idea to object; an X-ray 3D printer; a pawn printed layer by layer; layers, supports and infill; and simple fixes.
Open it →🔌 Robot Circuits, Step by Step
12 real circuits: build them part by part, watch them work, then take them apart to see what each part does. Printable build cards.
Open it →👀 Sensors & Controllers for Robots
What each sensor and controller means, what it tells the brain, a live demo, its pins and a robot that uses it.
Open it →Build real circuits
🧪 Circuit gallery
20 real battery circuits: build each one step by step, then take it apart to see what every part does.
Open the gallery →🧰 Parts library
38 parts with names, drawings, symbols, legs and safety. Printable flashcards.
See the parts →📡 Sensors and controllers
What a sensor is, input and output, digital and analog, the brain, motor drivers and PWM, with live demos.
Start →3D skill map
Each gold sphere is a stage. Each cube is a skill; its color tells which course teaches it. Purple dashed lines show skills reused in another course. Drag to turn; tap a cube.
All skills (list)
Try it now: wire a motor
This is the circuit sandbox from the Invent It course. Close the circuit so the motor turns, just like in your robot. Then code that motor in the robot simulator.
10 projects that use all three courses
Every project: something you print, something you wire and something you code. Start in cardboard if you don't have a printer yet.
💡 Light-seeking robot
Grades 6-12 · 3-4 sessions
🖨️ Printed chassis and wheels. ⚡ Two photoresistors in voltage dividers; a motor driver. 💻 error = left light − right light; P control.
🌱 Plant-care bot
Grades 6-12 · 3 sessions
🖨️ Printed enclosure with vents and a splash cover. ⚡ Soil-moisture and light sensors; a servo tips a small watering cup (no mains pumps). 💻 State machine: CHECK → WATER → WAIT.
♿ Accessibility helper
Grades 6-12 · 3-4 sessions
🖨️ A big printed button that is easy to press. ⚡ Switch, light and buzzer. 💻 One press: calls with light and sound; two presses: the robot carries a cup holder across the table.
Design with and for a real person; ask what they need. Invent It: helper button · Ethics
🛋️ Smart desk lamp
Grades 6-12 · 2-3 sessions
🖨️ Printed body and shade (with room for heat). ⚡ 5 V USB-powered LEDs, a transistor, a light sensor and a touch button. 💻 PWM brightness; dims itself with the room light.
🦾 Color-sorting robot arm
Grades 7-12 · 4 sessions
🖨️ Printed servo brackets and gripper. ⚡ 2-3 micro servos on their own supply; a color sensor. 💻 Kinematics: angles for each bin.
🚧 Obstacle-avoiding explorer
Grades 6-12 · 3 sessions
🖨️ Ultrasonic sensor mount on a servo. ⚡ Motor driver, common ground. 💻 Look both ways, go where there is more room.
〰️ Line-following racer
Grades 7-12 · 3 sessions
🖨️ Light chassis and a sensor bar under the front. ⚡ Two reflectance sensors. 💻 PID and a lap-time test table.
⭕ Friendly mini-sumo
Grades 6-12 · 3 sessions
🖨️ A smooth front scoop (no spikes, no weapons). ⚡ Line sensors for the white edge. 💻 SEARCH → PUSH → BACK.
🗺️ Classroom data rover
Grades 7-12 · 4 sessions
🖨️ Printed sensor tower. ⚡ Light and temperature sensors. 💻 Odometry: log a reading at each grid point and make a map.
🎨 Drawing robot
Grades 5-12 · 2-3 sessions
🖨️ Printed pen holder at the center of the axle. ⚡ A micro servo lifts the pen. 💻 repeat 5: forward(20), right(144) draws a star.
Parts lists for 3 starter robots
Typical prices at hobby electronics stores (November 2026). Prices change: check before you buy. Goal100 does not sell parts or earn anything from these links.
Under 18: an adult places the order. Many public libraries lend maker kits; ask yours before you buy.
1. micro:bit robot Grades 5-12
| Part | Qty | Typical price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| BBC micro:bit V2 board | 1 | $15–25 |
| Motor/robot expansion board for micro:bit (with motor driver) | 1 | $10–25 |
| TT-style gear motor with wheel | 2 | $6–12 |
| Ball caster | 1 | $2–5 |
| 4×AA battery box with switch + AA cells | 1 | $6–12 |
| Ultrasonic distance sensor (3.3 V-compatible) | 1 | $3–8 |
| Line sensors (infrared reflectance) | 2 | $3–8 |
| Jumper wires, M3 screws and standoffs | — | $6–12 |
| Printed parts (chassis, wheels, mount): PLA filament | — | $1–3 |
| Typical total | $52–110 |
2. Arduino-compatible robot Grades 7-12 and adults
| Part | Qty | Typical price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Arduino Uno-compatible board + USB cable | 1 | $10–28 |
| 2-channel motor driver module (for example TB6612FNG or DRV8833) | 1 | $4–12 |
| TT-style gear motor with wheel | 2 | $6–12 |
| Ball caster | 1 | $2–5 |
| HC-SR04-style ultrasonic sensor | 1 | $2–5 |
| Infrared line sensor modules | 2 | $3–8 |
| Micro servo (SG90 size) to scan the sensor | 1 | $3–6 |
| 4×AA box with switch + cells; mini breadboard and jumpers | — | $10–20 |
| M3 screws and printed parts | — | $5–10 |
| Typical total | $45–106 |
3. Cardboard + servo robot (Grades 3-5 with an adult)
| Part | Qty | Typical price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| BBC micro:bit V2 board | 1 | $15–25 |
| Servo expansion board for micro:bit | 1 | $8–20 |
| Micro servos, 180° | 2 | $5–12 |
| Battery box with switch (the one the board asks for) + cells | 1 | $5–10 |
| Clean cardboard boxes, tape, craft sticks, markers | — | $0–5 (recycled) |
| Typical total | $33–72 |
Where to get parts (A to Z, no affiliate links): Adafruit · DigiKey · Micro Center · Mouser · SparkFun · your public library's maker kits.
The printable parts are free in the Print it gallery: chassis · wheels · sensor mount · servo bracket · battery cradle. Measure your parts before printing.
Safety (the same in all three courses)
Under 13: an adult present for every build. Check your school's rules. Robot safety challenge · Invent It safety · 3D Printing safety
6-week plan for a class or club
One 45-60 minute session a week (or two shorter ones). Teams of 2-3. Every week ends with a test and an engineering notebook entry.
| Week | Goal | Uses | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sense, think, act; safety; the first square in the simulator. | Robots 1-2 · Simulator 1 | Solved-challenge card; signed safety rules. |
| 2 | Design and measure: cardboard chassis, then print. | 3D Printing: calipers · Robots: chassis | Sketch with measurements; decision matrix. |
| 3 | Wire: motors, driver, safe power, common ground. | Invent It: motors · Robots: power | Each motor tested alone; wiring diagram. |
| 4 | Sensors and code: follow a line. | Robots: line following · Simulator 2 | Test table: one change per test. |
| 5 | Feedback and states: obstacle avoidance or friendly mini-sumo. | Robots: states · Simulator 3 and 6 | State diagram; short test video. |
| 6 | Project and showcase: pick one of the 10 projects. | Projects · Capstone | 2-minute presentation; rubric below. |
Quick rubric (each row 1-4)
- Criteria and constraints written before building.
- At least 3 tests with data.
- One improvement made because of a test.
- Safety checked (switch, pinch points, batteries).
- A clear explanation for someone new.
Portrait of a Graduate attributes practised here: Creative Innovator (design and improve), Critical Thinker (fair tests and debugging) and Effective Communicator (the notebook and the showcase). See the Portrait of a Graduate
Science-fair path
- A testable question: “How does the gain Kp change my robot's lap time?”
- Variables: change one (Kp); keep the track, batteries and base speed the same; measure lap time and how often it leaves the line.
- Try it first in the simulator (Real-world mode), then on the real robot: compare.
- At least 5 trials per value; use the median; make a graph.
- A conclusion with evidence and one improvement you would make next.
- Poster and a 2-minute demo. Invent It: test and present
New York standards
| Standard | Where |
|---|---|
| NYS CS&DF 2-3.CT.6, 2-3.CT.9, 2-3.NSD.1 | Robots junior path (unplugged, blocks) |
| NYS CS&DF 4-6.CT.8, 4-6.CT.9, 4-6.NSD.2, 4-6.NSD.3 | Blocks, sensors, cardboard servo robot, troubleshooting |
| NYS CS&DF 7-8.CT.4, 7-8.CT.6, 7-8.CT.7, 7-8.CT.8, 7-8.CT.9, 7-8.NSD.2, 7-8.NSD.3 | Code, state machines, feedback, hardware + software projects, the simulator |
| NYS CS&DF 7-8.IC.1, 7-8.IC.3, 7-8.IC.4, 7-8.IC.5; 9-12.IC.3, 9-12.IC.5, 9-12.IC.7 | Vision, robot ethics, careers |
| NYS CS&DF 9-12.CT.6, 9-12.CT.9, 9-12.NSD.1, 9-12.NSD.2, 9-12.NSD.3 | PID, navigation, embedded systems, power |
| NYSSLS 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-3; MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4; HS-ETS1-2, HS-ETS1-3 | Engineering design: criteria, constraints, tests and improvements in all 10 projects |
Computer Science and Digital Fluency codes were checked in NYSED's PDF documents (grades 2-3, 4-6, 7-8 and 9-12) on November 13, 2026.
Privacy: the Maker Lab has no student accounts. Progress and your code stay on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere.