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Y13 Overview
Learn Electronics Skills
Robot Project (91904)
Electronics Inquiry (91900)
Electronics Development91907 & 91611
Summary External (91909)
Nau mai ki te hikohiko! / Welcome to Electronics!
Nau mai ki te hikohiko! / Welcome to Electronics!
This course will help students learn how modern computer-controlled electronic devices work by building and programming their own. Students can also explore networking and computing systems if they are interested. In the first term, you will learn electronics skills by competing in a 2v2 robotic soccer match. You will need to build the robot and use that knowledge to create your main project for the last two terms.
"From fridges to smart locks, from wearables to phones, from TVs to security systems—nearly everything today is powered by electronics. If you want to build something truly versatile and impactful, mastering electronics is the key. Why limit yourself to software when you can create the hardware that runs it all?"
The Project
The Project
In our Year 13 Mechatronics and Electronics class, you’ll be participating in an exciting Soccer Robot Competition at the end of every term. This hands-on project challenges you to design and build robots that will compete in 2v2 soccer matches, blending technical skills with creativity.
You and your partner will create a robot that can move across a field, interact with a ball, and score goals. The competition will follow standard football rules, and you’ll need to consider specific technical limitations and design principles to ensure your robot fits within the guidelines.
Matches will be played on a 2.4m x 2.4m field, and your robot must adhere to size, weight, and power constraints. Safety is crucial, and robots that break the rules or interfere with other players will be penalized.
The competition is structured as a double-elimination tournament, meaning even after a loss, your team will have a chance to fight back. For a detailed breakdown of the rules, including robot specifications, gameplay regulations, and tournament structure, please refer to the competition guidelines on the right.
This project will help you apply your electronics knowledge, develop problem-solving skills, and work in teams—all while having fun with robotics!
Sprint 1
Sprint 1
Task 1: Building and Basic Movement
Task 1: Building and Basic Movement
First of all, we need to get the robot moving. This will enable us to verify that all motors and components are functioning as expected, and we will then proceed with basic Arduino coding.
Click on the image to the right for the tutorial
Task 2: ESP Now
Task 2: ESP Now
To make a remote control we need our microcontrollers to be able to talk to each other.
Use the tutorial to the right to get an understanding of how ESP Works
Task 3: Joysticks
Task 3: Joysticks
Get your joysticks working, follow through this tutorial to get one working.
if you are having issues with random numbers please make sure you have good ground connection.The Single Joystick Setup
The Single Joystick Setup
Step 1: Common Ground Connect the joystick GND to the ESP32 GND. This creates a shared reference for all signals.
Step 2: Voltage Supply Connect the joystick VCC to the ESP32 3.3V pin. This powers the internal potentiometers.
Step 3: Axis Wiring (Analog) Wire VRx and VRy to two separate ADC-capable GPIOs. These pins translate physical tilt into numbers (0–4095).
Step 4: Button Wiring (Digital) Wire the SW pin to any Digital GPIO. This detects the "click" when you press down on the stick.
Step 5: Calibration In your code, read the pins while the stick is centered. This "Zero Point" (usually around 2048) is your baseline for all movement.
Now put it all together
Now put it all together
In this project, students will construct a low-latency wireless RC car by integrating two ESP32 microcontrollers using the ESP-NOW protocol, bypassing the need for a central Wi-Fi router. The learning process involves three distinct stages: Hardware Assembly, where students wire an analog joystick to the transmitter and an L298N motor driver to the receiver; Addressing, where the unique MAC address of the receiver is identified to establish a peer-to-peer link; and Software Logic, where joystick data is packaged into a "struct," transmitted wirelessly, and converted into PWM signals to control motor speed and direction. This exercise provides a practical masterclass in the Input-Process-Output model, demonstrating how microcontrollers bridge the gap between human physical input and mechanical movement.
if you struggle with the code, there is a similar video with instructions to the right
Trial and Get Feedback
Trial and Get Feedback
Create a Google Form and send the link!
Create a Google Form and send the link!
Even though you are working alone, you need specific feedback on the different parts of your system. Your form must include at least one question for each technical area:
The Mechanical Build: Ask about the physical design.
Example: "Is the 3D printed handle comfortable to hold?" or "Did the mechanism move smoothly?"
The Electronics: Ask about the hardware feedback.
Example: "Were the LED lights bright enough to see?" or "Did the buttons respond quickly?"
The Code/Operation: Ask about how the system runs.
Example: "Was the menu on the screen easy to understand?"
Important: If you don't get enough useful answers from the form, you must go out and interview people face-to-face while they use your device.
Reflect on Sprint 1
Reflect on Sprint 1
Now it's time to review our feedback, record our progress and reflect on how well, or poorly, we have gone so far.
It is OK to have had trouble! What you need to do is admit to it and adjust your plan accordingly. It's common to "pivot" and simplify your final project at this stage. Remove features from the scope and make your life easier. Or if things have gone well, extend your game idea and bring in some new features. Project management is about managing the good and the bad to ensure you deliver by the end of the project.
Fill out Sprint 1 Testing and Feedback now!
and
Fill out Sprint 1 Project Reflection now!
Screen to Gif
Screen to Gif
Screen to Gif is an intuitive and powerful tool for collecting short snippits of gameplay. This can be used to show cool things you have made in your development log or bugs as they happen. You can put gifs straight into your google docs!
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