After-school Program Guide

for Makeblock mBot2

1
Welcome
Why mBot2 for STEAM in the After-school Program?

STEAM education is crucial for nurturing creative problem-solving in today's

fast-paced technological world. Robotics, a vital component of STEAM, sparks
student interest and helps them grasp fundamental concepts that will shape future
technologies.

Makeblock mBot2, as an educational robot, empowers students to delve into

mechanical, electrical, and software engineering through hands-on building and
programming. This guide is tailored to assist teachers in facilitating engaging
robotics activities. Whether you're a programming novice or a seasoned educator,
you'll find valuable resources to inspire your students and enhance the learning
experience.

What You Get in this Guide

This guide will walk you through assembling, programming, and utilizing the mBot2
and incorporating the mBot2 Smart-world Add-on Pack to tackle the 'Smart
Logistics' activity competition.

We've structured the content from beginner to advanced to ensure every student
can progress significantly in their technological journey. Additionally, we encourage
teachers to foster creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities through
collaborative projects.

Facilitation Options

2
This guide provides a fun and flexible approach to introducing STEAM in after-school
programs using the mBot2 Inspire Activity Bundle for STEAM Activities. With
open-ended projects and group work, students can learn coding and engineering
while having fun. Each activity is based on mBot2 robots and is easy to follow.

We know that extracurricular activities vary widely in terms of age groups, goals, and
scheduling. This guide applies to the following:

Work with the same students for 1 to 2 hours a day

Running a weekly program in which students choose to participate

Running summer camps that students choose to attend

The mBot2 Inspire Activity Bundle caters for up to 12 students at a time. If you are
conducting small group instruction with fewer than 12 students or large classes with
more than 12 students, we also offer ways to select products based on the actual
number of participants.

There is some flexibility in the activities and resources in this guide. Each activity
begins with a link to a resource created by mBot2 that is simple to start. The
activities are then intentionally left open to encourage student exploration and
curiosity.

3
Materials
What You Need in this Activity

We highly recommend that you go straight to the mBot2 Activity Bundle, as all the
materials used in this guide are already packaged into this bundle. We offer 4
options to meet the needs of classrooms with 2, 4, 6, or 12 students at a time.

mBot2 Activity Bundle

4
How to Choose based on the Number of the Students?

You also have the flexibility to choose the materials depending on the number of
students. For teaching aids, we recommend using one mBot2 for 2 students.

mBot2
A single mBot2 is perfect for up to 2 students.

mBot2 is an AI learning STEAM coding education robot kit (upgraded version of

mBot), supporting block-based and Python programming. Ideal for K-12
educators and learners to experience the power of programming and robotics
through AIoT fun.

mBot2 Smart-world Add-on Pack

A single mBot2 Smart-world add-on pack is perfect for up to 2 students.

The mBot2 Smart World Plug-In Kit is an expansion kit based on the mBot2
development design and includes Makeblock metal parts and servos. In
combination with the original mBot2, students can carry out a variety of projects
themed around smart farming, city building, mechanical engineering, and
learning.

Bluetooth Remote Controller

A single remote controller is perfect for up to 1 student.

The Makeblock Bluetooth controller comes equipped with 14 buttons and 2

joysticks that can be programmed to perform a wide range of functions. It's
compatible with numerous Makeblock robots that feature built-in Bluetooth
modules, and it also offers a corresponding application that you can upload for
immediate use. Whether you're in a classroom, at home, or on a competition field,
you can enjoy a clearer and more professional robot control experience.

MakeX Inspire Smart Logistics Arena

A single arena is perfect for up to 6 students.

The MakeX Inspire Competition Arena simulates a modern factory logistics

scenario, allowing students to fully learn about the Internet of Things, artificial
intelligence, and other advanced technologies experienced in the scenario, and to
comprehensively utilize the knowledge of mechanical structures, sensors, and
programming to complete automated handling, fixed-point placement, and safe
storage tasks.

5
How to Get Started

Each product contains an instruction manual that will help you quickly
familiarize yourself with and use the product. At the beginning of each lesson,
you will need to organize the students to build the corresponding form
according to the manual, and then organize the teaching according to the
content of the lesson.

mBot2 mBot2 Smart-world Add-on Pack

Step-by-step illustrated guide for how to assemble Step-by-step illustrated guide for how to expand
mBot2 from scratch mBot2 into 3 advanced robot forms: robotic carrier,
surveying robot, or robotic arm.

Bluetooth Remote Controller Smart Logistics Arena

Step-by-step Illustrated guide on how to program the Step-by-step Illustrated guide to establishing the
Bluetooth Remote Controller Smart Logistics Competition Venue

6
Introduce to Activities
By combining hands-on activities in the "Lessons-Challenge-Competition" scope, we
foster a love of STEAM and equip students with valuable skills for the future, such as
problem-solving and collaborative mindsets.

Lessons Programming Focus

● Precise movements and corresponding coding blocks.

Lesson 1 - Let's move

● Mode of operation of the sensors.

Lesson 2 - Sensing = data ● Different approaches to display and visualize data on the
display.
● Differences between Live and Upload mode in m
● Block 5.

● Text-to-speech (TTS) and Voice recognition (Speech to

Lesson 3 - Listen to mBot2 Text, STT) using the built-in speaker and microphone.
Running multiple tasks side by side.

● Detecting an obstacle or a range by using the ultrasonic

Lesson 4 - Seeing with sound sensor.
● Using loops and conditional statements for making the
mBot2 drive while avoiding obstacles.

● Mode of operation (physics of light) of the color

Lesson 5 - Sightseeing sensor/line follower.
● Color and line identification- Making the mBot2 follow a
line and having it perform actions based on color
detection.

● Mode of operation of gyroscopes and accelerometers (as

Lesson 6 - Careful drive Inertial
● Measurement Units, IMU). Coding the mBot2 to adapt to
road conditions based on IMU data.

● Wireless data transfer in ad-hoc networks.

Lesson 7 - A network game ● Data exchange in loops and events.

7
 ● Using WIFI infrastructure mode with the mBot2 for
Lesson 8 - mBot2 at your service speech recognition and speech synthesis.
● Offloading heavy computing like speech recognition to
cloud services.
● Structuring code by applying "own blocks" (functions).

● Learning about Machine Learning and applying it with

Lesson 9 - mBot2 in the wild local processing only on block-based programming.
● Establishing a new communication protocol between
the mBot2 and the computer.

Challenges Programming Focus

● Precisely steer the robot to keep a constant distance to a

Challenge - Monitoring vertical barrier/guide on one side
crops ● ("maintenance work" or "smart farming")
● Identify colored objects in different heights on or above
the barrier/guide
● Advanced: transmit the position of the objects to
another robot

● Using the Quad RGB sensor, the robot should identify

Challenge - Transporting goods different locations in a work
around the farm ● area (a farm).
● Program the robot to transport objects between
different locations in the work area.

● Create a program that distinguishes different kinds of

Challenge - Processing waste objects based on the image
● recognition using the Teachable Machine extension in
mBlock and a webcam.
● To program the Robotic Arm to manipulate and
transport the identified objects to specific locations
within a work area (a waste processing plant).

Activities Programming Focus

● What Bluetooth controller is and how to apply it

Use Bluetooth Controller to Make ● How to use the buttons or joysticks of a Bluetooth
mBot2 Vertically move and turn controller for coding
● Use the buttons and joystick of the Bluetooth controller
to control the robot's vertical movement and turning.

8
 ● Understand the functions of the robotic gripper and
Use Bluetooth Controller to Make robotic arm.
mBot2 Grab, Carry and Release ● Learn to use the Bluetooth controller to control the
robot to grab, carry, and release objects.

● Organize a competition on the theme of “Intelligent

Smart Logistics Competition Logistics” through the contents of the study.

Recommended Schedule
Below are plans for 7 and 14 activities respectively. The suggested time for each
activity is 1-2 hours, and depending on the topic, each activity will consist of a lesson
(or activity presentation) and hands-on time. We recommend that you complete the
lesson portion in 45 or 90 minutes, leaving the rest of the time free for student
exploration.

7 Activities 14 Activities

Lessons Lessons

Lesson 1 - Let's move Lesson 1 - Let's move

Lesson 4 - Seeing with sound Lesson 2 - Sensing = data
Lesson 5 - Sightseeing Lesson 3 - Listen to mBot2
Lesson 4 - Seeing with sound
Lesson 5 - Sightseeing
Lesson 6 - Careful drive
Lesson 7 - A network game
Lesson 8 - mBot2 at your service
Lesson 9 - mBot2 in the wild

Challenge Challenges

Challenge 1 - Monitoring vertical crops Challenge 1 - Monitoring vertical crops

Challenge 2 - Transporting goods around the farm
Challenge 3 - Processing waste

Activities Activities

Use Bluetooth Controller to Make mBot2 Use Bluetooth Controller to Make mBot2
Vertically move and turn Vertically move and turn
Use Bluetooth Controller to Make mBot2 Grab, Use Bluetooth Controller to Make mBot2 Grab,
Carry and Release Carry and Release
Smart Logistics Competition Smart Logistics Competition

9
Go Further with mBot2
Want to design your arena for creative after-school programs? Follow this map
design guide!

10