Robotics for beginners: build a wheeled CamJam EduKit robot

Getting started with robotics is a dream for many new Raspberry Pi owners, and it’s way easier to build a robot than you think.

One of our favourites is the CamJam EduKit 3 Robotics kit by Cambridge Raspberry Jam.

The kit is designed by Michael Horne and Tim Richardson, the guys who run CamJam and Pi Wars. Michael and Tim are active members of the Raspberry Pi community.

Learn robotics with the CamJam EduKit

Inside the box, you get a custom motor controller made by 4Tronix. This sits between the two DC motors and a battery compartment, which takes four AA batteries – make sure you buy high-quality batteries, as cheap ones often don’t have enough juice to move the wheels.

The kit comes with two sensors: an SR-04 distance sensor and a line-following sensor. The only thing you don’t get is a chassis. This is part of its charm, though, as you can build a robot out of any box capable of containing the Raspberry Pi. It’s even possible to use the box that all the components come in.

These two yellow motors power the red wheels and are used to move the robot around. A custom motor control unit is included. This enables you to control the robot using Python code.

Two sensors are included with the kit. A distance sensor lets the robot stop before hitting a wall, and a line sensor enables the robot to follow a line drawn underneath. These make it possible to create fun projects, such a follow the line game or navigate objects around the home.

What makes the CamJam EduKit 3 better than many robotics projects is the quality of the instructional material. There are ten different worksheets, covering everything from building the robot to driving the motors and setting up the sensors.