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                                                                                      LEARNING OBJECTIVES
                                                                                      l  Boolean Operators: The Logic Behind
                                                                                         Robot Decision-Making
                                                                                      l  Microcontroller/Single Board Computer
                                                                                         Architecture: The Robot’s Brain Unveiled
                  COMPUTING SYSTEM                                                    l  Programming Fundamentals: Giving the
                                                                                         Robot its Instructions
                                                                                      l  Debugging and Testing: Ensuring Correct
                                                                                         and Efficient Program Execution

                  Having explored the physical aspects of robots, their movement, sensing, and overall management, let’s now delve into
                  a fundamental concept from the realm of computer science and logic that underpins a robot’s ability to ‘think’ and make
                  decisions: Boolean Operators or Boolean logic, the foundation of all computing, which uses true/false values to build
                  logical operations (AND, OR, NOT). The importance of algorithms (step-by-step instructions) and their representation
                  through  flowcharts and  pseudocode is emphasised,  showing how ideas  are transformed  into  structured  programs.
                  Students  are introduced  to  hardware computing  platforms  like  microcontrollers  (e.g.,  Arduino) and  single-board
                  computers (e.g.,  Raspberry Pi), with  their  roles  compared—Arduino  for real-time  control of  sensors  and  actuators,
                  Raspberry Pi for advanced computing tasks like vision and AI. The chapter also explains how controllers act as the “brain”
                  of robots, processing data from sensors and directing actuators accordingly. By practicing algorithm writing, flowchart
                  creation, and pseudocode development, students experience the entire cycle of robotic programming, from planning
                  to coding. The key takeaway is that computing systems give robots intelligence, logic, and adaptability, making them
                  much more than mechanical machines.
                  Boolean Operators: The Logic Behind Robot Decision-Making

                  Just like our brains use logic to make choices based on various pieces of information (e.g., “If it’s raining AND I need to
                  go out, THEN I will take an umbrella”), a robot’s ‘brain’ – its microcontroller or Artificial Intelligence system – also relies on
                  fundamental logical operations to interpret sensor data and determine appropriate actions. These fundamental logical
                  operations are performed using Boolean Operators.

                  Boolean algebra, developed by George Boole, is a branch of mathematics dealing with variables that can only have
                  two possible states: True (1) or False (0). These states are often represented as ‘on/off’, ‘high/low voltage’, ‘yes/no’,
                  or ‘activated/deactivated’ in digital systems. Boolean operators are the rules for combining these true/false values to
                  produce a single true/false result.

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                  Touchpad Robotics - XI

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