XRP Robot Obstacle Course: A Workshop with 4th Graders at DigiKey

2025-06-02 | By Travis Foss

DigiKey hosted a hands-on robotics workshop for a group of enthusiastic 4th graders visiting as part of a school field trip. Knowing we’d only have about 30 minutes with each group, I wanted to create an experience that offered a quick win while also introducing some deeper problem-solving opportunities.

Planning the Challenge

I designed a compact 6-foot by 6-foot course in Fusion 360, inset with 2-foot margins to define a clear path for navigation. To give students a better visual understanding of the task ahead, I created a detailed map with dimensions and followed it up with a short animation, illustrating the route the robot needed to follow. The course began in the lower-right corner, tracing a red path to the finish line.

Setting Up for Success

Since time was limited, I provided each team with pre-filled Blockly code blocks that included the correct distances—they just had to arrange them in the correct order. This helped them focus on the logic of sequencing without getting stuck on syntax or units.

Once seated at their laptops, students dove in, dragging and dropping blocks to try to navigate the robot through the course. For groups that got stuck, I offered a view of the completed code so they could compare, debug, and learn through example. Here's a screenshot of what that final reference code looked like:

Layered Challenges

Many of the student groups were able to complete the initial course within the timeframe. For those who finished early, I introduced a more challenging twist: complete the course in reverse. This wasn’t as simple as reordering the blocks—the direction of turns had to be reconsidered entirely, prompting deeper thinking about robot orientation and conditional logic.

A few ambitious teams even tackled the final challenge: complete the course using only right turns. This opened the door for some truly creative problem-solving, with some students discovering that a 630-degree right turn could mimic a left turn. It was inspiring to see how they pushed the boundaries of the tools they had.

Final Thoughts

The workshop was a big success. Every student had a moment of triumph—whether it was completing the course, debugging their logic, or taking on a bonus challenge. Watching them collaborate, troubleshoot, and light up when their robots succeeded made the experience incredibly rewarding. Events like these are a great reminder of how early hands-on STEM exposure can spark curiosity and confidence in young learners.