Welcome to the Raspberry Pi Pico W Robotics Course

Learn to build and program your own robot with obstacle detection and Wi-Fi controls!

Course Overview

Have you ever wanted to create your own robot from scratch? This course will take you step-by-step through building a smart, obstacle-detecting robot powered by the versatile Raspberry Pi Pico W and the reliable HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor. By the end of this course, you'll not only have a fully functional robot but also a solid foundation in MicroPython programming, robotics, and IoT concepts.

Throughout the course, you will:

Learn about the Raspberry Pi Pico W and its capabilities.
Understand the basics of MicroPython programming.
Assemble and program a robot with motors, sensors, and RGB lights.
Control your robot remotely through a web interface.

Why This Course is Valuable

Robotics is an exciting and growing field that combines engineering, programming, and creativity. This course is designed to provide a hands-on, practical introduction to robotics, even if you are a complete beginner.

By working with the Raspberry Pi Pico W and MicroPython, you'll gain valuable skills that are transferable to other IoT and programming projects. You'll also develop an understanding of how sensors and motor drivers work together to bring a robot to life.

"This course is perfect for hobbyists, educators, and anyone looking to take their first steps into the world of robotics."

Components We'll Be Using

Here’s a quick look at the core components you'll be working with:

Raspberry Pi Pico W Pre-Soldered: A small yet powerful microcontroller with Wi-Fi capabilities, ideal for IoT projects.
ShillehTek HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor with RGB LEDs: Used for obstacle detection by measuring the distance to objects.
ShillehTek L298N Motor Driver: Allows you to control the robot's motors for movement and navigation.
ShillehTek 400 Point Breadboard: A versatile breadboard for prototyping circuits.
ShillehTek Assorted Jumper Wires: Essential for making connections between components.
8 piece 1.5 Volt Battery Holder: Needed to power the motor driver separately.
Alligator Jumper Wires: One end is an alligator clip, and the other end can be inserted into a breadboard. Great for connecting battery leads and DC motors.
Wheels, Chassis, and DC Motors: The foundation of your robot's movement.
Screwdriver, Tape, Zip Ties, and Velcro (Optional): Useful for assembling and securing components.

These components are affordable and widely available, making this project accessible to anyone interested in robotics.

Setting Up Your Environment

Before diving into the robot assembly, you'll need to set up your environment:

Install Thonny on your computer

Hold the BOOTSEL button on the Raspberry Pi Pico W and plug it into your computer as you hold the button.

Open Thonny and select the Raspberry Pi Pico W from the interpreter options.

Click on "Install or update firmware" and follow the instructions to install MicroPython.
Based on your Pico W, select the correct firmware from the list and click on "Install." Wait until the installation is complete and then click on "OK."
Unplug and replug the Pico W into your computer.
Create a Python file in the left-side menu as follows and name it as you like.

Test basic GPIO functionality by writing a simple program to blink an LED. Use the following code:


from machine import Pin
from time import sleep

# The onboard LED on the Pico W is connected to GP25
led = Pin("LED", Pin.OUT)

# Blink the LED
while True:
    led.value(1)  # Turn the LED on
    sleep(1)      # Wait for 1 second
    led.value(0)  # Turn the LED off
    sleep(1)      # Wait for 1 second

Run the code with the green play button on the top left corner of the Thonny IDE and watch the LED blinking. Congrats! You have successfully set up your Raspberry Pi Pico W with MicroPython and wrote your first program to blink the onboard LED.