A student building an electronics sensor box at a workbench

World 01 · Any term · Combined Year 7–8 class

Robotics & Systems

How do systems sense, decide, act and respond?

Start investigating Start the journey Read first

Your mission

Robot Engineers: build one car across eight lessons, and prove every change with evidence.

What you'll make

One car, developed across the whole unit: an elastic-powered body first, then a motor, a sensor, and your own NuiBot-generated code, tested on a terrain course and backed by evidence at every step.

Who it's for

Your class at the Lesson 8 share, your whānau, and the wider NuiBot community if you contribute a protocol

How long

Eight one-hour lessons, fixed for every class. It is not shortened or stretched.

NZ curriculum, Years 7–8:Science: Motion and ForcesScience: Matter Interactions and EnergyTechnology: Systems and ControlTechnology: Digital TechnologyTechnology: Design, Make, and Innovate· Topics: robotics, EV3 robots, sensors, systems thinking, forces and motion, speed, gears, programming, algorithms

Your journey

Eight lessons from a first prediction to a coded, tested robot

Each lesson has one job. You build, test, change one thing, and keep your evidence, from an elastic-powered car to a motor, a sensor and NuiBot-generated code.

Eight lessons, one hour each

Tap a lesson to see what happens in it. This unit is fixed at eight one-hour lessons; it is not shortened or stretched.

More support

Quick build

Need more support: use the template chassis, partly-filled tables and a given if-then rule, so every lesson is about the thinking, not starting from scratch.

On track

Full journey

On track: build your own body, choose your own changes and sensor, and write your own if-then rule, following the eight lessons from elastic car to a coded, tested robot.

Challenge

Go further

Want a challenge: design your own body from scratch, test two competing explanations for a result, or write up a protocol to share with the NuiBot community.

Start investigating Signed in? Your investigation, evidence and builds for this world are saved in one place. If you have already started one, this takes you back to it.

Big ideas

What this world is really about

Big idea 1
Systems consist of interacting components that work together for a purpose.
Big idea 2
Sensors provide information that can be used to alter system behaviour.
Big idea 3
Feedback can stabilise or change system behaviour.
Big idea 4
Forces determine how and whether an object's motion changes.
Big idea 5
Design involves trade-offs between competing requirements.

Up close

Things you'll meet in this world

The EV3 ultrasonic sensor: two 'eyes' that measure distance with sound.
Photo: Jim McTurbo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The EV3 colour sensor reads colour and light, which is how a robot follows a line.
Photo: Jim McTurbo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Read first

Background reading

Short readings to read with a partner. Stop at each “Think about it” and talk it through.

A robot is a tool for scienceRead

A robot is not a toy here. It is a tool that helps you do science. Robots can take the same reading again and again, reach awkward spots, and keep working overnight while you sleep.

The robot does not do your thinking. You decide what to measure, what makes a test fair, and what the evidence shows.

Here are some jobs robots do for scientists:

What the robot does	The science job
Reads pH every 30 minutes overnight	Catches changes you would miss at 3 pm
Returns its arm to the same spot ten times	Tests repeatability: does it hit the same place?
Follows a line and pauses at markers	Samples several points fairly
Beeps and logs if the temperature goes above a set number	Warns you about an unexpected change

Think about it: For the car you're building this unit, which of these jobs would matter most? Why?

Source: Kōkiri Lab student guide "Robots as helpers" (2020 Courses Content / Kokiri Lab Site Build / Student_Guides).

Input, process, outputRead

Every robot, and every system, follows the same pattern:

Input: something is sensed (a colour, a distance, a button press).
Process: the program decides what to do.
Output: something happens (a motor turns, a light flashes, a beep).

You can learn this pattern even without a robot. Free online simulators let you program a virtual robot in your browser: Open Roberta Lab (it can pretend to be an EV3), VEXcode VR and Tinkercad Circuits. Later you can run the same logic on a real robot.

Think about it: Write the input, process and output for "stop when something is half a metre away".

Source: "SPIKE ideas" planning notes (Kokiri lab / 2025 / Robot / SPIKE).

A robot is a system of smaller systemsRead

Big robots are built from subsystems: one part moves the robot, one part sees, one part grabs, one part talks to people. A good design lets you watch and change each subsystem on its own, then see how it changes the whole robot. Good designs also plan for safety: a clear "keep-out" space around a moving arm, and an emergency stop.

Even a simple EV3 robot has subsystems: the drive (motors and wheels), the sensors, the program, and the power (battery).

Think about it: Name the subsystems on your robot. If the battery is low, which other subsystems are affected?

Source: "Science Robot v3" design notes (Kokiri lab / 2025 / Robot / old).

Robots for real problems in our communityRead

Some classes have used EV3 robots to tackle a real local issue. Students chose a problem in their community, checked that their information came from sources they could trust, built and tested a prototype, and pitched their idea to real people. The robot was not the whole answer; it showed how technology could help.

That is what this unit asks too: honest evidence, a tested car, and a clear explanation for a real audience at the end of Lesson 8.

Think about it: Who would want to hear about your car and what you found out? What evidence would they want to see?

Source: "Leadership for Change: Community Innovation with LEGO EV3", a 4-week WIS unit (WIS / old / Term 4).

Write steps someone else can followRead

A protocol is a numbered recipe for what your robot does. A good one names the behaviour clearly ("Line follow with obstacle pause", not "cool robot v3") and says:

Setup: where it starts and which sensors are attached.
Calibrate: zero the sensors and do one dry test.
Run: what happens each cycle, and how long it waits.
Record: what you write down every trial.
Shutdown: a safe stop.

Say how many trials you ran (ten is a common school standard). Include safety notes, especially about water, pinch points and batteries. Never share passwords, anyone's full name, or tricks that switch off safety features.

Think about it: Could another group rebuild your test from your steps alone? What would they get stuck on?

Source: Kōkiri Lab student guide "Share your steps" (Student_Guides).

Go deeper: from Science Learning Hub and DOC

Robots on New Zealand orchardsRead

Robots are already doing real jobs in Aotearoa. On kiwifruit and apple orchards they solve problems that people find hard, slow or expensive.

Robot	The job	How it senses or acts
QuadDuster	Spreads pollen on kiwifruit flowers	A quad bike with electronic control and GPS tracking, dispensing dry pollen
Apple packing cell	Packs about 120 apples a minute, stems and colours all facing the right way	Cameras and vision software work out each apple's position; suction cups pick it up
Kiwifruit harvester	Picks the fruit	Part of a research project by universities and Plant & Food Research

Why build them? If kiwifruit flowers aren't pollinated well, the fruit grows small or misshapen and can't be exported. Orchards also struggle to find enough seasonal workers, and packing by hand can be inconsistent.

These robots are mechatronics: electronics, programming and mechanical engineering working together. Every one of them follows the same pattern you are using: sense → decide → act.

Think about it: Pick one orchard robot. What is its input, its process and its output? What could go wrong, and how would the engineers test for it?

Adapted for Kōkiri Lab from “Robots for horticulture”. Source: Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao, The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, www.sciencelearn.org.nz Read the original

Explore more

Trusted places to find out more

Videos, articles and activities from Science Learning Hub and other trusted sites, matched to the week they help most.

For teachers

For teachersWeeks 2–6EV3 lessonsLEGO EducationOfficial EV3 lessons (Trial and Error, First Gear, Objects and Obstacles) that match the Function Library.Open

These links open other websites. Kōkiri Lab checked them in September 2026.

How you'll learn

Investigate, think, make, share

Every world moves through the same four areas. Pick one to see what you actually do here.

What evidence can we gather?

Students encounter the phenomenon, build the knowledge needed to interpret it, and gather evidence directly.

What you actually do in this world

Measure distance and time to calculate speed.
Test balanced and unbalanced forces using a lever or seesaw.
Test conductive, insulating and magnetic materials for the build.

This is not a strict pipeline. A student may investigate, model, test, investigate again, revise, and communicate, in whatever order the actual inquiry demands.

Make something

Investigate it. Build it.

Hands-on science investigations and build projects for this world, each linked to the week it fits. Open one to see what you need and how to do it.

Science investigations

VOICE: ask a question and find out with evidence

Which wheels carry the load best?Do bigger wheels help a car carry a load further on rough ground?Open

You need

your elastic or motor car · two wheel sizes · a measured load (e.g. a bag of rice) · tape measure · stopwatch

Steps

Mark a start line on a rough surface (carpet, grass or a towel).
Run the car with small wheels. Measure the distance. Do it 3 times.
Swap to big wheels. Keep the load and everything else the same. Repeat 3 times.
Work out the speed each time: distance ÷ time.

How you'll know: Compare the averages. A difference bigger than the spread between your repeats is worth trusting.

Go further: Try the same test on a slippery surface. Does the winner change?

Fits Week 2 →

Gears: fast or strong?How does changing the gears change speed and pulling power?Open

You need

motor and gearbox with swappable gears · ramp (a board on books) · load · stopwatch

Steps

Time the car up the ramp with the standard gearing.
Change to a gearing that turns the wheels slower. Time it again.
Add load until the car stalls with each gearing. Record the heaviest load it managed.

How you'll know: You should see a trade-off: gears that make it faster often make it weaker. Say which suits a car that has to carry a load, and why.

Go further: Draw the forces on the car on the ramp.

Fits Week 4 →

Can a sensor see the edge?How reliably does the colour or distance sensor spot a line or an edge?Open

You need

your car with its sensor · black tape on a light floor · tally sheet

Steps

Program the car to stop when the sensor sees the tape.
Run it at the tape 10 times from the same start.
Record stopped in time / overshot.
Change one thing (speed or sensor height) and repeat.

How you'll know: A reliable sensor stops in time on almost every trial. The tally shows which setting to use.

Go further: Test under bright light and dim light. Does the sensor still work?

Fits Week 5 →

Build projects

FORGE: design, make, test and improve

Terrain course challenge: carry a loadCan your finished car carry a load across the terrain course and still do its job?Open

You need

your completed car (motor, sensor, code) · a small measured load · the terrain course

Steps

Write success criteria for carrying the load (how far, how reliably, without tipping).
Predict what will change once the car is carrying the extra weight.
Run it on the terrain course 3 times with the load, then change one thing and retest.

How you'll know: It meets the criteria you wrote in step 1, and you can show the test results.

Go further: Double the load. What has to change?

Fits Week 7 →

Test rampCan we make a fair, repeatable slope for the terrain course?Open

You need

board or laser-cut ramp · books or blocks · protractor

Steps

Build a ramp you can set to the same angle every time.
Mark the start line and the angle.
Check it: run the same car 3 times and see if results agree.

How you'll know: Repeated runs give similar results, so other groups can use your ramp for fair tests.

Go further: Add a second, steeper setting.

Fits Week 7 →

Sensor bumperCan we add a sensor so the car reacts before it hits something?Open

You need

touch or ultrasonic sensor · your car

Steps

Decide what the car should do when it senses something close (stop, reverse, beep).
Mount the sensor and program the if-then response.
Test it 10 times and record how often it works.

How you'll know: It reacts correctly on nearly every trial, and you can explain input → process → output.

Go further: Make it slow down gradually instead of stopping suddenly.

Fits Week 6 →

More ideas from the Kōkiri library

Background learning

Earlier Kōkiri inquiries with learn pages, activities and build ideas that fit this world. They were written before the eight-world curriculum, so use them as background and pick what helps.

Energy in ActionForces, energy and circuits: background for motion, gearing and load.

Makerspace build ideas

Ready-made ideas from the Kōkiri maker library that suit the Make & Test part of this world.

Stretch challenges

Work out the speed for every trial and graph it.
Write a code rule that depends on two sensors, not one.
Test a threshold value systematically (try several settings, not just one).
Compare your car's final behaviour with your very first Lesson 1 prediction.

Where AI helps

AI is your thinking partner, not your ghost-writer

AI turns up at particular moments in this world, to help you think harder. The ideas, the making and the explaining stay yours.

Kōkako, your AI mentor
Lessons 1–3, while you investigate the elastic car
What it does
Asks you one question at a time, such as “Is your test fair? What stayed the same?”. It never tells you the answer or whether you are right.
What you do
Decide what to change and what to keep the same.
NuiBot code helper
Lesson 6, when you build and explain your code
What it does
Turns the if-then rule you want the robot to follow, in your own words, into a short, labelled first-draft program.
What you do
Read every line, test it, change it, and explain what it does before you run it. The robot's design is yours.

Our AI promise

AI asks. You decide.
AI never writes your explanation or does your making for you.
AI never gives you a mark or a score.
If AI is unsure, it says so, and that is useful evidence too.

Two students wiring up a wheeled robot with a camera and an arm

Your platform

NuiBot

Build, code and test robots, from intent to a working robot.

Build guides, the Function Library and the Code page are here now. Ask NuiBot is shown but not switched on yet. Community protocol sharing stays open.

Open NuiBot

For teachers: curriculum, reasoning and inquiry stages

Essential knowledge

Taught to the whole combined class. Over the two-year programme the class covers both the Year 7 and Year 8 curriculum statements.

Core curriculumSpeed: distance travelled per unit of time, calculated and compared across trials.
Core curriculumBalanced and unbalanced forces: net force, motion change, levers and turning effect.
MaterialsParticle model and states of matter, used to select and test build materials for conductivity, insulation and strength.
Core curriculumSystems thinking: input–process–output, subsystems, feedback and control loops, standard system symbols.
Core curriculumMechanical motion types and structural forces (compression, tension, torsion).
Core curriculumAlgorithms: represented and tested using plain language, diagrams, block-based or text-based programming; variables, sequence, selection and iteration.

The whole combined Year 7–8 class investigates the same phenomenon, with the same fieldwork, equipment and inquiry problem. Instead of splitting the class by year level, every task has three levels of support (Getting started, On track, Stretch), so each learner goes as deep as they are ready to.

Dominant mode:

Investigate
Design

Reasoning this world makes visible

The direct predict-test-retest cycle of building and programming makes revision especially visible and frequent.

Revision depth

Starting out: Change an idea after testing.
Going further: Explain what evidence caused the revision and how the revised explanation differs from the original.

All five dimensions recur across every world. Each world provides a context in which one or more becomes especially visible, not an exclusive assignment.

VOICE and FORGE stages

The stage names used across Kōkiri Lab. The week plan above shows which stages each week works in.

Te reo groupings shown are provisional, pending cultural advisor review.

VOICE: investigating

Mainly in STEM Investigate and Think & Create.

Kite · te reo group (provisional)

Question · What do we want to find out, and why does it matter?
Observe · What do we notice?
Evidence · What did we actually record?

Whakaaro · te reo group (provisional)

Compare · What is the same or different?
Interpret · What might the evidence mean?
Uncertainty · How sure are we, and why?
Finding · What can we say?
Next step · What should happen next?

FORGE: designing and making

Mainly in Make & Test, ending with Explain in Share & Impact.

Wero · te reo group (provisional)

Frame · What is the problem, who is it for, and what counts as success?

Kite · te reo group (provisional)

Options · What are at least two real ways we could do it?

Whakaaro · te reo group (provisional)

Represent · Can we sketch, flowchart or model it before we build?

Auaha · te reo group (provisional)

Generate · Make it.

Tohu · te reo group (provisional)

Test · Does it work? Record what actually happened.
Evaluate · How well does it meet the criteria, and why?
Refine · What one change will help, and why?
Explain · How do we explain it, and the evidence, to someone else?

Makerspace safety level (provisional)

Starting level: Standard. Students go straight to the makerspace log.

NuiBot protocols: the text and paper-design path is zero-risk. Real-robot builds vary by kit and are not assumed hazardous by default.

This is a starting default based on the build plan, not a classroom risk assessment. It is waiting on a proper risk review, so check it against your own materials, tools and school safety procedures.

Aotearoa and place

Railways, telegraph, hydroelectricity and the history of engineering and automation in New Zealand; local engineering and infrastructure history where accessible.