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KARL – learning to code with a robot

KARL is a small learning robot: you build it yourself and then use Python to make it light up, beep, walk and dance. I filmed the assembly tutorial, wrote tasks for the participants and supported workshops – for colleagues who wanted to learn programming and for school students, e.g. on Girls’ Day.

  • Workshops
  • Robotics
  • Teaching
Clips from my KARL assembly tutorial

What KARL can do

  • 3D-printed housing, board with a Raspberry Pi Pico
  • Programmed in (Micro)Python with the beginner-friendly editor Thonny
  • Eyes with RGB LEDs, a speaker, a button and a knob
  • Four servo motors for legs and feet – KARL can walk and dance

My part

  • Assembly tutorial: wrote the script, filmed, recorded the voice-over and edited – in two parts (legs and main body), later with a revised legs version
  • The tutorial is part of the online course for the KARL Hackday 2022, which participants use to build KARL at home
  • Tasks and sample solutions: blinking LEDs, tones and Morse code, moving the legs and walking
  • Programmed a melody for the KARL website
  • Supported workshops: internally and at school events such as Girls’ Day

A task from the workshop

KARL sends SOS: three short, three long, three short tones.

from karl import *

spk = Speaker()
short = 0.5 / 4
long = 1 / 4

def beep(wait):
    spk.tone(440)
    sleep(wait)
    spk.no_tone()
    sleep(wait)

def sos():
    for wait in [short] * 3 + [long] * 3 + [short] * 3:
        beep(wait)

sos()

KARL in the press

The KARL workshop series continues – for example with the foundation “Technik macht Spaß” and at Hochschule Ruhr West (articles in German):