Unbox & Build Your mBot

Course progressStage 0 of 10

~75 min

Your robot workspace

We code the mBot in mBlock 5. Keep this tab open all week. Open in a new tab — don’t use the buttons in this page to leave the course.

Code your robotmBlock 5Open in a new tab ↗USB / Bluetooth setupConnect your mBotOpen in a new tab ↗

Build

a fully assembled mBot that lights up and beeps when you press the button

Learn

the name of every part you will use this week

Ship

a working robot connected to mBlock 5, ready for Stage 1

Teacher demo

Before campers open their kits, show the whole room:

1. Hold up the finished mBot. Point to the wheels, the board (the brain), the ultrasonic sensor (the two round "eyes"), and the line sensor underneath.
2. Open mBlock 5 on the projector. Show that it looks just like Scratch.
3. Plug a robot in, click the green flag, and make it beep once. Say: "By the end of today, every robot in this room does this."
4. Hand out kits after the demo, not before — otherwise nobody watches.

The big idea

A robot is just a computer with a body. The body is the part you build today: wheels to move, lights to glow, a buzzer to beep, and sensors to notice the world. A sensor is a part that turns something real — a wall, a line, a sound — into a number the robot can use.

Today is not about coding yet. Today is about building the body and waking it up. Once the robot lights up, the rest of the week is teaching it what to do.

Meet your mBot

Find each of these parts in your kit before you start building. You will use every one of them this week.

New words

mBot

the robot you are building

board

the robot's brain, where your code runs

sensor

a part that turns something real into a number the robot can use

mBlock

the app where you snap blocks together to code the robot

upload

sending your blocks from the computer to the robot

Build it

Take your time. A robot built carefully today saves you from loose-wheel problems all week. These are the same twelve steps, in the same order, as the official Makeblock guide in your kit — just broken down small, with a picture for each one.

First: lay everything out

What's in your kit

Tip your box out and find each part before you start. Match every part to the picture so nothing is missing.

Here is everything that should be in the box:

Part	How many	Part	How many
Chassis (metal base)	1	mCore board (the brain)	1
Motor L / Motor R	1 each	Wheel	2
Roller ball	1	Ultrasonic sensor	1
Line follower	1	Bluetooth / 2.4G module	1
Battery holder (4×AA*)	1	Velcro	1
RJ25 cable	2	USB cable	1

*The 4 AA batteries are not included — your coach has them.

And the screws (your coach pre-sorts these into labeled cups):

Screw / part	How many	Used for
Screw M3×25 + M3 nut	4 + 4	the two motors
Screw M2.2×9	2	the two wheels
Screw M4×8	8	roller ball, line follower, ultrasonic, board
Brass stud M4×25	4	the legs the board sits on

Tools you'll use

One screwdriver — it comes in the kit, and every screw turns with that same screwdriver. Raise your hand at the end of each step so a coach can check it before you move on.

Build your mBot in order

1. 1
   Bolt the RIGHT motor to the chassisHold Motor R against the right side of the metal chassis so its round shaft pokes through the slot. Line up the two holes and screw it on, then turn the nuts on from the other side. Wiggle the motor — it should not move at all.You'll need: Chassis ×1, Motor R ×1, Screw M3×25 ×2, M3 nut ×2.
2. 2
   Bolt the LEFT motor to the chassisDo the very same thing on the left side with Motor L. Two long screws, two nuts, then wiggle-test it.You'll need: Motor L ×1, Screw M3×25 ×2, M3 nut ×2.
3. 3
   Put a tire on each wheelStretch a black rubber tire around each wheel hub until it sits in the groove all the way around. Do both wheels.You'll need: Wheel ×2 (2 hubs + 2 rubber tires).
4. 4
   Screw each wheel onto a motor shaftPush a wheel onto a motor shaft, then fix it in place with the smallest screw through the center. Do both. Give each wheel a spin — it should turn freely without wobbling.You'll need: Screw M2.2×9 ×2 (one per wheel).
5. 5
   Add the roller ball and line follower (front, underside)Flip the robot over. At the FRONT underside, attach the roller ball and the line follower together. The roller ball lets the front glide; the line follower's two red lights must point DOWN at the floor — this is the part kids mount upside down most often, so double-check it.You'll need: Roller ball ×1, Line follower ×1, Screw M4×8 ×2.
6. 6
   Bolt the ultrasonic sensor to the frontTurn the robot back over. Fasten the ultrasonic sensor to the very front so its two round 'eyes' look straight ahead. These eyes are how the robot sees walls later in the week.You'll need: Ultrasonic sensor ×1, Screw M4×8 ×2.
7. 7
   Twist in the four brass studsScrew the four gold brass studs into the four corner holes on top of the chassis. These are the little legs your board will rest on so it sits above the wires.You'll need: Brass stud M4×25 ×4 (twist in by hand or with the screwdriver).
8. 8
   Plug a RJ25 cable into each sensorClick one RJ25 cable into the ultrasonic sensor and one into the line follower until each snaps. Leave the other ends loose for now — they reach the board after it's mounted.You'll need: RJ25 cable ×2.
9. 9
   Stick the Velcro, set the battery holder on topPeel the Velcro and stick it to the chassis, then press the battery holder onto it. The Velcro lets you lift the holder later to change batteries. Keep the switch OFF for now.You'll need: Battery holder ×1, Velcro ×1.
10. 10
    Route the battery cable up to the topFeed the battery holder's power plug up through the hole in the chassis so it reaches the top, where the board will be. Don't plug it in yet.You'll need: (no new parts — just the battery cable from the last step).
11. 11
    Screw the mCore board onto the four studsLower the board so its corner holes sit right on top of the four gold studs, then screw it down. The board is the robot's brain — handle it gently by the edges.You'll need: mCore ×1, Screw M4×8 ×4.
12. 12
    Plug in the Bluetooth / 2.4G moduleSnap the Bluetooth (or 2.4G) module into the slot near the top of the board. This is how the robot can talk to a computer or tablet without a cable later.You'll need: Bluetooth / 2.4G module ×1.

Twelve steps, in the official order. The screw names match the cups your coach set out.

Wiring — plug everything into the board

Your robot is built. Now connect each part to the right place on the board. The port matters — a sensor in the wrong port won't work, and a motor in the wrong port makes the robot turn the wrong way.

Wiring map

Match each cable to its port using the table below.

Plug this	Into this port
Motor L wire	M1
Motor R wire	M2
Ultrasonic sensor (RJ25)	Port 3
Line follower (RJ25)	Port 2
Battery holder plug	DC power jack (round socket)

If your robot drives the wrong way

If the robot later turns the wrong direction, swap the M1 and M2 plugs — the official guide says the same. It's a normal fix, not a broken robot.

Power on and connect to mBlock 5

Now wake the robot up.

1. Slide the battery switch to ON. A light on the board should glow.
2. Plug the robot into the computer with the USB cable.
3. Click the mBlock 5 button at the top of this page to open the app.
4. Click Devices → Add → mBot, then click Connect.

If mBlock cannot find your robot, click the Connect your mBot button at the top of this page — it has the small helper program (mLink) some computers need before the robot will connect.

Your first blocks: light + beep

Let's prove the robot is alive. In mBlock 5, drag these blocks together:

Hello, robot

when green flag clicked
set led [all v] to color [#47c621] :: looks
play tone on note (C5) for (0.5) beats :: sound

Click the green flag. Your robot should glow green and beep once.

If nothing happens, check that the robot is switched on, the cable is plugged in all the way, and mBlock still says Connected at the top.

Pacing Lab

This lab is required before Stage 1. It makes sure every robot in the room is built and connected before anyone starts coding — a loose wheel or a bad cable now will steal time all week.

Part A — The wiggle test (15 minutes)

Pick up your robot and gently wiggle each part:

• Wheels — spin freely, but the motors do not slide around.
• Board — does not lift off the chassis.
• Both sensors — firmly bolted, facing the right way (eyes forward, line sensor down).
• Battery — snug, switch reachable.

Fix anything loose now. Raise your hand when every part passes.

Part B — Connect-and-recover drill (10 minutes)

1. Unplug the USB cable. Watch mBlock say Disconnected.
2. Plug it back in and click Connect until it says Connected again.
3. Run the "Hello, robot" blocks one more time.

You are done when you can disconnect and reconnect without help.

Test your setup

• Your mBot is fully assembled and nothing wiggles loose.
• The battery switch is on and a light glows on the board.
• mBlock 5 says Connected at the top.
• Your "Hello, robot" blocks make the robot glow and beep.
• Build check. Set the robot on the floor and look at it from the front. Do the ultrasonic "eyes" point straight ahead, not up or down?

If it breaks

• mBlock won't find the robot. Make sure the robot is switched on and the cable is fully seated. Then click Connect your mBot at the top of this page and install the helper program (mLink). Reload mBlock and try Connect again.
• The robot connects, but nothing happens when I click the flag. Check that mBlock still says Connected — the cable can wiggle loose. Re-seat it and try again.
• A wheel rubs or the robot drives crooked. A motor is probably not screwed down straight. Loosen it, line it up with the chassis edge, and tighten again.
• The board has no light at all. The battery may be in backward or low. Check the battery direction, then ask a coach about charging or fresh batteries.

Coach notes

Day 1 is the longest day because of the build — budget a full hour before any coding. Pre-sort the screws and small parts into cups per kit before camp; loose hardware on the floor is the single biggest time sink at this age.

Walk the room during the wiggle test. The two most common build mistakes are motor wires plugged into the wrong ports and the line sensor mounted facing up instead of down. Catch those now — they cause confusing "my robot is broken" moments in Stages 1 and 6.

Keep a couple of pre-built mBots aside. If one camper's kit has a damaged part, swap in a spare so they aren't stuck watching while the room codes.

Build complete

Your mBot is alive.

You built a real robot from a box of parts, connected it to mBlock 5, and made it glow and beep. Next, you'll write the blocks that make it drive across the floor.

Stage builtPlaytested

Stage 1: Make It Move→