Getting Started Guide

Introduction
Edison is your new robot buddy who will teach you about electronics, programing and
robotics in a fun and engaging way.
He’s equipped with all the sensors, outputs and motors needed to introduce you to the
amazing world of robotics.
That’s great, but what is robotics? Well
that’s not an easy question to answer.
Edison’s creator, Brenton O’Brien says “a
robot is a machine that can behave
autonomously” . This means that a robot
can think or make decisions on its own
and act on those decisions. Many other
people have different definitions, but we
like this one as it’s nice, simple and
applies to what you’re about to learn.
Robotics wouldn’t be possible without electronics, so Edison has his own electronics and
you can see it all through his transparent top. There are resistors, capacitors, transistors,
motors and more, but the most important electronic part is Edison’s microcontroller.
The microcontroller is like Edison’s brain. It’s where all
his ‘thinking’ happens. Edison’s microcontroller is very
similar to the processor chip inside a computer, only
much smaller. And just like a processor chip in a
computer, Edison’s microcontroller has programs. The
programs allow Edison to make decisions and ‘think’ for
himself.
Edison comes with pre-loaded programs that are activated by driving over special
barcodes. Here is a sample barcode that activates Edison’s line tracking program.
Edison the LEGO compatible robot
Edison’s microcontroller
A barcode that activates Edison’s line tracking program