Robotics & Control · Course Guide
Virtual Robotics Engineering in Stittsville, Ottawa & Online: Autonomous Robots with VEXcode VR
How programming virtual rovers—with distance lasers, bumper switches, optical color sensors, and GPS coordinates—teaches authentic engineering and closed-loop control systems.
📍 In-Person Classes in Stittsville, Ottawa & 🌐 Live Online Anywhere
Whether your family prefers an intimate physical classroom setting in Stittsville, Ottawa or the comfort of a live interactive online classroom from home anywhere, ReaderNook offers ultra-small class sizes with dedicated instructor mentorship.
- In-Person Cohorts (Stittsville, Ottawa): Strict cap of 3 students per class for maximum hands-on attention and personalized guidance.
- Live Online Cohorts: Small groups with a maximum of 6 students with real-time screen sharing and collaborative debugging.
- Zero Homework Anxiety: All required building, testing, and concept mastery happen in class.
Why Learn Virtual Robotics Engineering?
In pure screen programming, code operates in an idealized digital world where instructions execute instantaneously and conditions are always predictable. Robotics introduces the authentic messiness of physical reality: motors possess momentum, turns drift without continuous gyro stabilization, and obstacles appear unexpectedly.
Virtual Robotics Engineering with VEXcode VR provides an extraordinary educational bridge. Students explore closed-loop feedback control systems—transitioning from blind open-loop dead-reckoning to intelligent autonomous behavior guided by distance lasers, tactile bumper switches, optical color sensors, and Cartesian GPS coordinates. They learn to think like systems engineers, diagnosing why code fails in dynamic environments and designing resilient algorithms that succeed across randomized maze configurations.
Skills Your Child Will Practise
- Drivetrain Kinematics & Geometry: Commanding linear travel, precision angular turns, and trajectory tracing with the robot pen.
- Closed-Loop Tactile Control: Programming front bumper switches, contact event loops, and reverse-and-pivot recovery sequences.
- Non-Contact Laser Telemetry: Calibrating time-of-flight distance sensor thresholds and implementing proactive wall avoidance.
- Optical Surface Classification: Using the Down Eye sensor to classify RGB colors and route through autonomous waypoint trees.
- Actuators & GPS Localization: Operating the electromagnet actuator, navigating 2000 mm Cartesian coordinates, and authoring modular My Blocks.
The Course Journey
The course has six live one-hour meetings. Chapters are learning units: a chapter may span meetings, with time for practice, questions and saving work. Optional extensions depend on readiness and available time.
| Module | Focus & Learning Objectives | Tangible Evidence of Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 01 | The Rover Awakens Drivetrain kinematics, turning angles, and drawing landing zones with the pen. | Drive calibrated polygons and return to the starting coordinates with pen tracing. |
| Chapter 02 | Collision Defense Front bumper sensors, contact event loops, and reverse-and-pivot recovery. | Clear arena obstacles while keeping the rover inside table boundaries. |
| Chapter 03 | The Radar Eye Laser distance sensors, braking thresholds, and wall-avoidance algorithms. | Navigate maze corridors without touching walls using distance telemetry. |
| Chapter 04 | The Optical Scout Down Eye color sensors, RGB surface detection, and waypoint navigation. | Steer through color-coded intersections and halt precisely on the goal. |
| Chapter 05 | Cargo Operations Electromagnet actuation, Cartesian GPS tracking, and reusable custom blocks. | Transport magnetic cargo disks to depot zones using modular subroutines. |
| Chapter 06 | The Autonomous Labyrinth Sensor fusion, randomized maze navigation, and project flight tour. | Solve randomized mazes autonomously and present the Engineering Mission Log. |
Course Details at a Glance
Target Age & Readiness
Recommended Age: 10+
Prerequisites: Ages 10+. Comfortable typing, navigating a browser, and understanding 2D angles. No prior coding or hardware experience needed.
Class Format & Schedule
Duration: 6 weekly sessions × 60 minutes
Tuition: See the current total price for your chosen class on the registration page before booking.
Equipment & Tools
Equipment: A laptop (Chromebook, Mac, or Windows) with a modern web browser. 100% web-based using free VEXcode VR (vr.vex.com).
Work Preservation: All projects are saved locally on the student's computer.
Takeaway Creation
Project Outcome: A 4-mission autonomous rover portfolio culminating in the Dynamic Maze Challenge.
Ready to showcase to family, teachers, and friends.
Frequently Asked Questions for Parents
Got questions about enrolling, class structure, or student readiness? Here are the most common questions Ottawa parents ask us:
Where are in-person classes held?
In Stittsville, Ottawa, conveniently located for families in Stittsville, Kanata, Richmond, Nepean, Carp, and West Ottawa.
Can students attend online?
Yes! We offer live interactive online cohorts (max 6 students) for learners anywhere with real-time screen sharing and mentor debugging.
What is the recommended age and readiness?
Ages 10 and up. Students should be comfortable navigating a web browser and understand basic angles (90° right angle, 180° turnaround). No prior coding or robotics experience required.
What software or hardware is required?
Any laptop (Chromebook, Mac, or Windows) with a modern web browser. We use 100% free, zero-install VEXcode VR (vr.vex.com). No accounts, logins, or proprietary hardware kits required.
Is there homework between sessions?
No homework is required. All core robotics builds, sensor calibrations, and simulation challenges are completed during the 60-minute class time. Optional untimed practice challenges are available for curious learners.
What does the student take away at completion?
A 4-mission autonomous rover portfolio, working .vrblocks code files, and a completed Engineering Mission Log documenting sensor calibrations and autonomous maze solutions.
Ready for Your Child to Become a Creator?
Choose from currently available dates and teaching modes. Groups have a maximum of 3 learners in person or 6 online.