Physical AI with RoboCo · CORE-01

Questions this book answers

What you will be able to do

1. Drive a robot two waysDrive it with keyboard mapping, then control the same robot with a Python script, and explain how the two differ.
2. Change behavior by editing codeEdit Target RPM, timing, and key assignments in the start file, and follow each value until it becomes a motor setting or command.
3. Change one value and compare fairlyAdjust the wheel motor settings (RPM, acceleration, and braking) one at a time, and record the results under the same conditions.
4. Track down odd behaviorRead the robot's state from the Text Screen and the console LOG, rule out causes in a fixed order, and fix one thing at a time.
5. Finish a go–guide–return missionDesign and refine a small service-robot mission using a route list and a state flow.

The robot: four-wheel independent drive and steering

Every exercise in CORE-01 uses one robot. Each of the four wheels has its own DC Motor for driving and its own Steering Servo for changing direction. The body carries a fold-out guide screen and an LED that lights up with input. Forward driving, spinning in place, and diagonal moves aren't built-in features. Each one is a combination of the four wheels' steering angles and drive directions.

• Four wheels, eight actuators: each wheel has its own drive DC Motor and its own Steering Servo.
• A fold-out guide screen: the Text Screen shows the current action, the status, and a guide message.
• An LED that lights up with input and a Microcontroller that runs the Python script
• Eight keys, eight motions: forward, backward, left and right turns, spinning in place, and diagonal moves

You work with the same chassis in two ways. First you drive it with keyboard mapping alone, no script. Then you run the same robot from a single Python start file that handles driving, experiments, and the mission. The first thing the book has you notice is how the same key travels a different path in each case.

Five parts, twenty-five chapters

1. Run the finished robot
2. Observe
3. Trace the structure
4. Change a value or action
5. Compare under the same conditions
6. Check failures in the LOG
7. Complete the mission

• PART 1 · EXPERIENCEDrive It First

  Drive the robot with Controls Mapping, then move the same keys to the Script robot. Compare speed and terrain, read the Text Screen and LED, and complete a first guide mission by hand. CH01–05

• PART 2 · UNDERSTANDUnderstand the Structure

  Trace drive and steering axes, the Port numbers of FL/FR/RL/RR, the Controls path versus the Script path, and why a motor command differs from the actual motion. CH06–10

• PART 3 · CONTROLControl Values and Actions

  Edit values in the start file c01_start.py, then open the Educational Library one layer at a time: key handling, grouping four DC Motors, servo limits, and logging. CH11–15

• PART 4 · EXPERIMENTChange One Condition, Compare

  Use keys 2, 3, and 4 to step four wheel-motor settings (Target RPM, acceleration time, brake force, and braking time) through ten levels, and compare before and after under the same conditions. Results from manual driving and Script control are recorded side by side. CH16–20

• PART 5 · PROJECTComplete and Improve the Mission

  Write the route in MISSION_ROUTE and run a go–guide–return mission through the WAIT → MOVE → GUIDE → RETURN state flow. When the result is off, find the last good event in the LOG and change one condition only. CH21–25

Final mission: go → guide → return

In the final mission, one key press sends the robot to a guide point. It opens its screen to show a message, folds it again, and drives the same route back. Part 5 is about designing that route, figuring out why a run went wrong, and fixing one thing at a time until it works.

Who this book is for

• Complete beginners to robots or coding: Chapter 1 starts with keyboard driving and no code. Python shows up only when you need it, and always tied to something the robot does.
• Middle and high school students: see how a key press turns into wheel motion, and learn the basic loop of physical AI: input, control, actuator, observation.
• College students: sort out how Port, Reference, the RoboCo API, and the Educational Library fit together, and practice one-variable experiments.
• Makers and developers: if you already know Python, you can move quickly through the code tracing in Part 3 and the parameter experiments in Part 4.
• Teachers and schools: run repeatable labs and before-and-after comparisons with the same robot files and record sheets.

Book + practice files + video companion

The website doesn't repeat the book. The videos show what moves; the matching chapter explains why it moves that way and how to change it. QR codes in the book point to permanent addresses such as ronniekimbooks.com/ko/books/book-005/v/C01-25-00/, so they keep working even if a video moves.

What you need

Before you buy, check RoboCo's Steam page for current OS support, system requirements, languages, and price. The environment the book was tested in and the latest compatibility notes are in the Versions section of the web companion.

Book information