Can Robots Feel? (All About Sensors)

If you close your eyes and touch a wall, you know it’s there. If a robot drives with its eyes closed, it crashes. Bonk. Unless… we give it senses.

1. The Touch Sensor (Skin)

The Touch Sensor is a button.

• It sits on the front of the robot like a bumper.
• Code: “Drive Forward UNTIL Touch Sensor is Pressed.”
• When the robot hits the wall, Click! The robot knows: “Ouch! I hit something. I better stop.”

2. The Color Sensor (Eyes)

The Color Sensor shines a tiny light at the floor.

• It can see lines: “I see a black line on white paper!”
• It can see toys: “This LEGO block is Red.” In FIRST LEGO League (FLL), robots use these eyes to follow lines on the game mat, just like a train following a track.

3. The Distance Sensor (Bat Ears)

This sensor looks like two robot eyes, but it’s actually using Sound (like a Bat!).

• It sends a “Ping!” sound.
• It waits for the echo.
• If the echo comes back fast, the wall is close.
• If the echo takes a long time, the wall is far away.

Robots don’t have “feelings” like happy or sad, but they can feel the world around them better than we can!