Why Do Robots Have Wheels Instead of Legs?

When you think of a robot, you might picture one walking on two legs like a human. But if you look at real robots, most of them have wheels! Why is that?

Because walking is incredibly difficult! When you take a step, your brain has to do complicated math to keep your body balanced so you don’t fall over. For a tiny robot brain, balancing on two metallic legs is super hard and takes lots of strong motors.

Wheels, on the other hand, are simple, fast, and never fall over! That’s why the Mars Rovers use wheels to roll safely across alien planets.

In FIRST® Robotics, you can learn all about different wheels and build robots that zoom safely across the floor!