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Beginners Guide On ” How to Get Started With Robotics “

A beginner level robot project with Arduino and sonar sensor

Are you interested in robotics but don’t know how to get started? Or is it getting intimidating to get started with all these scattered resources and information? This blog will help you to level up from scratch in this huge and growing field of robotics. It begins with the necessary skills you need to get started while gradually leading you to the level where you are able to find your own way.

Table of contents


Before getting into the topic let me share my story on why I decided to get into robotics. As a child, I used to imagine a world full of colors which was filled with unique characters and structures. I used to always try to bring life to that world in some way. After discovering robotics I realized that my imagination can be a reality. I never liked doing the same thing for longer periods and guess what, robotics is such a vast and ever-evolving world that I get to do new stuff every time. With robotics the possibilities are endless and your imagination is the only limit. I like to compare robotics with the gaming world. Here you can create your own character and go on any treasure hunt as you like. So, if you are also a thrill-lover like me, robotics is just the thing for you.

Level-1: ( Skills you need to get started with robotics )

One of the most important skills before actually getting started with robotics is programming. Robotics is kind of a smoothie made of software, hardware, mechanics, and AI. Though you can learn the rest gradually while leveling up in robotics, programming needs to be learned beforehand. Or else your robots will just have the body and no life in it as microcontrollers need to be programmed. I prefer learning Python or C language as they are the most commonly used languages for programming microcontrollers. But if you think you want to start a little bit easier you can start with block coding. For me, I never actually learned block coding and just directly jumped into the ocean of C programming😅. That’s another story of struggle and hardship.

Now for me, I really prefer Udemy for learning stuff. They have both free and paid courses that are worth the price. For example, I learned C programming for free on Udemy. Or if you want there a lot of quality content on YouTube, so feel free to explore the free options out there. Another great treasure for programmers is W3schools. This website is kind of like a teacher’s notebook that is filled with all important notes. You can always come back to it to find the answers you need.

Level-2: ( Buying some basic components and materials for getting started with robotics )

In my opinion, robotics is best learned by directly going through projects. Even if the projects are very simple, you must go through them practically for better understanding. For that reason, I included buying stuff in level 2. No matter how it seems it’s a very important step to go through. I advise you to purchase some very basic items that doesn’t even cost that much to begin. Here is a list of materials that you can buy to just get started.

How to get started with robotics: list of basic components for getting started with robotics.



Maybe you have to save up your allowance of a few weeks but I’m telling you it’s worth it 😉! Obviously, you need your sword before going to war😤. If you don’t have any components shop nearby, you can purchase online. Here are some of the stores that I recommend:

Or you can search for online stores that are available in your region.

Level- 3: ( Project Simulation ) ( Optional level )

I’m hoping that you’ve already purchased your products but if not for some reason or the package is taking some time to reach you, I suggest you to start doing projects through simulation. There are many free websites and software that allow you to try out your code and circuit through virtual projects. These will help you to just get started with robotics for now. However, I still recommend you to collect your products as soon as possible because the real fun of robotics lies on settling those wires in place and seeing your projects come to life just in front of you.

As a beginner, I suggest you use Tinkercad by AutoDesk for project simulation. It’s a very easy-to-learn website and you don’t need to install it as it’s online. Though there’s a limitation of components here, it’s more than enough for a beginner. I personally loved doing projects through Tinkercad or simulation software. They gave me the freedom to try out anything I want even if I was short on supplies.

How to get started with robotics: simulation of a beginner level robotics project with 3 LEDs and Arduino Uno.
How to get started with robotics: Tinkercad simulation of a beginner level robotics project with buzzer and Arduino Uno.

Project simulation through Tinkercad

Level- 4: ( Learning through projects )

As I said earlier, practical projects are the best way to learn robotics. So at this stage I want you to jump straight into some projects. As a beginner, I suggest you first learn to use the Arduino Uno microcontroller as it’s very beginner-friendly and easy to code. There are many simple projects that you can try out with Arduino, such as:

  • Turning an LED on with a push button
  • Buzzer applications
  • Reading distance with sonar sensor

Doing these projects will allow you to understand how the digital or analog pins on an Arduino work. Moreover, doing these simple projects will eventually help you construct more complex projects on your own. You can read my blog “ Top 10 Arduino Projects for Complete Beginners “ to get an in-depth guide for your first steps. Here I provide you with step-by-step instructions on building your circuit and also writing the code. You can also find many free videos on YouTube for simple yet fun projects to do.

Robots are mainly built with three main categories of components. They are the microcontrollers, the actuators, and the sensors. As you might have already guessed the sensors sense things while the microcontrollers process information and make decisions and finally the output is given through the actuators. While there’s a variety of sensors and actuators out there, as a beginner I would like to suggest you some simple ones. For actuators I suggest you start with:

  • LED
  • Buzzer
  • Servo motor
  • TT gear motor

And for sensors, I suggest:

  • IR sensor
  • Sonar sensor
  • Push button
  • Potentiometer
  • Moisture sensor

Level- 5: ( Expanding knowledge )

As you’ve already learned the basics of the world of robotics, now it’s time to explore it and discover new things. You really don’t need to spend a fortune to start your learning journey. There’s an enormous amount of resources online. You just have to know the right track for you.

The best free resource is YouTube. It’s such a whole different level of treasure right at your doorway. If you’re like me and love the thrill of awesome projects, these channels are a pure blessing for you:

They offer very unique kinds of projects with every detail and instructions. They even provide you with fully functioning robot assembly instructions, along with the code, for you to build at home. I really enjoy watching their videos even if I don’t build them because they are so satisfying.

To gain in-depth knowledge of components or to understand the behind the scene working principal of stuff I prefer these channels:

I’m a huge fan of these two channeIs because I loved understanding how everything works while also doing the projects because it gave me a better idea of the bigger picture. These helped me a lot when I wanted to do projects of my own all by myself.

After YouTube, there are some websites that are very helpful, such as:

And obviously Chatgpt is also a great lifesaver. If you want to get enrolled in a course, I prefer Udemy and Skillshare. They are actually worth the money.

Level- 6: ( Participating in fests and competitions or joining any community  )( The end level )

A rover type robot for participating in fest or competition.
Children participating in a robotics competition.
People working together to build a robot and participate in competition.

Now that you’ve started your robotics journey, it’s time to keep exploring in this ever-evolving world. The best way to gain experience and to stay up to date, is to participate in different competitions or fests that include robotics. This way you can not only get out of your comfort zone and try out your unique projects, you can also get in touch with other creative minds. This way you can share your knowledge and explore a whole different horizon of thinking. Besides you can experience how this world of robotics is expanding in light speed and get to know the real fun.

I generally was always scared and shy to participate in these types of competitions as I thought that I wasn’t good enough and I would embarrass myself. I still remember the first ever competition I participated in in my life while fighting my inner demons and guess what, I not only failed, I failed horribly and I was literally crying for two days straight 😂. But after that event, all my fears of failure just vanished and I didn’t care what others thought anymore because I just simply enjoyed being there and loved the thrill of participating. I participated in so many events after that and it’s not like I won in all of them but It didn’t matter anymore.


So, how does it feel to get started in this amazing and mind-blowing realm of robotics? Trust me, it’s just the beginning and the real fun is still waiting to be explored. Big cheers from me and best of luck for the path ahead. Now that we’re both the explorer of robotics, I would love to get in touch with you. So feel free to contact me and share your thoughts on this thrilling world. We can even come up with new projects, who knows maybe we can be the creator of the next big invention together!

Feel free to share this blog with other robotics enthusiasts like you!

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