High School / HS-13
Available Grades 9–12 Robotics & controls
Build a two-wheeled inverted-pendulum robot, fuse gyro and accelerometer data, and tune a controller that keeps it upright.
Students build a two-wheeled inverted-pendulum robot (ESP32, LSM6DSOX IMU, two encoder gearmotors), measure its centre of mass and fall time, fuse gyro and accelerometer data with a complementary filter, tune a PID controller by experiment, then design an LQR state-feedback controller from a state-space model built from their own measurements.
Students will:
Every high school pack includes worked math and physics, prediction-versus-measurement labs, at least two design-and-test iterations, data logging, a rubric, and documentation templates, plus printable Builder's Corner build journal pages.
Parts, specs, quantities, and estimated unit costs, with places to buy. Prices change; anything marked as an estimate is an estimate. Links were checked when the BOM was written.
Totals are computed from the line items below. Prices were read from vendor pages on the dates shown and will change. Rows tagged estimate have no verified link and are planning numbers only.
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | ESP32 Feather V2 (controller) Adafruit PID 5400 · 200 Hz control loop; Wi-Fi/Bluetooth off in firmware | 1 | $19.95 | $19.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $19.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Adafruit HUZZAH32 Feather (PID 3405); re-map pins | Header soldering: adult supervision, Z87+ glasses, ventilation |
| E2 | LSM6DSOX 6-DoF accelerometer + gyroscope Adafruit PID 4438 · STEMMA QT, I²C 0x6A; firmware ±4 g, ±500 dps, 416 Hz | 1 | $11.95 | $11.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $11.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| E3 | STEMMA QT / Qwiic cable 100 mm Adafruit PID 4210 | 1 | $0.95 | $0.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $0.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| E4 | TB6612 dual motor driver breakout Adafruit PID 2448 · 1.2 A average / 3.2 A peak per channel (Toshiba datasheet); motor stall is 1.5 A at 6 V, so the firmware limits current to 1.0 A and disarms on a 1 s stall | 1 | $6.95 | $6.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $6.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — (a DRV8833 is also 1.2 A continuous: no gain; keep the TB6612) | — |
| E5 | Micro metal gearmotor 30:1 HPCB 6 V, extended motor shaft Pololu #3072 · page: 6 V: 1100 RPM, 150 mA free; 0.45 kg⋅cm, 1.5 A stall; 3 mm D output shaft | 2 | $27.45 | $54.90 | pololu.com Pololu $27.45 (qty 1) · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Without encoders (#3061-type, no extended shaft) only with the PID controller and no position hold | — |
| E6 | Magnetic encoder pair kit, 12 CPR, 2.7–18 V Pololu #3081 · solder-pad version (no cables needed); needs the extended shaft | 1 | $9.95 | $9.95 | pololu.com Pololu $9.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Side-entry kit #4761 ($8.95) + two #4762 JST cables ($2.10 each) | Fine soldering: adult supervision |
| E7 | Micro metal gearmotor bracket pair Pololu #989 | 1 | $2.95 | $2.95 | pololu.com Pololu $2.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| E8 | Wheels 80 × 10 mm, pair Pololu #1430 · page: 80 mm diameter, press-fit on 3 mm D shafts | 1 | $8.75 | $8.75 | pololu.com Pololu $8.75 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| E9 | 5 V 500 mA step-down regulator D24V5F5 Pololu #2843 · battery → Schottky (E9a) → Feather USB pin | 1 | $8.95 | $8.95 | pololu.com Pololu $8.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| E9a | Schottky diode 1N5819 (1 A, 40 V) SparkFun COM-10926 · between the D24V5F5 VOUT and the Feather USB pin, band toward the Feather: stops laptop USB back-feeding the regulator and the motor rail, and stops the regulator driving the laptop's VBUS | 1 | $0.30 | $0.30 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $0.30 · checked 2026-10-09 · Stock not confirmed on page | 1N5817 (same footprint, lower drop) | — |
| E10 | 6 × AA battery holder with 2.1 mm plug Adafruit PID 248 | 1 | $2.50 | $2.50 | adafruit.com Adafruit $2.50 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| E11 | In-line power switch for 2.1 mm barrel jack Adafruit PID 1125 · the robot's main switch | 1 | $2.50 | $2.50 | adafruit.com Adafruit $2.50 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| E12 | 2.1 mm DC jack to screw terminal Adafruit PID 368 | 1 | $2.00 | $2.00 | adafruit.com Adafruit $2.00 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| E13 | AA NiMH rechargeable cells (6 + 2 spare) 7.2 V nominal pack; low internal resistance for motor current | 1 | $18.00 estimate | $18.00 | Retail (no link) — | 6 × alkaline AA (≈ 9 V fresh: the firmware's 6 V cap still protects the motors; shorter run time) | Charge only in the matching NiMH charger |
| E14 | Electrolytic capacitor 1000 µF 25 V SparkFun COM-08982 · across the TB6612 motor supply (VM–GND) | 1 | $0.50 | $0.50 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $0.50 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | 470–2200 µF, ≥ 16 V | Observe polarity |
| E15 | Resistors 33 kΩ + 10 kΩ (battery divider) Any 1/4 W | 1 | $0.50 estimate | $0.50 | School stock (no link) — | — | — |
| E16 | Stacking headers for Feather Adafruit PID 2830 | 1 | $1.25 | $1.25 | adafruit.com Adafruit $1.25 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Plain headers | — |
| E17 | Hook-up wire 22 AWG solid (6 × 25 ft) Adafruit PID 1311 | 1 | $15.95 | $15.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $15.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Classroom stock | — |
| E18 | USB-A to USB-C data cable Adafruit PID 4474 | 1 | $4.95 | $4.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $4.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Classroom cable | — |
| Subtotal | $173.75 | Low-cost path: $152.35 | |||||
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Baltic birch plywood 3 mm, 12 × 20 in Wood Vault, 1/8" Laser/CNC grade variant; 1 sheet (4 decks, 2 skids, 2 chocks, tilt gauge) | 1 | $3.50 | $3.50 | woodvault.com The Wood Vault $3.50 per sheet (1/8" Laser/CNC grade variant) · checked 2026-10-09 · Not confirmed (variant availability not in page HTML) | Any 3 mm laser plywood (slots are 3.2 mm) | — |
| S2 | M3 threaded rod 4 × 300 mm (cut from 1 m), 32 M3 nuts, 16 washers; M2 screws for the brackets; M3 bolt + nuts as top-deck ballast, 2 zip ties ≥ 200 × 3.6 mm (battery holder) Deck spacing is adjustable on the rods (Labs 1 and 4) | 1 | $12.00 estimate | $12.00 | Hardware store (no link) — | M3 nylon standoffs (fixed heights) | — |
| S3 | Laser cutter access or cutting service 1 sheet (estimate) | 1 | $5.00 estimate | $5.00 | Makerspace / cut service (no link) — | — | Trained adult operates the laser cutter |
| Subtotal | $20.50 | Low-cost path: $16.50 | |||||
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Temperature-controlled soldering iron Pinecil | 1 | $68.50 | $68.50 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $68.50 · checked 2026-10-09 · Not recorded | Assumed owned in the low total | Adult supervision |
| T2 | Lead-free solder 15 g SparkFun | 1 | $4.95 | $4.95 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $4.95 (single-unit price) · checked 2026-10-09 · Not recorded | — | Wash hands after soldering |
| T3 | Safety glasses, ANSI Z87.1 (Z87+) impact-rated, clear 3M SecureFit SF201AF · clear anti-fog polycarbonate lens marked Z87+ (ANSI Z87.1 impact-rated; 3M spec table on strobelssupply.com and safetycompany.com, read 2026-10-09); soldering, laser cutting, and first motor tests (spinning wheels) | 2 | $5.32 | $10.64 | platt.com Platt Electric Supply $5.32 EA · checked 2026-10-09 · 40 in stock (company-wide) | Any glasses marked Z87+ (ANSI Z87.1 high-impact). Not SparkFun SWG-11046: it lists only CE/EN 1836, a sunglass standard, not impact-rated | Check the Z87+ marking on arrival |
| T4 | NiMH smart charger (AA) Matched to NiMH cells; charge on a non-flammable surface | 1 | $20.00 estimate | $20.00 | Retail (no link) — | Assumed owned in the low total | Adult supervises charging |
| T5 | Digital multimeter Polarity, battery voltage, divider check | 1 | $20.00 estimate | $20.00 | Retail (no link) — | Assumed owned | — |
| T6 | Laptop with Arduino IDE and Python 3 + numpy (+ matplotlib) Tuning over USB serial; balance.py | 1 | $0.00 estimate | $0.00 | School (no link) — | — | — |
| Subtotal | $124.09 | Low-cost path: $15.59 | |||||
The pack is digital files only. Hardware is bought separately.
These are standards the pack's activities are mapped to by Laue Labs. They are not a certification or endorsement by any standards body or state.
| Activity | NGSS (HS) | Practices / crosscutting | Common Core Math |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab 1 pendulum, COM, fall test | HS-PS2-1 (Newton's 2nd law, rotation analogue) | Developing and using models; Stability and change | HSF-LE.A.1 (exponential growth), HSF-LE.B.5 |
| Lab 2 sensor fusion | HS-ETS1-2 (break a problem into smaller problems) | Analyzing and interpreting data | HSS-ID.A.4 (normal distribution, noise) |
| Lab 3 PID | HS-ETS1-3 (trade-offs), HS-PS2-1 | Planning and carrying out investigations | HSA-CED.A.4 |
| Lab 4 state space, LQR | HS-ETS1-4 (computer simulation of a designed system) | Using mathematics and computational thinking; Systems and system models | HSN-VM.C.6–C.8 (matrices, enrichment) |
| Lab 5 limits | HS-PS3-3 (energy conversion devices), HS-ETS1-3 | Constructing explanations | HSS-ID.B.6 |
Mapping is a draft for teacher review.
One student or one household.
You may:
You may not:
One homeschool family, or one co-op group of up to 10 learners with its facilitator(s).
You may:
You may not:
One teacher with up to 30 students in a single class or cohort.
You may:
You may not:
All licenses: digital files only (hardware not included). Keep Laue Labs attribution on printed handouts. After checkout you get an instant download on the thanks page. License questions, more learners, or site licenses: lance.haney@gmail.com.
