micro:Maqueen Plus V2 (18650 Battery) with Mechanic, micro:bit V2 and Gamepad

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

encoder

A device attached to a motor or shaft that reports movement, such as rotation steps or position. In a pump system, an encoder can help measure or control how much the motor has turned, which affects how repeatable the watering amount can be.

I2C

I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.

LED

A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.

line-tracking sensor

A line-tracking sensor detects contrast between a dark line and a lighter surface, usually using infrared light. It matters for robot activities where the robot follows a track, such as classroom challenges or competitions.

RGB

Short for red, green and blue, usually referring to an LED that can mix those three colours. It matters because controlling an RGB LED teaches how separate outputs combine to create different colours.