Think Like a Robot

Part 1: Set-up

How to Prepare: 

• This activity involves showing instructions to another person. You can start this activity if you are by yourself, but you will then need to take the instructions to the “robot” later.

• There will be two “roles” in this activity for you to fill: the “coder” and the “robot.” The coder is the person who will write the instructions, and the robot is the person who will try to follow them. The robot will not be told what the task is, but the coder will read out the instructions step by step.

• The coder will first come up with an activity for the robot to do. Some examples include making a sandwich, doing a certain dance, or playing air guitar.
• The coder will then start to write down each step that their robot will need to do. Think carefully – the instructions need to be as specific as possible so that the robot has the best chance of following them correctly. For example, instead of saying, “Lift your arm,” say, “Lift your right arm, bend your elbow 90 degrees, with your fingers pointing up, and your palm facing out.”

Part 2: Writing Instructions for the Robot

Step 1: Coder's Instructions

• Decide on the activity you want your robot to do.
• Write down the instructions step by step on a sheet of paper or on a computer (Word document), making them very detailed.
• Test your instructions by reading them out loud to see if they make sense.

Step 2: Robot's Task

• Listen carefully to the coder's instructions.
• Follow the instructions exactly as they are given.
• If something is unclear, do exactly what you think the instructions are telling you to do.

Step 3: Switch Roles & Next Turn

• After all the instructions have been followed by the robot, the robot should attempt to guess what task the coder was getting them to do.
• The roles will now switch, the robot will become the coder, and the coder becomes the robot. *If the robot was unable to guess your task, you can try again after learning what types of instructions worked better with your robot.
• Rounds: you can take turns and switch roles for a best out of 3 or 5 type game. The person that first guesses the task correctly 3 or 5 times, wins!

Step 4: Draw an Image to Guess

• After completing written instructions to complete a task, repeat Steps 1 to 3 for drawing an image. 
• Coder will think of a simple image to draw and will write down (or verbally) share the instructions with the Robot. For example, a butterfly or a cat. 
• The Robot will try and guess what image the Coder had in mind. 
• Rounds: you can take turns and switch roles for a best out of 3 or 5 type game. The person that first guesses the images correctly 3 or 5 times, wins!

💡 Tips for Coders:

• Imagine you are giving these instructions to someone who has never done the task before. How would you explain it to a 5-year-old?
• Break down each step as much as you can.
• Use words that are easy to understand.
• Test your instructions by acting them out yourself first.

💡 Tips for Robots:

• Be patient and listen carefully.
• If the instructions are confusing, do your best to follow them as they are written.
• Try your best to do exactly what you are told. The coder will start to realize that they forgot an instruction if your actions are different than what they expected.

Part 3: Wrap Up

🗣️ Talk About It:

• After both players have had at least one chance to play each role, talk about what happened. 
  • What kind of instructions were easy to follow? Which ones were hard?
  • Did anything funny or surprising happen?
  • What was your favourite part?
• Think about how computers follow instructions. They can only do what they are programmed to do (just like how the robot could only do what the coder told them).

🤔 Ask Yourself:

• Why is it important for instructions to be specific and easy to understand when coding? 
• What kind of instructions do you think computers are best at following?

This activity is inspired by: Logics Academy