Short, direct, and almost identical every time. This 10 out of 10 tutorial from the FIRST LEGO League 2025-2026 UNEARTHED competition puts the Smaller Pancake box robot and the Site Marking attachment through ten flag deliveries for Mission 15.
Sometimes the best final run is the one that does exactly one job. In this FLL 2025 UNEARTHED competition tutorial, the Smaller Pancake box robot uses the Site Marking attachment to carry the flag straight from base to its destination in under ten seconds.
When the attachment is simple, preparation makes all the difference. In this 10 out of 10 tutorial for the FIRST LEGO League 2025–2026 UNEARTHED competition, the Smaller Pancake box robot and the Forum attachment deliver the collected artifacts to Mission 14: Forum across ten consecutive attempts.
Sometimes the most effective solutions are also the most straightforward. In Mission 14: Forum from the FIRST LEGO League UNEARTHED season, the Smaller Pancake box robot uses a lightweight pinless attachment to deliver the collected artifacts safely into the scoring area.
Long runs are an excellent test of consistency. In this ten-attempt tutorial from the FIRST LEGO League 2025–2026 UNEARTHED competition, we put the Smaller Pancake box robot and the M14 and M15 transport attachment through one of the longest runs on the field.
This run asks the robot to think several missions ahead. In the FLL 2025 UNEARTHED competition, the Smaller Pancake box robot crosses almost the entire field with a multi-purpose M14 and M15 attachment, places the Mission 15: Site Marking flag, collects the opposing team's minecart, and brings it with previously collected artifacts to the left base for Mission 14: Forum.
Even a simple lifting mechanism depends on a precise approach. In this 10 out of 10 analysis of Mission 13: Statue Rebuild from the FIRST LEGO League 2025–2026 UNEARTHED competition, we put the Smaller Pancake box robot and the Statue Rebuild attachment through ten consecutive attempts.
A small turn creates the clearance needed for a clean lift in Mission 13: Statue Rebuild. In this FIRST LEGO League 2025-2026 UNEARTHED competition tutorial, the Smaller Pancake box robot powers an active lifting attachment to raise the statue from the right base.
Power and consistency can go hand in hand. In this ten-run FIRST LEGO League UNEARTHED season test, the Smaller Pancake box robot and the Silo attachment tackle Mission 8, demonstrating why three well-balanced strikes produce such dependable results.
Below is an example of a robot competition field along with the scoring system used to evaluate performance.
Variables are like small boxes inside the computer that store important information for us. Imagine the following situation:
Here you can find a cheat sheet with the most commonly used commands. There are also more advanced commands that are not included in the built-in API, but the available ones cover most, if not all, of the students’ needs.
Below is an example of a function definition and how to read it:
move_for_degrees(pair: int, degrees: int, steering: int, *, velocity: int = 360, stop: int = motor.BRAKE, acceleration: int = 1000, deceleration: int = 1000) → Awaitable
...
Parameters
pair: int
The motor pair to be used.
degrees: int
The number of degrees the motors should rotate.
steering: int
The steering value (from -100 to 100).
Optional keyword arguments:
velocity: int
The speed of the motor in degrees per second.
...
stop: int
Defines how the motor behaves after it stops. Use constants from the motor module.
...
acceleration: int
The acceleration in degrees per second squared (1–10000).
deceleration: int
The deceleration in degrees per second squared (1–10000).
Let’s take a closer look at the function definition:
The parameters before the "*" symbol are required parameters. You must provide them in the correct order. For example, the first parameter is "pair", so the command expects the motor pair first. The same applies to "degrees" and "steering".
The parameters after the "*" symbol are optional parameters. To change them, you must use their names. This means you cannot just write a number - you need to specify which parameter you are changing. For example:
motor_pair.move_for_degrees(motor_pair.PAIR_1, 360, 0, velocity=280)
Finally, the "Awaitable" keyword means that this command can be used with "await". This allows the program to wait until the command has finished before continuing with the next one. For example:
await motor_pair.move_for_degrees(motor_pair.PAIR_1, 360, 0, velocity=280)
The await command tells your robot:
“Wait until this action is finished, then continue!”
Without "await", the robot may move on too quickly and not finish its actions properly.
You can only use "await" inside an "async" function.
async def main(): await motor.run_for_time(port.A, 1000, 1000)
We already know how to set the speed of the motor and how long it should move. However, with these commands alone, we cannot control exactly how many degrees the motor turns. To make the motor turn a specific number of degrees, we need to use some simple math.
The motor speed is measured in degrees per second. We can use this to calculate how much the motor will turn using the formula:
S = V * T
S – the distance traveled (in this case, the number of degrees the motor turns);
V – velocity (degrees per second);
T – time (in seconds).
Before we can run Python programs on the robot, we need to open the SPIKE software, create a Python project, and connect the Hub to the computer. In this tutorial, you will learn how to do each of these steps using the LEGO SPIKE software.
During this course, we expect the following from you:
Ask questions when you are curious or need help.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes - this is how you learn.
Share your ideas, help others, and be open to receiving help.
Listen carefully when the teacher is speaking - it’s important for everyone.
Read your lesson before coming to class.
The teacher does not expect you to know everything. What matters is that you ask when you don’t understand something. Go to your teacher when you need help - they can support you only if you ask.
It’s normal not to succeed the first time. Learning takes practice. Keep trying, testing, and improving your solution until you succeed.
The whole class is a team. Help each other, share ideas, and learn together. It’s okay to give hints or learn from others - this helps everyone improve.
When the teacher is explaining something, it is important for everyone. You might hear a solution to a problem you will face later.
You will have access to e-textbooks that you can read at home on a phone, tablet, or computer. Try to think about the tasks in advance so you are ready to work during the lesson.
In this course, you will work with other students in your group. These may be your classmates, teammates, or students you know from other activities. It is important to get to know your group so you can work well together.
Your teacher will introduce themselves first, and then you will get to know the other students in the group.
Remember your teacher’s name and address them by name.
Listen carefully to your classmates and pay attention to what they share. Show the same respect that you would like to receive.
Each student should share:
their name;
their age;
their grade;
the school they attend;
their favorite sport, hobby, or activity.
If your teacher allows it, you can also share a short story or something special you have done - for example, “I’ve done something you may not have done, which is…”.
In this self-paced, beginner-friendly online course, you and your child will learn how to create a rotating LED strip display—a glowing clock that seems to paint time in mid-air. And don’t worry if you’ve never soldered, wired a circuit, or touched an Arduino before. We guide you from the very first step all the way to powering on your finished display.
By the end of this journey, you’ll both have learned real hands-on skills—like how to solder, drill clean mounting holes, read resistor color codes, and work with common electronic components—all while building something that looks impressively “advanced” but is totally achievable for beginners.
Before you jump into the build videos, this first lesson gives you a clear picture of what you're creating—and what materials you’ll need to make it happen. We want you to have full confidence in what you’re investing in. There are no surprise expenses later: everything required is listed upfront, along with tips on where to buy each part.
The hall effect sensor can't detect a magnet, without there being one in the first place. While we can use glue or other ways of attaching a magnet to the clock face, we decided to use a second magnet on the other side of the face to hold the main one attached to it.
