The UC Berkeley IEEE Student Branch’s Micromouse DeCal is a hands-on course aimed at undergraduates with an interest in robotics. In the class, teams of ~2 students are formed to build and program autonomous, maze-solving cars that follow the standards set in IEEE’s Micromouse competition.
The course assumes no experience and will be based around a series of labs and project milestones that cover a wide range of robotics concepts. The course will expose students to CircuitPython programming, autonomous navigation, sensors, PID, and basic electrical engineering, while preparing them for an in-class competition at the end of each semester. Teams are also provided with the opportunity to qualify for funding to attend competitions among other schools in California and neighboring states.
All necessary parts will be provided to students at no cost.
The Micromouse Discord is live: https://discord.gg/FRWvxrTChh
This semester the Decal will take place in Dwinelle 182 on Tuesdays from 6-8PM, starting January 31st. Make sure to fill out the interest form by the 30th!
Note that the slides on this page are just for preview. They'll be updated before lecture and posted after.
Co-director


Co-director

Week | Title | Content | Links |
---|---|---|---|
1 1/31 |
What is Micromouse? |
• Tournament video, rules • Course logistics, questions |
Slides |
2 2/7 |
Lab 1: Assembly |
• Assemble the robot! • Learn how to use a reflow oven |
Lab Doc Slides |
3 2/14 |
Lab 2: CircuitPython Basics |
• Continue soldering the robot • Start programming in CircuitPython • ~Valentine's Day~ |
Lab Doc Slides |
4 2/21 |
Lab 3: Encoders |
• Hall effect sensors • Polling vs. interrupts |
Lab Doc Slides |
5 2/28 |
Lab 4: IR Sensors |
• ADC readings • Sensor calibration |
Lab Doc Slides |
6 3/7 |
Lab 5: Odometry and Motor Control |
• Linear and angular distance • Spin those motors |
Lab Doc Slides |
7 3/14 |
Buffer Week |
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8 3/21 |
Buffer Week |
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9 3/28 |
Spring Break - no class! | ||
10 4/4 |
Lab 6: Intro to PID | • The 'P' in PID |
Lab Doc Slides |
11 4/11 |
Lab 7: More PID |
• The rest of PID • Wall following and turning |
Lab Doc Slides |
12 4/18 |
Buffer Week (...tax day...) | ||
13 4/25 |
Maze Solving (Optional) | • Flood fill algorithm or whatever you come up with! |
Lab Doc (WIP) Slides |
14 5/2 |
RRR Week - Class Competition or Showcase (TBD) |