EDUCATIONAL ROBOTICS WITH ARDUINO: SCIENTIFIC TRAINING AND DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP IN BASIC EDUCATION

Abstract

This article discusses the potentials of educational robotics in scientific training and the promotion of digital citizenship in Basic Education, based on the development of an autonomous robot-car based on the Arduino platform. The prototype, assembled on a Pololu chassis and controlled by an Arduino Romeo board, uses an analog infrared sensor for automated obstacle avoidance. Beyond the technical aspects (microcontrollers, sensors, H-bridge, and C++ programming), this study analyzes the pedagogical contributions of the activity toward computational thinking, problem-solving, and Artificial Intelligence literacy. The theoretical framework is based on guidelines from UNESCO (2024) and the Ministry of Education (BRASIL, 2026), dialoguing with constructionism and active learning. It concludes that low-cost robotics projects constitute fundamental spaces to integrate knowledge of physics, electronics, automation, and computer science into critical, investigative, and socially contextualized formative experiences.