Lesson 4 of 6 · 8 min · +100 XP
The brain inside a robot
- Recognise the difference between a microcontroller and a single-board computer
- Pick the right brain for a beginner project
A Roomba and a self-driving car are both robots. The biggest difference between them isn't sensors or wheels — it's what happens in the middle.
Two kinds of brains
Microcontroller (Arduino Uno — ₹650) — a tiny chip with just enough computing to run simple if-this-then-that logic. Boots in milliseconds. Doesn't have an operating system. Great for: line followers, small bots, sensor projects.
Single-board computer (Raspberry Pi 4 — ₹4,500) — a full Linux computer the size of a credit card. Has WiFi, can run Python, ROS2, even computer vision. Great for: anything that needs to think hard.
When to use which
- Beginner physical project? Arduino.
- Need a camera or AI? Raspberry Pi.
- Both? Many real robots use them together — Arduino for low-level motor control, Pi for high-level perception.
This pairing is the most common architecture in hobbyist robotics today.
You want to build a small bot that recognises faces and waves. What's the right brain (or combination)?