About Robot Return
Robot Return has two modes. Both ask one question: does the robot end up back at the start? Rapid Router is a quick yes or no race against a clock. In Help Home, you write moves that take a lost robot to the centre.
How to play
- Pick Rapid Router or Help Home from the menu.
- In Rapid Router, read the moves and answer YES or NO.
- Each right answer adds 3 seconds. One wrong answer ends your run.
- In Help Home, tap up, down, left and right to plan up to 10 moves.
- Press Run and watch the robot walk home.
What it practises
Both modes practise coordinates and cancelling. Every up cancels a down, and every left cancels a right. Once you see that, long move lists get quick to check. In Help Home, walls appear from level 3, so the straight road isn't always open.
Questions
- How do you know if a robot returns to the start?
- Count the ups and downs, then the lefts and rights. If each pair has the same count, the robot is back where it began.
- Does Robot Return suit a classroom warm-up?
- It can. A round takes a minute or two. It is free, runs in the browser, and needs no account. Phones and laptops both work.
- How do you get three stars in Help Home?
- Take the shortest route around the walls. Within two extra moves gives two stars. Getting home at all gives one.