VENT Bot Maze Mission
A LEGO Spike Prime Challenge to Save the Mars Base
🚀 Your Mission
The Mars base has lost power. The lights are out. Systems are offline. The only way to reach the life support core is through a maze of narrow vents.
Your job is to build and program a LEGO Spike Prime robot — codenamed VENT Bot — to navigate the maze and save the crew.
Download your printable mission materials:
👉 VENT Bot Mission Tracks Printables (PDF)
💡 Pseudocode Mission Log (PDF)
🧱 What to Build
Begin by laying out a maze with items from home, class, or the printable maze tiles.
Your robot must be compact and precise. Use your LEGO Spike Prime kit to build a robot that can:
- Fit in a narrow maze
- Drive forward in straight lines
- Turn accurately using the internal gyro sensor
- (Optional) Use color or distance sensors to detect obstacles
Required components:
- 2 drive motors (left + right)
- Spike hub (with built-in gyro)
- Small chassis build with wheels
- Wires routed neatly so they don’t get caught in the maze
HINT!
We used the Driving Base 1 building instructions from Competition Ready.
💻 What to Code
You’ll need to:
- Measure the length of each maze segment (in centimeters)
- Record the angle of each turn using the robot’s yaw angle sensor
- Plan your program with pseudocode
- Write your code in the Spike app using movement and turn blocks
Example pseudocode:
Move forward 40 cm
Turn right 90°
Move forward 20 cm
Turn left 45°
Use the printable Maze Mapping Log to record each step!
HINT!
Watch this video about using the Gyro Sensor to make precise turns.
📏 Step-by-Step Instructions
- Set up your maze using tape, tiles, or printed paths.
- Test your robot: Can it move straight and turn consistently?
- Use a ruler or tape measure to record distances between turns.
- Use the gyro sensor to test turn angles (e.g., 90°, 45°).
- Record your pseudocode for the entire maze path.
- Translate your plan into a working program in the Spike app.
- Test and revise — update your code until the robot can complete the maze!
🎯 Success Criteria
- Robot completes the maze without hitting walls
- Distances and turns are accurate
- Code is organized and based on measured data
- You used your pseudocode as a planning tool
🎥 Watch the Full Mission Video
See how the mission begins, how the robot is built and programmed, and how VENT Bot saves the Mars base! Leave us a comment on YouTube if you completed the mission!