• Coding
How Lectec Teaches Coding
How does Lectec help students learn to code? From building their own electric vehicles to programming how they behave, find out how students gain hands-on experience with logic, data, and real-world coding, one line at a time.
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Written by
Edison Chen
Overview
Learning to code is becoming just as important as learning to build, and with Lectec, students can now do both. While Lectec kits have always delivered a strong foundation in STEM through hands-on vehicle construction, they also serve as a powerful gateway into programming with the help of the Arduino and Raspberry Pi add-on packs.
These add-ons take the Lectec experience beyond mechanics, into the world of logic, real-time data, and intelligent behavior. Students gain the tools to code how their vehicle reacts to inputs, handles tasks, and interacts with its surroundings. With each line of code, they shift from being builders to becoming true creators, learning not just how to assemble a ride, but how to think and problem-solve like engineers and developers.
How Lectec Teaches Programming
At the core of Lectec’s coding experience is a browser-based, Bluetooth-enabled environment powered by LispBM, available at vesc.lectec.com. Students write programs that control LED lighting based on real-time data like speed, throttle, and battery voltage, learning how simple logic statements can drive real-world behavior.
It’s a direct feedback loop: students write code, test it live, and instantly see the outcome. Want the lights to change color as speed increases? Done. Need to trigger a warning pattern at low voltage? That’s just a few lines of code. The best part? They don’t just see the results reflected visually on the vehicle, they can also validate their logic by reviewing real-time and historical data that’s automatically graphed and tracked in the interface.
This immediate connection between code, behavior, and data makes complex concepts feel both accessible and measurable, helping students not only build but understand.
Advanced Control & Real-Time Analytics with VESC®
Beyond basic scripting, Lectec’s VESC®-based smart controller brings a layer of live analytics and system optimization to every build. This programmable controller monitors critical stats in real time, including:
Speed (ERPM)
Thermal behavior (motor & MOSFET)
Power usage (current, voltage, wattage)
With this data, students can write smarter code, adjusting acceleration, improving energy efficiency, or customizing braking response. They’re not just learning how to write code, they’re learning how to make code perform.
This kind of hands-on insight into system behavior builds foundational knowledge for careers in robotics, engineering, and advanced computing.
Unlocking Coding Potential with Add-On Packs
Lectec’s kits become fully programmable learning platforms when combined with its Arduino and Raspberry Pi packs, each designed to open new pathways into embedded systems and intelligent control.
Arduino Add-On Pack: Real-Time Control
The Arduino add-on pack is built for students ready to explore embedded logic and hardware-level control. It includes:
1x ESP32 Dev Kit (Arduino)
1x RailCore Case
1x Small Breadboard
Assorted Breadboard Components
Arduino Examples & Tutorials
Students program in C++ to develop features like sensor-triggered lighting, speed-based actions, and safety logic. The add-on teaches fundamental skills in circuit design, digital logic, and embedded programming, all while keeping it engaging and vehicle-based.
Arduino
Compatible
Take control of your ride by integrating an Arduino module that communicates directly with the main controller! Access real-time data and add custom peripherals, like turning on a relay when you reach a set speed or using sensor feedback to adjust your ride. Experiment with endless possibilities to make the vehicle truly your own.
Raspberry Pi AI Add-On Pack: Smarter Vehicles, Smarter Coders
The Raspberry Pi AI pack introduces students to Python and AI-driven development. It includes:
1x Raspberry Pi Zero 2W
1x Raspberry Pi AI Cam
1x RailCore Case
1x Camera Extension Cable
1x SD Card
Raspberry Pi AI Examples & Tutorials
This pack enables projects like real-time object detection, hazard alerts, and smart vehicle reactions. Students learn how to collect, analyze, and act on environmental data using Python, gaining valuable experience with modern machine learning and edge computing workflows.
AI + Raspberry Pi
Compatible
Unlock advanced capabilities with a Raspberry Pi module running AI/ML onboard! Use real-time object detection with a camera to make your vehicle smarter—like slowing down when a car is ahead or sounding a buzzer for obstacles like potholes. Experience the future of coding and control as your ride adapts intelligently to its surroundings.
Building, Coding, and Optimizing the Future
Lectec has always been about giving students a head start in STEM, but now, with our custom microcontroller, proprietary CAN system support, and add-on packs (Arduino and Raspberry Pi), it's also a launchpad for real-world coding.
Whether it starts with an LED animation or evolves into an AI-driven, sensor-controlled smart vehicle, Lectec supports students every step of the way. The vehicle becomes their lab, their project, and their canvas, all coded and customized by them.
These aren't just extensions, they're opportunities. Opportunities to explore embedded systems. Opportunities to learn AI. Opportunities to write code that controls the real world.
👉 Explore our Arduino Add-On and Raspberry Pi Add-On today, and give your students the tools to build smarter, code deeper, and ride further.
Let’s code the future, together.
