Mini Crane

From busy shipping ports to towering construction sites, cranes are the giants that keep the modern world moving. They lift massive containers, sort materials, and place heavy loads with precision that humans alone could never achieve.

In this project, students will design and build an autonomous Mini Crane using LEGO SPIKE Prime and the Expansion Set, then program it to solve two realistic industrial challenges: managing cargo at a port and organizing materials on a construction site.

Students will learn how real automation systems work by combining mechanical design, sensors, and programming logic. They will write programs that control movement, lifting, sorting, and decision-making — just like real crane control systems used in industry.

This project contains enough content and activities for up to 3 lessons. The course includes:

• One lesson focused on building and understanding the crane mechanism

• Two lessons focused on programming real-world automation tasks

• A performance-based challenge system where students optimize speed, accuracy, and reliability

Program: Word Blocks and Python
Materials: LEGO SPIKE Prime Core Set + Expansion Set