Lesson 6 - AI Exploration: Self-Learning Mode
In this lesson, students learn how the AI camera "sees" and how to teach it a new object.
I can explain what the camera’s green and white indicator lights tell me.
I can teach the AI camera a new object using the buttons.
I can build a program that shows a pattern when the camera recognizes the object I taught it.
1. Engage: Can the Camera Learn Something New?
We have used the AI camera to detect faces (Lesson 2) and to detect movement (Lesson 4). Those abilities came built in. But what if we want it to recognize an object it was never designed for — like a picture card of an apple?
Key Question
How can we teach the AI camera to recognize an object that no one programmed it to know?
The AI camera's self-learning mode can learn a series of objects from examples and then recognize them.
2. Explore: What Can the Camera “See”?
Activity 1
Make the hardware connection:
Press the mode button to switch the camera to self-learning mode.
Watch the green indicator light. It turns on when the camera sees something in front of it—but the camera still doesn’t know what that object is.
• Build a card stand and choose a good position so that every card can be held steadily and fully in view of the camera.
• Here is a sample you can refer to:
Key Question
What does the green light tell you? Does it mean the camera knows what the object is?
The green light only means the camera sees an object. It does not mean the camera knows what it is—it has not learned it yet.
3. Engineer: Teach the Camera and Show Its Result
How does the AI camera learn?
1. Put a card into the card stand in front of the camera (green light on — it sees it).
2. Press the learn button.
3. Watch the white indicator light:
| White light | What is happening |
| Slow blink | The camera is learning the object |
| Fast blink | Learning is finished |
| Solid on | The camera recognizes a learned object |
4. Show the learned card again — the white light stays on (solid). Show an untaught card — the white light stays off.
4. Experience & Challenge: Find the Card
Experience: The “Find My Card” farm game
Students practice what was demonstrated, then play a game—finding a farm product card among many.
Activity 2
• 1. Teach the camera one card: press the learn button until the white light fast-blinks.
• 2. Mix that card into a pile of other cards.
• 3. Other groups take turns testing cards—the first group to find the learned card wins.
Teacher Note: Guide students to learn only one card—that means there is only one correct answer. If they accidentally learn more than one card, switch the mode to forget the learned cards, then start learning again.
Challenge: A Different Apple
The camera learned one apple card. Can it recognize other apples—a cartoon apple card, a photo, or a real apple?
Activity 3
• Ask students to prepare a clean model: switch the mode to forget the learned cards, then teach the camera only the apple card.
• Students cut out and fold the apple cards, then record which ones the camera recognizes.
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5. See More: feature extraction
Key Question
It only learned the apple card. Why can it sometimes recognize a different apple?
It doesn't memorize—it extracts features.
The camera learned the pattern of an apple, so a similar apple can be recognized. But if the new apple looks very different, or the angle is very different, it may not recognize it. Trying more examples during learning makes it better.
Next lesson: Lesson 7
Lesson 6.zip 
