May 23, 2026

Math Puzzle: The lost robot

Guide the robot to the star. The robot may move either one or two cells at a time in whichever direction it is currently facing. It begins facing upward. If it ever stops on a cell containing an arrow, it automatically turns 90 degrees clockwise (staying in the arrow cell), and the next moves will be in its new direction until it lands on another arrow. If the robot passes over an arrow cell without stopping on it, then the arrow has no effect.

Graphic shows a six-by-six square grid. If the grid columns were labeled from left to right with letters A through F and the rows from top to bottom with numbers 1 through 6, icons would be placed as follows: robot in square B6; star in F1; arrow indicating a 90-degree clockwise turn in A2, A4, A5, A6, B3, B5, D1, D3, D5, D6, E1, E2, E4, F2 and F4.

The following sequence of steps will bring the robot to the star: Up two, up one, right two, down two, left one, left two, up two, up one, right two, right one, right two, down two, left one, up one, up two, right one.

Graphic shows the same six-by-six grid as above, overlaid with arrows and dotted lines indicating the robot’s route to the star.

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