Fewer Steps to the Goal

On a grid you might reach the flag by going around the top or along the bottom. Both can work if there are no walls. The question is which uses fewer forwards and turns.

Count every forward and every turn as one step unless your teacher says otherwise. A plan with eight steps is longer than a plan with five, even if it looks prettier on paper.

In the robot lab, try two saved plans to the same flag. Run both and watch the step counter. The shorter successful plan wins.

A shortcut is not a diagonal cheat through a wall. It is a different open path that skips unnecessary detours. If the map shows a straight corridor, use it.

Sometimes a path looks shorter but needs extra turns. Three forwards in a row beats forward, turn, forward, turn, forward if both are safe.

Ask: did I walk past the goal and come back? That U-shape often means you can trim steps.

Choosing a shorter safe path is like picking the quickest walk between two classrooms without running through the flower bed.

Computers care about efficiency too. Delivery apps compare routes so drivers do not waste fuel. You are practising the same comparison on a tiny grid.

Next you will meet walls that force you to take a longer path on purpose. Shortest and safest both matter.