Level 6 · Inventor's Lab

Mission 542

Grow-Bot Race: Sugar Cane vs Bamboo

Badge: Grow-bot Boss

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Build observer-and-piston farms for cane and bamboo, then race them.

Two robot farms. Ten minutes. One trophy. Sugar cane versus bamboo: which grow-bot out-harvests the other?

  • New skill Observer and piston harvesters
  • Level 6 · Inventor's Lab
  • Difficulty Intermediate
  • Mode Creative
  • Time 45–60 min
  • Ages 13+

What you’ll build

Build two robot farms side by side: one for sugar cane and one for bamboo. Observers watch each plant and fire a piston the moment it grows tall, and catchers collect the drops. Then run a fair, timed race to see which grow-bot wins.

Finish line: Your two grow-bots have raced for 10 minutes, and you know which one wins and how much each catches.

Bonus challenge: Run a rematch with 10 plants each. Does the winner change? Does doubling the plants double the haul?

You’ll need

  • Observers
  • Pistons
  • Sugar cane and bamboo
  • Sand, dirt and water
  • Hoppers and chests
  • A timer

You choose

  • Cane bot's name
  • Bamboo bot's name
  • My bet for the winner

Stuck?

  • Sugar cane won't grow? It needs water right next to the sand it's planted on.
  • Piston not firing? The observer's face must look at the growing spot; its back powers the piston.
  • Some drops will scatter. Glass walls and a water stream help catch more.

For grown-ups

Get this mission

This mission is in Mission Pack 54. Each printable has the full steps, a Plan & Log page and a parent page.

Print one mission at a time. You never need to print everything.

Played on Minecraft Bedrock on iPad. Buttons can differ on other devices and versions.