I want to start robotics programming

[Insectoid]

C & C++ aren't machine code, they're just lower-level languages. They aren't really harder to learn, they just force you to pay attention to more stuff. You can use any language that has an Arduino compiler/interpreter/VM, which includes Basic, Java, Ruby, and even Node.js, but C or C++ have the best support and give the low-level control necessary to take full advantage of the microcontroller. Learning C forces you to learn a lot about the computer anyway, so it's a good idea to do so. It's really not as scary as some people like to pretend.