Robotics: Smart Machines - Rovers & Vehicles

Robotics is a vast, thrilling, and sometimes overwhelming interdisciplinary field involving and interweaving physics, engineering, and computer science. This kit gives kids a simple, fun, and customizable introduction to robotics that lets them build and understand the science behind 8 motorized machines controlled by programs and an ultrasound sensor. Kids code the programs using a simple and intuitive visual programming app on a tablet or smartphone, which connects to the robot models via a wireless Bluetooth connection.

The ultrasonic sensor works on the same principle as sonar; it sends out sound waves, which bounce off of objects. The sensor proceeds to interpret the echoes returning to it, and from the data these transmit, it is able to detect objects in the path of the robot. Using the app interface, you can program the robots you build to behave in various ways based on the feedback coming from the ultrasound sensor.

Build a shy turtle robot that scoots around and quickly avoids obstacles in its path. The friendly rover bot model searches for your hand and, once detected, moves toward it and follows it faithfully around. Construct an awesome desert explorer robot with wheels on legs; first it drives around, but when it detects an object in its range, it begins to “walk” slowly toward it. Experiment with altering the program of your cute dancing robot so that the robot dances to the beat of your favorite song. Set up an obstacle course and watch the scout rover use its ultrasonic sensor to navigate deftly around the obstacles. A cool helicopter model spins its rotors and raises its landing gear when you lift it off the tabletop. You can also assemble other fun robots including a dozer bot complete with bulldozer blade and a scorpion robot with a deadly stinger tail. After you have learned how the technology works, you can use your newfound knowledge to build and program your own robots using the kit’s 233 building pieces.

A full-color, 64-page step-by-step illustrated manual helps kids assemble all of the models and teaches them about real-world robotic applications. The visual programming language gives you the freedom to command the robots’ motors to move at different times, different power levels, in different directions, and in response to the data from the sensor. Requires a tablet or smartphone running either iOS (iPhone 4S or later, iPad 3 or later, iPod 5 or later) or Android (Android 4.3 or later on a device with Bluetooth 4.0 support).

Features:

• Build 8 different motorized machines controlled by programs and an ultrasound sensor
• Delve into the fundamentals of physics, engineering, and computer science
• Code the programs using a simple and intuitive visual programming app on either a tablet or a smartphone
• The ultrasonic sensor works similarly to sonar and allows the robots to interact with objects and avoid obstacles
• Full-color 64-page step-by-step illustrated instruction guide helps kids build the models and understand the science