Robotics Dev Kit for Kids

Background

If you read my other posts you'll know that I enjoy doing engineering projects with my kids. At home and at school they have played with some basic coding programs. My oldest son and daughter both expressed interest in programming as a hobby; my daughter is interested in astronomy, and my son is interested in robotics. They've played with scratch at school and dabbled in code academy. They have both lamented that the step between the kid programming games and real programming is too big and wish they had better stepping stones.

In a totally separate channel, I was riding on the train and thinking about introducing children to technology in ways that will KEEP them interested and engaged as they continue to grow.

From these two thoughts I wished that there was a robotics kit geared for kids that would provide a fun way to learn the basics of programming, but also incrementally unwrap the graphical programming methods to help them learn the underlying code structures.

The Idea

A robotics kit for kids with modular, easily connectable components and a coding interface that provides varying levels of difficulty.

Regarding the connectable components, I think Lego Power Functions is a perfect example of electronics that have pre-defined functions and can be built however you want right out of the box. They just work and don't take tons of soldering or programming to make something work. But Power Functions fall short when it comes to altering the behavior of the modular components. I think this is an essential part of programming robotics.

You might think that Lego Mindstorms is the answer. When I first had this idea, the answer was a definite NO. In my opinion the programming interface had a high learning-curve for younger kids. I think it is much better now, but the next strike against Mindstorms is the price point. I just think the $200-$400 price point for a single kit is too high of an entry point for most families who want to pursue this as a hobby, and whose kids may end up being not so interested.

As far as the programming interface, I really like the approach taken by the Scratch team. My kids have used it for silly projects and found it enjoyable. But they never learned how to dig into the code that underlies the little building blocks. So this robotics dev kit would provide that functionality to let them learn progressively more involved coding while learning how to control different properties of motors and sensors.

Progress

Has it Been Done Before?

Let me just say that we live in an amazing time in history. I love that people like me can have ideas,  share them publicly, and get the support from their peers to release a product to market, nearly risk free. And there are so many smart people who recognize a need and are willing to take various approaches to provide a solution.

There are some great options out there now that I would consider buying. If you combined the best features of the three below kits then you would obtain my ideal product!

1) Root Robotics

What is it?

• A pre-built robot with controllable behaviors and a programming interface with increment difficulty.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Fun
• Three levels of programming difficulty
• Teaches real programming
• Multiple programming languages
• Good for educators

Cons

• Limited ability to customize hardware
• Best used on a large whiteboard

2) Mabot

What is it?

• A plug-and-play, programmable robot.

Pros

• Modular components can be hot-swapped
• Plug and play
• Simple programming interface
• Compatible with Legos
• Expandable
• Good for young kids

Cons

• Full functionality requires a tablet
• Proprietary, limited programming interface

3) ROKit Smart

What is it?

• A robotics kit based on the Arduino development board.

Pros

• Standard electronics platform means nearly limitless expansion potential
• Teaches full-fledged robotics programming on Arduino
• Online lessons provide varying difficulty and project examples
• Good for older youth

Cons

• Programming interface requires installation and configuration
• No graphical programming for younger audience
• Not plug-and-play. Requires advanced ability to read and follow directions or an experienced teacher.