Lego-like bot teaches kids the basics of programming

Know a young tinkerer interested in building their own robotic creations? Or perhaps they’re the perfect excuse for you to create your own colorful bot out of Lego-like cubes. Robo Wunderkind, which translates to “wonder child” in German, is a modular toy that lets even the youngest minds design and program their own little gadget.

By now you must have heard about do-it-yourself robotic building kits, but what sets Robo Wunderkind apart from its programmable modular robot competition is the simplicity of it all. Although Lego has a similar product, Mindstorms, that allows you to build over a dozen different machines, it’s aimed at children ages 10 and older. Robo Wunderkind promises to slash that age requirement in half while offering more functionality, using uniformly-shaped blocks and a simple visual interface on the software side. 

Robo Wunderkind robots are fun to create and program. Image source: Robo Wunderkind.

Each being about three inches in size, colorful “smart cubes” as they’re called, can embed gadgets such as cameras, proximity sensors, and laser pointers. The cubes are connected wirelessly and allow children to build robots in a variety of shapes and sizes. Also included are different sets of wheels to help robots move, along with Lego adapters to further customize the robot’s function and looks.

Once the robot is built, children can use an iOS or Android tablet to program it via a visual, highly intuitive interface. Of course, actions depend on the type of blocks used during creation, but include driving around obstacles, recording and playing voice messages, relaying the weather forecast, and solving mazes. 

Once the robot is built, children can use an iOS or Android tablet to program it via a visual, highly intuitive interface. Image source: Robo Wunderkind.

Better yet, these bots are compatible with MIT’s Scratch, a simple programming language recommended for ages eight and up, that allows children to expand their robots’ functionality even further. Also available is an API for more experienced programmers.

In order to bring Robo Wunderkind to production, the startup team behind the product has launched a Kickstarter campaign. A basic kit for a pledge of $149 includes a servo, proximity sensor, wheels, connectors, and Lego adapters. A $249 pledge adds an LED display, light sensor, and meteo sensors. A pledge of $499 includes an extra infrared sensor, laser pointer, camera, accelerometer, and an e-ink display.

If all goes according to plan, the kits will be delivered by July 2016. 

Source: Robo Wunderkind