Robotics Smart Machines: Tracks & Treads

Program and control 8 robots with your tablet or smartphone.

Robotics is a vast, thrilling, and sometimes overwhelming interdisciplinary field involving physics, engineering, and computer science. This kit gives kids a simple, fun, and customizable introduction to robotics that lets them build eight motorized machines controlled by programs and an ultrasound sensor. The models all make use of continuous tracks, also known as tank treads, to move themselves and other objects around. Kids code the programs using an easy, visual programming app on a tablet or smartphone, which connects to the robot models via a wireless Bluetooth connection.

Build a robot with two large continuous tracks that drives around and avoids obstacles in its path. After learning how the technology works, you can build and program your own robots using the kit’s 197 building pieces. A full-color, 60-page step-by-step illustrated manual helps kids assemble all of the models and teaches them about robotics in the real world. Digital assembly instructions are also available in a separate app for Android or iOS. In the programming app, the visual programming language allows you 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 iOS or Android.