It performs exactly the same way on tile, heavy carpet, outdoors, or on an incline. But, what does this mean, especially for educators who may be teaching STEM virtually? Well, when students program the RVR to move one foot forward, for example, it will move exactly one foot forward. Unlike other similar robotics solutions, the RVR moves in absolute distance. Along with the option to integrate third-party technologies, one of the RVR’s key selling points is this precision. The Sphero RVR sensors work with its accelerometers to allow the robot to stop, start, and turn on a dime. It also features a removable battery that provides up to two hours of use. They're positioned around its chassis so that it can react to its environment. If you haven’t shopped with the company before, you can get $20 off your first order using the code NEW20.The RVR has an array of gyroscopic, ultrasonic, color, light, magnetic, and IR sensors. SPRK+ is available to buy from Wellbots in the US for $129.99 with free shipping. My six year old daughter loves it, and has already constructed a number of pretty advanced programs without help. At its most basic, you can just drive it around, scaring your cats and entertaining your dogs, but when you want to do more - either making use of someone else’s programs, or creating your own - it’s easy to do so. I’ve been using SPRK+ for quite some time, and it’s brilliant. Just hold that button down, and then move your finger around the circle that appears until the blue light is facing you. Before you start however, you’ll firstly need to use the Aim option to make sure the robot is facing in the right direction. Underneath the slider is a touchpad that you use to drive SPRK+. If you find controlling it at this speed too tricky, reducing it will make the ball more manageable. It can move at a maximum of 4MPH which is actually faster than you might expect. Underneath this is a slider which lets you adjust the speed that the robot rolls at. A color wheel at the top lets you change the LED color, as well as its brightness. The Activities section is for projects you’re working on (you need to sign in for this) and Drive is where you can directly control SPRK+. Drag an action to the canvas, and then stack up other blocks as required. Categories include Movement, Lights & Sounds, Controls, Operators, Comparators, Sensors, Events, Variables and Functions. You can also view featured programs, and community creations.Ĭreating a program from blocks is just a matter of perusing the action you want from the selection at the bottom. There are three program types - Draw (you draw a shape for the ball to follow), Blocks (you use visual blocks to construct your program) and Text (use the C-based language). Programs is where - unsurprisingly - you can program SPRK+ and access past creations. It’s the menu strip at the bottom that’s of most interest though. Settings is home to lots of useful information, and you can force a firmware update and enable interface sounds in the programming canvases from here too. ![]() Profile is where you sign up for a Sphero Edu Account so you can share programs and track activity. The app offers four options along the top - Feed, 3D Models, Profile, and Settings - and another four along the bottom - Home, Programs, Activities, and Drive.įeed contains a stream of new and recently posted programs, while 3D Models lets you explore inside Sphero and Ollie (the company’s other robot form). It employs Bluetooth for the connection, and has around a 30m range. ![]() Once it’s connected, the robot will light up and be ready to use. Available for iOS and Android, this is packed full of options, and connecting it to the SPRK+ is just a matter of selecting that particular robot from the list of options (which also includes Sphero 2.0, Sphero Mini, and BB-8) and tapping your phone against the ball. A full charge will give you around 60 minutes of play time.Īs well as SPRK+ itself and the charging base and USB cable, the box comes with some Maze Tape that you can put on the floor for the robot to follow, a cardboard protractor, and a selection of stickers.Įverything is controlled using the free Sphero Edu app. SPRK+ will light up and change color, and then the base will flash to show it’s charging. It includes a gyroscope, accelerometer, and programmable LED lights, with built-in freefall and collision detection, and all packaged inside a scratch resistant, waterproof shell.Ĭharging the SPRK+ is just a matter of connecting the base to a USB port and then dropping the ball on top of it. Like many Sphero products, the SPRK+ is a weighted ball with a motor inside that rolls in whatever direction you want it to.
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