Leading robotics and STEM-based learning edtech startup Sphero has released new Sphero Mini Activity Kit – the tiny, wildly popular app-enabled robotic ball – bringing fun coding education to the living room for early learners across the world.
Founded in 2010, the Colorado-based edtech startup has been inspiring the creators and inventors of tomorrow through creative learning and play and has become the number one robot in education, available in 40,000+ institutions globally.
The Sphero Mini Activity Kit combines miniature accessories with step-by-step STEM-inspired challenges and games to encourage kids to start, grow and graduate through play and learning. It has everything kids need to get rolling, coding, and playing within minutes. Ideal for early learners, the kit includes an exclusive clear Sphero Mini app-enabled robotic ball and cover, a 28-piece construction set, 6 pins, 3 cones, and 15 Activity Cards with guided instruction for hours of play.
Speaking about the newly released Mini Activity Kit and the work that Sphero has been doing, Paul Berberian, the company’s CEO, said,
“Mini Activity Kit takes our popular Mini robot a step further by offering an affordable at-home learning experience that mirrors guided lessons taught in schools. We wanted to give kids and their parents even more tools to create, explore and invent. Sphero has always been about helping kids go beyond code to unlock their creative potential.”
Packed with teeny tiny tech, the Mini robot has a gyroscope, accelerometer, LED lights, and a rechargeable battery with 45 minutes of playtime.
A variety of mini games, different drive modes, and the ability to change the LED light colors are all available through the Sphero Play app. New learners can also explore the Sphero Play app’s latest feature – Block Drive, which will be available after September 16. This coding-based driving mode provides a friendly introduction to basic robot coding, perfect for beginners. Movement Blocks tell your robot which direction to roll, while Light Blocks add playful, colorful LED effects.
What is even more interesting is advanced users can graduate to the Sphero Edu app, which empowers them to program the Mini and begin to learn coding skills. Learners start with drawing paths, transition into basic scratch blocks, and eventually have the ability to write their own JavaScript text programs using actions, controls, operators and more.
Meanwhile, Sphero Mini Activity Kit will be available for purchase on sphero.com and through select global retailers beginning October 2, 2019 for $79.99. But before it reaches you, you take a watch the introductory video of the kit below.
In 2015, Sphero joined the Disney accelerator program which drove the creation of innovative robots for Marvel, Pixar, and a little franchise called ‘Star Wars’. The company said that the worldwide recognition they gained from working with Disney has allowed them to focus on the lasting impact that its products have on their users.
