boy and his bot.
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My son is obsessed with robots and programming. It has been well over a year since I could understand what he was learning through coding programs. He dreams of one day creating video games, while building fun robots on the side.

I often marvel at how tech obsessed he is. I almost prevented this love completely, or at least made it a lot less joyful. For the first few years of his life, I was very anti-tech. My kids screen time was extremely limited. I stressed every time they saw an adult looking at their phone. I worried about the internets influence over my sweet impressionable kids.

Then, I discovered radical unschooling, and its philosophy about screens, and technology. Slowly I began allowing my kids more and more exposure to tv, video games, tech toys, and the internet. I watched as my oldest child used these things as a way to answer questions, or pass down-time. She didnt become the screen-obsessed zombie that I feared. My boy immersed himself in gaming life. He watched other people play games online, and played video games on every console he could get his hands on. When he discovered robots and coding, it was as if a whole new world opened up for him.

Learning how robots work, and coding actions on the ipad are his happy place. For Christmas we gave him this build-your-own robot. Im not quite sure how it is built, works, or is given commands. But, I can see that he loves it, and is already learning a lot.

Who knows where this love will take him. Maybe someday his robots will be under another kids Christmas tree. Maybe hell find something completely unrelated to fulfill him. The great thing about this unschooling life is that I get to sit back, enjoy, and trust the process. Watching where his interests take him is worth pushing through all of my earlier fears about screen time.

#skooliefamily #skooliekids #robotics #embracetech#allhailourrobotoverlords #screentime #radicalunschooling#unschooling #homeschooling #trustkids#curiosityledlearning #selfledlearning #learnaswego #coding#playingislearning #playallday #tinyhouse #tinyhousefamily#mbotranger #makeblock #skooliehome #buslife#busconversion @makeblock

stayhome & code-a-robot with banana mouse

Great gift for the Lego and Techy geeks kiddos out there.
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018
Gave this to my son for his 13th birthday. He loved putting it together. It was easy for him to work with the app that came with it. He ended up taking the treads off the wheels because it bogged the robot down so badly that it didn't move at all. He's not tried too much of the programming, just used the preset programs in the app, but summer isn't over yet!I would definitely recommend this for any kid that like to build using Lego's and such. It is also good for the computer players because of the programming component. I suggest having some basic tools near by in case you need them. For example my son broke the hex tool that came with it and had to find one of the screwdriver heads with the hex size he needed to make it work. Nothing major! My son was able to build it mostly on his own with only a little guidance here and there so it isn't that difficult. I would say any 9+ child could build and operate on their own. Any younger will need a little parent help but can mostly do it themselves I would think.

I chose this kit for my robotics classes for 10-13 year-olds because kids thought the Ranger was pretty cool and the kit can be programmed in both Arduino C and Scratch. The graphical programming environment is very easy for kids to grasp and charge ahead in. The ability to interact with the robot using the LIVE mode permits running your program and debugging it on the actual hardware. This seems to be very unique to the Makeblock robots and I found it highly appealing and useful for instruction. The kits are pretty easy to assemble though my younger students needed adult assistance to get their kit assembled correctly to work. This is especially important with the Nervous Bird two-wheeled balancer. Overall, I think these kits are a good value for the money and offer great learning experiences for children and are pretty easy to use to teach robotics.

Perfect!

The mbot ranger is a robot kit that just worked for me without any issues, and lets not forget the fun of building something yourself is so satisfying.

Makeblock 3 in 1 mBot Ranger Robot Kit is a three-in-one STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Educational robot kit which offers the ability to create a Robot Tank, Three-Wheeled Racing Car and a Self-Balance Car.

Review of the Makeblock DIY mBot Ranger Transformable STEM Educational Robot Kit - 3-in-1 Robot Kit (mBot Ranger, Off-Road Land Raider, Dashing Raptor, the Predator, Self-Balance Nervous Bird) - Arduino - Scratch 2.0 - Learn Coding, Robotics, Electronics and Have Fun.

The adventurous robot "mBot Ranger" that can overcome difficulties and avoid obstacles is in our story!???? Click the Show Products button to review now!
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The book "Innovation Through Arduino" written by six authors who are lecturers at the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia provides exposure on smart technology based on microcontroller chips through the Arduino board. The sections in this book discuss in detail the development of the Arduino board, the electronic and mechanical components and an introduction to programming. In addition to information about Arduino boards and Arduino IDE programming, the author also shows a variety of practical exercises through simple step-by-step explanations and instructions. This can indirectly help readers to understand and apply important concepts in Arduino IDE programming. Innovation Through Arduino is a must have because this book: * Reveals in detail the development of the Arduino board. * Introducing one by one the electronic and mechanical components that need to be used. * Explains example programs as well as errors that may occur in the program.