A few months ago, Sphero released a consumer robot called Spark, which is a rolling ball that can be controlled by a mobile app. Since its launch, the robot has been adopted as a teaching tool to teach kids programming and robotics in over 1000 schools across USA and Canada. Recently the company announced Spark’s second edition called Spark+. It has a tougher exterior so it can be handled by students without much wear and tear. It also comes with a more advanced version of Bluetooth so its easy for students to pair the robot to multiple devices in the classroom.
The robot works with the Lightning Lab mobile app which is designed to teach kids to learn coding through play by using the principles of gamification. It uses drag and drop nodes which allow kids to string together their own sequence of commands that the robot will execute. Astute students can also see textual version of the code to get a deeper insights into how computer programs work.
Spark+ is durable, easy to control and water resistant. Kids can program the robot to swim and even paint! Having something tactile to focus on holds the attention of students much better. Students for example, can program the robot to trace the trajectory of the planets in our solar system. This gives them hands-on learning experience and something to play with and have fun.
Learning to start coding with robots is a great help for students to overcome their initial barrier to entry and see that programs in action. This can open door for students to prepare for similar professions such as Game Development Courses. MAGES Institute of Excellence is one such game design institutes in Singapore which offers similar programs to help students learn technology for the creative industries.
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