Marty The Robot Can Have A Dance Party With Your Kids While Teaching STEM Skills
Also, it dances!
If there’s one thing we know from sci-fi movies, it’s that robots will eventually take over the world (and steal old people’s medicine for fuel). The only way to stop their global domination is to know enough about how they operate to destroy them. Fortunately, Marty has been sent from the present to teach your kids the basics of robotics.
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Part toy, part DIY STEM project, Marty the Robot is a walking mini-bot that your young Anakin Skywalker can build from a kit. Depending on their age, they’ll pick up all kinds of science-y stuff about electronics, mechanics, and the basics of computer programming using languages like Scratch and Python. The kit includes 36 parts (motors, sensors, and a control board) and requires no tools or soldering to complete. Once you throw the giant lever and scream, “It’s alive,” Marty can be controlled via Wi-Fi using a smartphone app. But, where he really stands apart from the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em, R2D2s, or even BB-8’s of the world is his ability to walk. There’s a literal spring in Marty’s step, as he used two coils to support his weight, and three motors to move forward, backward, and side-to-side. That means your kid can walk with him, practice soccer dribbling, and even have a dance off. (What are the odds his best move is the robot?)
When playtime is over, Marty The Robot can stay interesting for adults. Makers of all skill levels can tinker with his open source design, customizing 3D-printed parts to stick on him, and upgrading features like a camera or single-board computer. That way you can teach him to do even cooler stuff with some of the user-created apps available in the online store. Hey, have you thought about world domination?
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