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| iRobot Coding and Root education robot for STEM education |
About a year ago, iRobot acquired Root Robotics to help them with a major push for developing STEM education. It wasn’t just Root’s educational robot itself, but also their platform, which included software and lessons for helping kids learn how to code. Today, as part of the National Robotics Week in the United States that almost everyone seems to have forgotten about, iRobot is announcing iRobot Education—a combination of an online robot simulator along with lessons and activities that your kids (or you yourself) can use completely for free.
We’re already familiar with (and fans of) the Root coding robot, which is a great intro to coding and robotics but costs US $200. Root is likely a bit more practical for educational institutions (primary and secondary schools) that can afford to buy a handful of them to support several classrooms worth of kids, making it much more cost effective. But for individual students, or for kids who are, say, stuck at home during a pandemic and need to stay busy and/or educated, buying a robot like Root is a big investment. Fortunately, they can just do what every other roboticist does when they don’t have access to hardware: Start in simulation instead.
iRobot is launching a free (albeit proprietary) coding and simulation platform that’s compatible with most operating systems, including Android, Chrome OS (Chromebooks!), Windows, iOS, and macOS. Called iRobot Coding, it has a lot in common with coding frameworks like Blockly and Scratch, in that there are several levels of complexity to help make it super easy to start even if you’ve never coded before...
iRobot says that they’ve been working on this for a year, and it’s just a coincidence that they’re releasing it at a time when lots of parents are desperate to find ways of keeping their kids educated and entertained at the same time. With that in mind, they’ve made their premium lessons (the ones designed for teachers) free until June with the code “LEARN.” After June, access will be $5 per month.
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Source: IEEE Spectrum
