Robot Toys Hub

Our pick of the best robots that can be controlled and programmed from your phone - or have a life of their own - from Sphero to Anki Cozmo and Vector Smart robotic toys come in a wide range of forms - from fun-but-dumb units that are essentially remote-control cars in robot shape, to phone/tablet-connected models that help you learn to code yourself, or to inspire your kids. You also get robots that you can communicate with using your voice rather than a device. If you're interested in coding, a phone-connected robot is one of the best tools for getting started because it lets you connect your first programs with something in the physical world and build tactile games along the way. Plus, robots are cool. You don’t need any coding knowledge to play with the robots in our round-up, but with a little know-how you can make them do specific things. We also have a guide to the best coding games for kids if you're looking for more ways to introduce coding to your kid. So whether yo...

 Boris Sofman taps his phone, and the robot on the conference room table in front of him wakes up. Not in that gadget-y way, like when a laptop screen turns on, though. The robot slowly raises its head and opens one eye, then the other, as if the light of the world is just too much. Sofman, CEO of robotics company Anki, chuckles as the it shakes off the rust of sleep and ambles off its charging cradle. After circling the table a moment, it drives quickly to the edge. It only pauses once it's driven halfway off. I instinctively put my hand out to catch it, but a split second later, the robot looks down, and its blue OLED eyes go wide. Sofman smiles. The robot yelps in a tiny robot voice, flails its single, u-shaped arm in terror, quickly reverses its bulldozer-style tracks, and backs away. Three years ago, Sofman took the stage at Apple's WWDC keynote and demonstrated Anki Drive, a set of artificially-intelligent race cars. That was Anki's first product. Cozmo is its second...

Cubetto, a robot created by Primo Toys, is a cube-shaped robot that is programmed by adding shapes to a control board. This description is from their web site: “Meet Cubetto: the friendly wooden robot toy for kids aged 3-7, chosen by 20000 parents & teachers to guide kids on coding adventures without screens.“ realistic robot dog https://www.robottoyonline.com/realistic-robot-dog-risk-free-pet-therapy Having discovered Cubetto from another educator on Twitter, I started researching it and decided this would be an excellent tool for teaching the basics of coding to our younger students. I shared the information with our Chief Technology Officer and our Middle and Upper School programming instructors who were equally excited. Our CTO even found some extra funds to purchase one! A couple days later, Cubetto was introduced to our Kinder students. As you can see, the mats are small. There is no way you can fit an entire class around one so I asked the teachers to split their class into...

Nintendo's cardboard Labo system sounded crazy at first, using craft supplies to make toys that work with the Switch's Joy-Con controllers. The Labo Variety Kit impressed us greatly, showing just how clever Nintendo can be when it's at its best, and offering loads of opportunity for kids to experiment and learn about engineering and programming. The Variety Kit was launched alongside another Labo product, the Robot Kit. Unlike the Variety Kit, the $79.99 Robot Kit doesn't walk you through building a selection of Toy-Cons with different game modes. Instead, it focuses on a single cardboard robot suit, and builds on it. However, at $10 more than the Variety Kit, the Labo Robot Kit ultimately feels a lot less substantial. Check this website Building a Robot The Labo Robot Kit includes a game card with the Labo Robot software and a box full of all of the cardboard, cords, straps, and tape you need to build the robot suit Toy-Con. To get building, you need to load the Labo...

If you’re in the midst of frantically searching for the perfect toy for your child (or niece, or nephew, or friend’s kid, or…well, you get the picture) you can breathe a sigh of relief, because this is where you’ll find it. The gift that will not only get gasps of excitement when opening, but one that won’t be relegated to the bottom of a deep, dark storage bin. Here is the Sydney's article on Ozobot Evo vs Bit In case you’re not familiar with our guides, we work year‐round testing toys with kids of all ages and stages, and feature only the ones that repeatedly knock their socks off. We arrange these gems in our different guides based on a child’s interests because we asked parents how they typically shop, and the overwhelming response was that they search for what their child is currently obsessing over – you know, that one “category” they just can’t get enough of. This guide is one of our favorites, and covers all the best building toys on the market. If your child is one that l...

One handy construction tip that I learned was a quick and dirty, yet efficient way to mount a wheel on a motor shaft. The way that I found to be most effective for my robot was to use tubing that is used for RC car fuel lines and model airplane wheels. The diameter of the tubing was smaller than that of the shaft, but the tubing can expand, allowing it to fit snuggly onto the motor shaft. The tubing also expanded enough that it would fit snuggly inside of the hole for the airplane model wheels. The most useful parts for my robot were the chopsticks that I attached to the switches on the front and back of the robot. The chopsticks allowed the robot to run into an obstacle at a place different than the switch and still reverse directions. I got the chopsticks at Leann Chin and they were free. How to identify between Ozobot Evo vs Bit Use a cam to smoothly depress and release a button with one revolution of a motor. I found two cordless screwdrivers at Sears for $6.49 each. They are real...