Sphero’s new mini robot kits hone your STEM and soccer skills

By Kelly Hodgkins September 6, 2019

Introducing Sphero Mini Soccer

Sphero knows how to make STEM programming fun, and the company’s latest robotics kits are no exception. Kids can find their STEM inspiration through sports using the new soccer-themed robotic kit, which contains a mini robotic ball that looks just like a soccer ball. Sphero also is releasing a comprehensive mini kit with a variety of miniatures that kids can use to create obstacle courses, games, and more. With price tags under $100, these two robotic kits are bound to be a hit among kids and parents alike.

Contents

Sphero Mini Soccer
Sphero Mini Activity Kit
Block Drive
Pricing and Availability

Recommended Videos

Sphero Mini Soccer

Sphero Mini Soccer

Sphero’s second mini kit, Sphero Mini soccer, is inspired by the sport of soccer. Included in the kit is Sphero mini robotic ball with a soccer-ball style shell and cones. Kids can use the Sphero Play and Edu app to program the ball to move around the cones or knock the cones down. The cones also can be arranged into a makeshift goal, and kids can fire the Sphero into the goal using Kick drive and other modes. Each kit includes a single robotic mini ball, eight cones, and a Micro USB cable to charge the Sphero ball.

Sphero Mini Activity Kit

Sphero Mini Activity Kit takes the company’s popular mini ball and bundles with a series of miniature accessories. The accessories allow kids to create obstacle courses with mazes, tunnels, and cones for the Sphero ball to traverse. The set also includes 15 activity cards to get kids started and an exclusive clear Sphero mini robotic ball with a rechargeable battery that delivers up to 45 minutes of use.

Kids can follow the step-by-step STEM projects that work with Sphero Play or Sphero Edu. Once they master the basics, kids can use Sphero to develop their coding skills further. They can expand their capabilities using Scratch blocks and then eventually Javascript to control how the mini-robot moves and responds to inputs.

Block Drive

Sphero also is adding a new Block Drive into its Play app on September 16. This new driving mode uses coding to control the movement of the Sphero robot. New movement blocks tell the robot which direction to roll, while light blocks allow kids to add colorful LED effects to their robot. Sphero’s Block Drive feature won’t be limited to the Soccer Mini and the Mini Activity Kit. The feature will be made available to all the robotic balls in Sphero’s lineup.

Pricing and Availability

The Sphero Mini Soccer kit will debut first, going on sale starting September 16 at Sphero.com and other select online retailers. It will cost $50 when it debuts. The Sphero mini activity kit will be available starting October 2 at Sphero.com and other online retailers. The mini kit will cost $80 when it goes on sale this fall.

Topics

Contributor

Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…

Outdoors

The best portable power stations

EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Emerging Tech

CES 2023: HD Hyundai’s Avikus is an A.I. for autonomous boat and marine navigation

Demonstration of NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

This content was produced in partnership with HD Hyundai.
Autonomous vehicle navigation technology is certainly nothing new and has been in the works for the better part of a decade at this point. But one of the most common forms we see and hear about is the type used to control steering in road-based vehicles. That's not the only place where technology can make a huge difference. Autonomous driving systems can offer incredible benefits to boats and marine vehicles, too, which is precisely why HD Hyundai has unveiled its Avikus AI technology -- for marine and watercraft vehicles.

More recently, HD Hyundai participated in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, to demo its NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system for recreational boats. The name mashes together the words "neuron" and "boat" and is quite fitting since the Avikus' A.I. navigation tech is a core component of the solution, it will handle self-recognition, real-time decisions, and controls when on the water. Of course, there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation solution, which we'll dive into below -- HD Hyundai will also be introducing more about the tech at CES 2023.

Computing

This AI cloned my voice using just three minutes of audio

acapela group voice cloning ad

There's a scene in Mission Impossible 3 that you might recall. In it, our hero Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) tackles the movie's villain, holds him at gunpoint, and forces him to read a bizarre series of sentences aloud.

"The pleasure of Busby's company is what I most enjoy," he reluctantly reads. "He put a tack on Miss Yancy's chair, and she called him a horrible boy. At the end of the month, he was flinging two kittens across the width of the room ..."