Dexter Industries’ GoPiGo build-your-own robotics kits are top of the line. They are powered by a Raspberry Pi and come in wide ranges of sizes to fit all needs and accommodate various classroom setups. The Base Kit is the smallest of the kits, but perfect for any students who have used a Raspberry Pi, whereas the Starter Kit is designed for those who want to purchase the Raspberry Pi along with the kit.
The robot is fun to build, easy to connect to Wi-Fi, and is supplemented by tutorials, projects, and lessons that can be found online and support both educators and students from start to finish. Add in a little engineering, creativity, and a focus on bolstering programming skills, and students will be building and coding their own robot right away!
GoPiGo is the perfect introduction to both robotics and programming for students who haven't had much experience with either and has been used in all grade levels, from PK-12, into college, and even grad schools! Its versatility is unmatched since it is able to be programmed in Bloxter—Dexter Industries’ very own drag-and-drop graphical programming language for beginners—and Python, a text-based programming language for more advanced students to use. No matter which software they decide on, students will learn valuable skills as they create the code used for controlling their GoPiGo and its sensors.
Step-by-step tutorials and sample programs are available online for both languages. Teachers and students can easily access all resources and even the programming environments through the web, making getting started a breeze with no installation or downloading necessary. We have found that being able to simply access the software through the web is ideal in a classroom setting.
In the Base Kit, there is the GoPiGo board, chassis, wheels, motors, encoders, and a battery pack. If any educators wanted to add more components to their GoPiGo activities, Dexter offers exciting add-ons, including various sensors, servos, a camera, and LEDs to expand the GoPiGo experience. Assembly can take up to an hour, depending on the skill level of the student and the pieces are durable and enhanced for classroom use (and misuse!).
The motors have built-in encoders, providing a straight drive every time and the power management of the robot is also optimized for a longer battery life. The overall experience with the GoPiGo is one of exploration, precision, and excitement as it is clearly designed as a tool to introduce robotics to students.
As we mentioned before, the various kit sizes fit all needs. Whether teachers are looking for one kit, a group kit, or a kit big enough for the whole class, Dexter Industries has built it and we've made it available on our store. Besides the Base Kit, there is the Beginner and Advanced versions of the Starter Kit and Beginner and Advanced versions of the Classroom Kit.
The GoBoxEd Kit is unique in that it is a complete curriculum package of 12 “missions” that use Bloxter and nine different sensors with the GoPiGo for up to 40 students. Lastly, the Robotic Coding Class Package contains everything teachers could possibly need to introduce robotics and coding in their classrooms, including 10 robot kits, spare parts, storage containers, curricula, projects, a getting started guide, and rechargeable batteries.
Ready to help students take their hands-on Raspberry Pi knowledge to the next level? To purchase GoPiGo for your makerspace, classroom, or home, visit the Eduporium store. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more, check out other cool robotics tools in our store, and you might as well like us on Facebook, too!
