When we were young, the most advanced robot toy around was R.O.B., the NES accessory. How times change. Not only does Vortex look a lot of fun, it’s also educational.
That’s because it’s programmable, so kids will learn a thing or two about coding.
It’s open source, and is compatible with Arduino and Scratch, making it highly tinkerable.
If you don’t want to tinker with it, you don’t have to. Just pair it to your Android or iOS device over Bluetooth, and you can move it around by tapping the screen. It features four pre-installed games: Bumping Fight (like a sumo match), Virtual Golf, Driving and Robot Soccer. You can compete against the AI, or take on a pal.
It finds its way using infrared sensors, and is equipped with speakers, so can make sounds and speak to you.
Read more: Hackaball is a programmable ball that teaches kids how to code
Anything that gets kids coding gets our vote. Like Bitsbox and Hackaball, Vortex looks like it combines learning with having fun, which has got to be a good thing. It’s passed its funding goal, and will ship in October. You can snap one up for a very reasonable £45.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.