mBot makeblock

My new toy educational robot kit

Last month in my post entitled 'Skills for the future', I wrote about learning EjsS last year and I won myself a S$100 ToyTag gift card when my entry got featured in PSD's Challenge publication. With that voucher, I topped up some money and got myself a Makeblock mBot V1.1 Kit STEM Educational Programmable Robot (Bluetooth Version) at a promotional price online as I have always wanted to pick up making/robotics related skills. I went to their physical store to collect my purchase at the APEX building at Henderson. The place was quite neat and I was tempted to get other things to 'play' and tinker with.

TOYTAG Hub

Luckily, I controlled myself and only brought home one box. I spent about an hour assembling my mBot and had fun along the way. There were quite a number of parts which required some 'making' as I needed to screw some parts together and even taping a velcro fastener to the battery park and the chassis. So perhaps this toy may not be for unsupervised children.

mCore main control board

sensors that came with the set

My beautiful work in progress (IKEA effect?)

The sensors and the mCore were the main electronic parts which intrigued me. They were the components that made the mBot what it was and enabled it to do whatever it was marketed to be capable of as seen in the video above. 

'Autonomous' mBot with a line sensor

Apparently, the line following sensor would guide the mBot I built to follow the '8' road print-out (which came together in the box) at the press of a button. Also, I downloaded the 'Makeblock' app which allowed me to control my mBot using bluetooth. It was definitely not easy to control as the touchscreen interface was sensitive and definitely different from physical touchpads or controllers (like in RC cars).

the app interface

mBots could be coded using block programming like Scratch

Next up on my agenda is to learn how to code and programme the mBot online to be able to move on its own at launch or even through specifically set gestures or signals. I will update again on this aspect of my makers exploration especially since I am learning to use Micro:bits and Microsoft's Makecode too.

Future expansion pack considerations