Makeblock Codey Rocky Coding Robot
Detachable controller with a screenBlock coding and PythonMakeblock says ages 6+
Where to buy
Australian store · we earn a commissionIs it right for your child?
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Description
Codey Rocky is two things clipped together: Codey is the controller with the screen and the sensors, Rocky is the wheeled base it rides on. Pull Codey off and it works on its own as a handheld gadget. That trick is the reason this one holds a younger child’s attention better than a robot that only drives around.
- LED matrix and speaker: It has a face and a voice, which matters more to a seven-year-old than sensor counts do.
- Block coding and Python: Same mBlock software as the mBot2, so the step up later is to a bigger robot rather than a new system.
- Sensors: Sound and light sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer, IR emitter and receiver, IR colour sensor, button and potentiometer. Makeblock’s list.
- 950mAh battery: Makeblock quote one to two hours of play from a 1.5 hour charge.
- ABS plastic, 500g: Lighter and friendlier than the aluminium mBot2.
- Makeblock list it for ages 6 and up: Their own comparison page is inconsistent on this, showing both 4+ and 6+. Six is the honest answer.
Worth knowing before you buy: one to two hours of battery is short if a child wants to play all afternoon, and the charge takes longer than the play. The other thing is that Codey Rocky is an older design than the mBot2, so it has no Wi-Fi and fewer sensors. That’s fine at this age and this price. If you want the robot to still be useful in high school, buy the mBot2 instead.