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The Teacher of Tomorrow Is a Cute Car-Like Robot by the Name of Indi

Kids can now get into robotics as early as pre-kindergarten (PK) with Sphero indi, a cute learning robot that looks like it was inspired by the “Cars” animation.
Sphero indi robot 14 photos
Photo: Sphero
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The gizmo is the creation of Sphero, a Colorado-based toy, and consumer robotics company. The bot fits in your palm, has four wheels and is screenless, which might be good news given how easy it is for kids nowadays to get hooked on smartphones and tablets.

Indi is an educational robot developed for early learners (PK to 2nd grade) and is great for developing problem-solving skills, creativity, critical thinking, and even basic programming skills.

There is an app available for indi but it is not necessary for the robot to work. Indi has an onboard color sensor and works by placing color tiles with specific actions on them that tell it what to do: slow down, turn left or right, go faster, and so on. The robot can navigate through an entire room or classroom according to the indications of the child and executes the tasks it needs to, depending on how it’s programmed.

The Sphero Edu Jr app we mentioned above allows children who are a bit older and more experimented to further program the cute robot, using drag-and-drop blocks that allow indi to perform more complex tasks. The app is compatible with most Android and iOS devices.

Indi is great for teaching your kid pattern recognition, understand the cause-and-effect concept, solve puzzles, build custom mazes and so much more.

The cute bot gets charged via USB, comes with Bluetooth connectivity, an onboard speaker, and LED lights.

Each Sphero indi package includes 20 silicone color tiles, 15 beginner’s programming challenge cards, and decorative sticker sheets for kids to be able to customize the robot to their liking. One such educational kit is priced at $125 and you can already preorder it. The estimated delivery time is September 2021.

Teachers who want to use Sphero indi in school or kindergarten can preorder the Robot Class Pack, which is priced at $1,200 and includes eight bots along with all their accessories.

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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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