The maker of programmable robots and STEAM-based educational tools, Sphero has an ecosystem of tools and content that gives kids, teachers, and parents to learn about coding and STEM or STEAM learning.
September 18, 2020
Sphero Inc., a Boulder-based robotics company, aims to give young students their best shot at learning though a mini golf robot. The educational toys making company has announced that it has added Sphero Mini Golf to its Mini Sports collection, a programmable robot geared toward at-home and classroom learning.
The Sphero Mini Golf has a wide-range of capabilities, there is a robot which is a round ball with a removable shell that looks like a golf ball with colorful LED lights. But instead of hitting it with a golf club, it is controlled through drive modes. On using the Sphero Play app, users can control the ball with a virtual joystick, a virtual “slingshot” or tilting a device. Do-it-yourself golf courses built with at-home objects can be navigated through a coded path in the Sphero Edu app which has guided STEAM activities and lessons.
Amanda Vaden, integrated communications manager for Sphero says “What we really liked about this product, especially today, is that it is inspiring kids to go out and create their own golf courses.”
The golf ball robot can also be used as a controller for the Sphero Play app, which is available on the Apple store, Google Play store and Kindle store. By moving and rotating the ball by hand, users can play different video games, including car racing or a game similar to the classic-arcade game “Asteroids.”
Vaden said that Sphero’s mission is to prepare “the creators of tomorrow,” as careers in science and technology are lucrative and growing. Also, the STEM, or STEAM, education is “future-proofing kids to be ready for the careers of tomorrow” and the STEM learning also helps grow social skills in “the Four Cs,” – that stands for critical thinking, creative thinking, communicating and collaborating.
