In our homeschool adventures, we have started learning about robots and robotics as a science subject. My son loves hands-on learning which is exactly why Edison: A Robot for Everyone is a perfect gift, toy, and educational material! Together, we are learning about robots, coding, and a number of other scientific principles playing with Edison.
About Edison
Why Edison?
Edison is a programmable robot designed to be a complete STEM teaching resource for coding and robotics education for students from 4 to 16 years of age.
True robotics education brought to life
The Edison robot is a powerful, engaging tool for teaching kids computational thinking and computer programming in a hands-on way. With more built-in sensors than any robot in its class as well as lights, sounds and autonomous behaviour capabilities, Edison makes true robotics education accessible to students of all ages.
Not just a remote-controlled robot, Edison can:
- Respond to light and sound
- Follow lines and avoid obstacles
- Communicate with other Edison robots
- Connect to other Edison robots and LEGO bricks
- And so much more!
Edison’s robotics capabilities can be unlocked with ease through simple barcode programs. Students can then progress their robotics, coding and STEM education journeys using Edison with three progressive programming languages.
Edison can also be used to build and invent as the programmable base for an incredible range of engineering and STEM projects thanks to Edison’s expandable robotics system which works with LEGO bricks.
My Review
I love it when toys can double as a learning experience, don’t you? This is so true with Edison because my son thinks he’s just having fun and learning how to make his robot take over the world (or at least do his chores) while I know he’s learning the basics of coding, robotics, and other important science theories.
At the most basic level, Edison is a four-wheeled robot that can respond to light and sound. Now, depending on the age or skill level of the child, they can also be taught how to follow lines, communicate with other Edison robots it meets, avoid obstacles, and even line tracking! All of these activities can be coded and used with the Edison unit, and the basic process is usually the same. Press the record button three times and Edison will drive forward to scan the pre-written barcode.
As both a Mom and a teacher, I love when companies share educational material with you, such as e-books, lesson plans, printables, etc. And Team Edison definitely came through as they offer multiple e-books for codes & programming, printable learning activity sheets, lesson plans with teaching information, and more. It’s all online, and most of it is in PDF format for you to reference on your computer or print out for class room use. You can see a complete list of the free resources here.
Now, when it comes to learning the basics of Edison coding, your students can choose from three different languages:EdBlocks (block-based coding), EdWare (hybrid-graphical programming), and EdPy (text-based programming in Python). Each requires a different knowledge base and I’d suggest starting right at the beginning for most students, even if they only have to use it a few times before advancing to the next type of programming language. These are available free and online right from the Edison website, and are great to launch in the classroom or at home!
We also have a spare parts pack, which includes a replacement piece for all of Edison’s removable parts (and then some). And we have wonderful news for our readers! If you enter ‘momdoesreviews10’ at checkout, 10% will be deducted from your order! This coupon code expires on December 25th, 2017.
It’s easy to see why Edison: A Robot for Everyone has been a huge hit for us! The Meet Edison team offers packages with multiple units at a lower price so you can buy one or thirty, depending on what you need!
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We’ve added Edison to our MEGA Christmas Gift Guide! Check it out here!
