ONLINE INSTRUCTIONS: Find your kit instructions on Science Buddies.
Real robotics, ready for your classroom.
This BlueBot 4-in-1 Robotics Classroom Kit gives student groups an authentic, hands-on introduction to robotics and computer science, letting them build four different robots, one at a time, each with radically different behaviors. Along the way, they explore problem-solving and the fundamentals of building circuits, powering motors, and reading sensor data. Ideal for middle school students, but also a great fit for late elementary or early high school.
Each group can build:
- Guard Bot: A robot that springs into action when an intruder arrives.
- Light-tracking Robot: A robot that follows a flashlight the way a cat might stalk a moving light.
- Line-following Robot: A robot that can follow a black line path.
- Obstacle-avoiding Robot: A robot that can find its way through a crowded room.
This classroom set includes five BlueBot kits, enough for five teams of four students--20 students total.
This kit doesn't require any coding. Step-by-step lesson plans guide students through the physical build and the circuit behind each sensor, giving them a hands-on look at how circuits and robots actually work. Components are intended for classroom use, eliminating the need for soldering or wire cutters, and parts are reusable across years.
Key Questions Students Explore:
- Guard Bot: How does a passive infrared (PIR) sensor detect motion, and how can that signal control a robot?
- Light-tracking Robot: How can light sensors be used to steer a robot towards a light source?
- Line-following Robot: How do infrared sensors let a robot automatically follow a dark line?
- Obstacle-avoiding Robot: How can bump sensors act like an animal's whiskers to help a robot sense and avoid obstacles?
The accompanying lesson plans make it easy to begin teaching robotics in the classroom, even without previous robotics experience. For example, the Line-Following BlueBot Lesson Plan (grades 6-8) is aligned to NGSS, guides teachers step-by-step through robot assembly, and explains how to use the included sensors. Comprehensive teacher tools, including videos and slideshows, support lesson prep and class time, with additional variations for customizing the plan.
These educational robots make a fun, hands-on conclusion to a unit on electricity, circuits, and the electromagnetic spectrum, or a standalone exploration of engineering and robotics. Pairing it with microcontrollers like Arduino (not included) lets this kit serve as the backbone for an entire course.
NOTE: This product may be ineligible for some promotions. Depending on the robot being built, students may need a few extra household items. Check the individual instructions for each robot's complete list.
BlueBot 4-in-1 Robotics Classroom Kit has supplies to make five robots. If students are organized into groups of four, this kit can work for 20 total students.
- 5 Robot chassis (includes wheels, two motors, and a 4xAA battery holder)
- 5 3xAA battery holder with leads
- 20 AA batteries
- 5 Breadboard
- 5 Jumper wire kit, 70 pieces of assorted colors and lengths
- 5 Male-female jumper wires, 30 pack, assorted colors
- 5 On/off switch
- 10 Diodes
- 10 MOSFETs
- 10 10 kΩ potentiometers
- 10 Photoresistors
- 10 Infrared reflective object sensors
- 5 Passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor
- 10 Lever switch with leads
- 5 L293D H-bridge motor driver
- 50 150 Ω 1/4 watt resistor
- 50 220 Ω 1/4 watt resistor
- 50 4.7 kΩ 1/4 watt resistor
- 50 10 kΩ 1/4 watt resistor
