Many are already familiar with Mindstorms, the Lego robotics platform capable of building clever tools like the automatic card-signing machine. Some might also remember Lego WeDo, the simpler educational tool for teaching kids coding basics.
This year at CES, Lego is bridging the gap with Boost, a basic robotics- and programming-oriented kit that’s supposed to be more playful than didactic.
Boost is built around a motorized block called a Move Hub, powered by six AAA batteries and equipped with a tilt sensor. The $159.99 Boost kit includes another motor and a combination color and distance sensor, plus 843 more traditional Lego parts.
Once kids have launched the app, they can pick from five major building projects.
The most complex is a foot-high anthropomorphic robot called Vernie, but there’s also a slightly terrifying mechanical cat named Frankie; a colorful guitar; a rugged, tractor-like vehicle; and the “Autobuilder” - a 3D printer-like machine that can be programmed to put Lego together.
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