The Ultimate 10 in 1 robot kit from Makeblock is the flagship of the Makeblock range with more parts, more possibilities and more fun. At the heart of the kit is the MegaPi robotics controller which is based on the popular Arduino Mega 2560 but with additional motor driver interfaces. With dedicated motor power inputs the MegaPi can drive up to 10 x servos plus 8 x DC motors or 4 x stepper motors simultaneously with a maximum output current of up to 10A. You can program it using the mBlock graphical programming tool or as you get more confident, graduate to C/C++ using the Arduino IDE. If you have a Raspberry Pi, it can function as the brains of your robot while the MegaPi handles the low level details opening up a whole new area for creativity and exploration. It also supports a Bluetooth adaptor for wireless remote control from your Apple iPad (v3 or better) or Android (v4 or better) tablet.
With over 160 pieces, the Ultimate kit has plenty for you to work with including a gripper, 3 x DC motors, a phone mount, plus a wealth of beams, plates and brackets to build a large model. The major mechanical parts are made from beautiful anodised 6061 aluminium giving your robot a professional, hi-tech look as well as being very sturdy. The free Makeblock tutorial page walks you through creating the 10 x different robots, by which time you'll be a robotics expert and ready to strike out on your own. You can build a tank with a robotic arm, a mobile drinks pourer, a camera dolly, two types of 360° rotating photography platforms, a self balancing robot, a 6-legged crawler, a rolling tank, a detecting robot, and a catapult ram.
New to mBlock/Scratch? mBlock is a graphical programming system based on Scratch where you drag and drop functional blocks from a palette onto a work area to create a program. Each shape has a different function and they snap together in logical ways, some even have slots to drop in other blocks. For example, a block might order the robot to run forward at speed 50 where the direction and speed are chosen from simple drop down menus. This drag and drop interface allows quite young children to get creative with the mBot yet is capable of programming complex behaviours.
Supplied with 1 x MegaPi, 1 x MegaPi shield for RJ25, 1 x Bluetooth module, 4 x motor drivers, 3 x encoder motors, 1 x ultrasonic sensor, 1 x line follower sensor, 1 x 3-axis accelerometer and gyro sensor, 1 x RJ25 adaptor, 1 x electronic shutter release, 1 x Makeblock gripper, 1 x 360° mobile phone bracket, 1 x battery holder (for 6 x AA batteries, not supplied) plus aluminium beams, plates and brackets, plastic timing pulleys, plastic gears, tracks and wheels, cables, nuts and bolts, and other hardware and accessories.
Please note that the Raspberry Pi, Pi camera, smartphone, DSLR camera and toy props are shown for illustration purposes and are not supplied.
10 robots in 1 kit
Arduino compatible robot controller
Range of free programming tools from novice to advanced
