What do I need to take this course?
LEGO robotics kit
This course has been designed with the LEGO Education SPIKE Prime kit 45678 in mind. You get it for about $400. With some hardware limitations, which I took into account when developing the first modules of the course, you could also use the LEGO SPIKE Essential kit 45345 (starting at $330). You’ll be learning the same big ideas.
We will program our robots using the SPIKE App with the Word Blocks programming language. I will introduce Pybricks Blocks and python coding in the more advanced sections for those of you who really want to become expert programmers, and need a powerful programming interface for robotics competitions, or want to use the XBOX controller to command their robots.
Programming device
You can use any device (computer, laptop, chromebook, tablet) that can run the LEGO SPIKE App (refer to this page https://education.lego.com/en-us/product-resources/spike-prime/downloads/system-requirements/)
To use Pybricks Code to create your programs, you can use any device that has a decent keyboard and that can run a Chrome browser and that has access to your device Bluetooth Low Energy Communication (on iOS devices you might need a BLE-enabled browser such as Bluefy). I don’t recommend using a smartphone, because using the on screen keyboard for typing text is a nightmare. To learn more about Pybricks, you can check out their page https://pybricks.com/learn/
Other materials and tools
Sometimes the projects will need extra materials that are very easy to find, such as tape, rubber bands, cardboard, paper, pencils, pens, or markers.
Custom LEGO kits (for the future)
If you don’t have all that money to spend on a robotics kit, don’t worry! I am thinking to adapt the course to custom LEGO robotics kits. In fact, you can combine a LEGO Technic CONTROL+ set, such as the LEGO 42160 (Audi RS Q e-tron car) with a versatile sensor like the LEGO Color & Distance Sensor LEGO 88007, and create your own kit for less than $160. To that, you can add any piece from your LEGO Technic collection.
The Technic hub 88012, included in any LEGO Technic CONTROL+ set, has 4 input/output ports and almost the same computational capabilities as the SPIKE hub. You will be able to control it with the Powered Up App (not covered by this course), or make it a real programmable device thanks to Pybricks blocks and textual code.
You can attach and use any LEGO Powered Up servo motor and sensor to the Technic Hub, even the sensors that came with LEGO WeDo 2.0 or SPIKE.
Although this course was not designed for the LEGO BOOST Creative Toolbox 17101 (you can get one used from $130), you can still follow along and refer to the sections where I’ll introduce Pybricks programming. You can access all my existing LEGO BOOST original models, including the exclusive Rubik’s Cube Solver and Tic Tac Toe Champion, from the LEGO BOOST Module of the course. Future versions of this course might cover the LEGO BOOST App block programming.