Makeblock mBot Ranger 3 in 1 Robotics for Kids Age 8-12, Coding Robot for Arduino Scratch Learning with Coding Box, 16 Coding Projects STEM Science Kit, Robot Toys Gift for Kids Ages 10+

This review is for the first version mBot Ranger, the next generation should be shipping from Amazon in August of 2016 and should be even easier but it is no reason to wait to order.I purchased three different Makeblock robot models for our three girls. This mBot Ranger is for our middle girl who is 9 years old. The first build was the tank. I let my daughter do the complete build on her own although I did tighten a couple screws when she was done. I was there the entire time to guide her and explain the instructions but she did the wrenching, had fun and it was good father daughter time. The build was easy for her but not too easy. We mistakenly put the larger wheels on the rear of the treads which made the treads too tight. Once this was fixed we downloaded the MakeBlock app on the iPhone and were ready to go, or so we thought!The app said that we needed to update firmware so I downloaded the Makeblock app on a windows laptop, connected the bot via USB and attempted the easy update but it failed. After much troubleshooting I ended up changing the MakeBlock App Board setting from mBot to Auriga and was able to update it fine. Once this happened it was off to the races, literally.The next evening my daughter disassembled the tank and built the self-balancing “Nervous Bird”. This did not take her very long and she did it without my knowledge so she had no help. She likes the “Nervous Bird” so much that she has not built the race car yet but she did help her 6 year old sister build the mBot starter without help as well.I would like to point out that this is not just a remote control toy you take out of the box and play with. These are made to build and learn from so the problems we ran into are all part of the experience. When we got stuck I combed through the forums and found the answers or just tried different things. Now that the sample builds are functional we can get into the programming in Scratch, this is where the real fun will start.If there was any fault I could point out it would be that these robots eat through AA batteries so I did order a couple 12v, 6000 mAh rechargeable Lithium battery packs for the bigger robots. This should supply more and longer lasting power!The couple of challenges we faced in this build, I believe you can quickly and easily overcome by reading this review. If you run into a problem we did not, the MakeBlock forums are a great place to find the answers. You will just have to sift through posts from people who gave up or expected this to be handed to them. Each of our girls love their robots. This is a good introduction to robotics and a great platform for learning programming and the Arduino.

My son really showed an interest in robotics in school, therefore we were looking into buying one of the sets that he used previously, but the Lego robotics kits are quite expensive. After doing a fair bit of research, we landed on Makeblock for a few reasons; the prices are much more reasonable, especially since the kits are somewhat expandable, and can work together. Also, it has the option of scratch for beginning programming, but as he gets more advanced he can graduate to Python.The build quality is impressive, consisting of aluminum framing, and tough plastic. The wheels, wires, and sensor add-ons all seem well made and durable as well, though the battery tray could be a bit more modular, and the motor implementation could be improved though they do function well enough.I recommend getting a lithium battery kit if you can find one...I had a bit of trouble finding one with a charger included and had to email them about it.Overall, this is a really neat kit that has a lot of options. I do hope Makeblock keeps expanding their options and offerings so we can keep growing our collection.

Everyday... you see a 23-month-old baby playing a full drum kit, a 3 yr-old plowing fields in a straight line, a 4 yr-old jumping double bumps on a motocross track. So I figure... 5 is the new 10 right? That prompted me to buy my grandson a MakeBlock mBot all-terrain tank for his 5th birthday. The picture on Amazon made it look like it was 8 pre-assembled pieces that snap together but... it did need to be controlled via Bluetooth from a cellphone which gave me reason to pause... then I remembered I had an old iPhone 8 that can still be used for BT and Internet that I could donate.Fast forward to today... After cake and 45 minutes of torture making him wait to open presents, we finally cut him loose. A few minutes later, he opens the mBot... the picture on the box held his attention for almost 10 seconds but... there were more presents to open!So, after more presents, chocolate cake, and fighting to keep his little sister from touching the loot, we had to ask him to breath into to paper sack for about 5 minutes.Later on, he finally regained consciousness and swiftly zeroed in on cracking the stupidly elegant, ridiculously posh packaging that the mBot came in... which I probably paid $15 for and he certainly didn't appreciate… low and behold, and much to my chagrin... there are over 130 nuts, bolts, screws, high precision-machined (blue anodized) aluminum parts, electronic sensors, and actuators that need to be assembled.Fortunately, the stink-eye I received from my son-in-law was not fatal...Forty five minutes into the tank build on Saturday, my poor son-in-law has a vein popping out of his forehead...This is because his 'adult' siblings, each with babies of their own, are throwing assorted sized blankets, couch pillows, and partially assembled Lego dinosaur appendages at him while he is trying to read instructions and assemble the 130, or so, micro-machined parts into the larger eight subassemblies that eventually snap together...I tried to help but... everything I assembled had to be significantly re-worked... in my defense, the font in the instruction pamphlet was quite small...Eventually, with no verbal support or physiological encouragement from the immediate family, my son-in-law had assembled, to spec, the mBot Ranger Programmable Radio Controlled Ankle Biter...Time for installing the software where, I thought, I could finally contribute... I delegated the iPhone conversion to kid-account process to my daughter, I found the kid-friendly (must be 18 years or older) Arduino OS download on Youtube, and discovered the EEPROM needed to be updated with the specific robot configuration we had selected...Apparently this kit had two other assembly options - a semi-bipedal headless chicken or a 3-wheeled BMW Isetta motorcar. Nonetheless, this required a USB port which, after locking the doors, confiscating and inspecting all cell phones, we realized, we had no equipment which would support this interface.It was then that I had to explain to my devastated 5 year-old grandson that I had, in fact, given him the gift of a real-life experience... a decision where one has to choose between dedicating their life to being a Linux open-source kernel developer or waiting for the next Mac OS software upgrade that supports his new toy out-of-the-box...While he contemplated his future, Grams and I exit stage left between the tears and mommy-hugs. On my way out I promise prompt technical support after he submits the appropriate service tickets...