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.

Best grandparent/grandkid project so far. Our 5-year old grand was able to take the lead (with direction) and complete an operational robot in an afternoon.

Our son loves his new mBot and hasn'the stopped playing with it since Christmas. The aps are free and easy to use. The programming is a little complex for him but he's learning and loves it! It works well, is durable for the drops it's taken and is relativley quiet for a discount robot.The downside was the packaging. Our box arrived badly smashed on one side. (Every other product in the Amazon box with it was undamaged so it didn't happen in transit.) When we opened the mBot box everything fell out right away... nothing was secured in the actual packaging.I had to put together the bot to test it out before I could gift it, as the packaging mishaps had me worried. Luckily we hadn't lost any pieces when the box tumbled open and the robot worked.