BEDFORD, Mass., July 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- iRobot Corp.
(NASDAQ: IRBT), the leader in consumer robots, today expanded its
educational product offerings with the launch of the
Root® rt0 coding robot, an easy-to-use and customizable
coding robot that brings classroom learning into the home. Starting
at $129, the Root rt0 is equipped
with many of the same features and sensors found on the original
Root rt1, giving families more options to find the educational
coding robot that best fits their needs and price. To help take
creativity to the next level, iRobot also announced the
Root® Brick Top, a new Root accessory that is compatible
with common building blocks.
"Coding has become a 21st century skill as fundamental to
learning as reading, writing and math," said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. "Our
vision is to provide a way for children of any skill-level, from
pre-readers to experts, to learn to code. By offering two versions
of Root – a lower-cost version for those seeking quality STEM
robots at-home, and the original Root for more holistic
in-classroom settings – iRobot can make learning to code more
accessible to educators, students and parents."
Like its predecessor, the Root rt1, the Root rt0 is a
two-wheeled, mobile platform that operates on a flat surface. The
robot comes to life – drawing, making music and exploring its
surroundings – through coding commands given by the user in the
companion iRobot Coding App. The platform offers three different
levels of coding language, from simple graphical blocks for young
children to full-text coding for more advanced users. Its
auto-level converter instantly translates code from one learning
level to another, making iRobot Coding easily approachable for
beginners, while growing with coders as they gain experience,
enabling them to seamlessly "level up" to more advanced
programming.
The Root rt0 is a great choice for families who want to put a
modern spin on the traditional family game night, or who simply
enjoy trying new things and learning new skills together. With a
learning library available on the iRobot Education website, the
robot comes with hours of lessons, projects, and activities that
support both individual and group participation. With Root rt0 you
can play fun games like "Guess the Picture" in which players are
challenged to investigate pre-made programs, hypothesize what the
code will create, and then be the first to guess the robot sketch
in action. The Root rt0 is equipped with more than 20 sensors,
giving it the ability to drive, draw, detect touch, light up, and
play music.
Transform Your Root with the Root Brick Top
iRobot
also introduced the Root Brick Top accessory, which lets users turn
the Root robot into just about anything they can imagine – from a
mobile catapult or robotic arm, to a glowing rocket ship or roaming
music DJ. The Root Brick Top connects to the Root robot by
integrated magnets and is compatible with a variety of common
building blocks. It is sold separately for $19.99.
Both the Root rt0 coding robot and the Root Brick Top are
currently available for purchase at https://www.irobot.com/root.
Photos and information can be found at:
http://media.irobot.com/.
iRobot Coding App now available in Google Play
Store
In addition to the existing iOS app and web-based
apps on Chrome OS, Windows and macOS, a new Android version of the
iRobot Coding platform is now available for download through the
Google Play Store. The free app enables Root owners to bring their
robot to life using three levels of coding language, from graphical
coding to hybrid coding, and finally full-text coding. An
auto-level converter instantly translates code from one learning
level to another, making iRobot Coding easily approachable for
beginners, but also challenging enough to keep experienced coders
engaged.
About iRobot Corp.
iRobot®, the leading global consumer robot company,
designs and builds robots that empower people to do more both
inside and outside of the home. iRobot created the home robot
cleaning category with the introduction of its Roomba®
Robot Vacuum in 2002. Today, iRobot is a global enterprise that has
sold more than 30 million robots worldwide. iRobot's product line,
including the Roomba and the Braava® family of mopping
robots, feature proprietary technologies and advanced concepts in
cleaning, mapping and navigation. iRobot engineers are building an
ecosystem of robots and technologies to enable the smart home. For
more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.
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SOURCE iRobot Corporation