SparkFun will be closed on Tuesday, November 5th to support our team in being able to go out and vote! Orders placed after 2 pm MT Monday, November 4th will ship on Wednesday, November 6th. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Robots are fun, and the micro:bit is the perfect controller for learning how to build and program robots! Combining the micro:bit with the SparkFun moto:bit carrier board creates a flexible, low-cost robotics platform for robot enthusiasts young and old! With the SparkFun micro:bot kit you will be able to create simple robots quickly without spending hours learning how to build and program your bot.
Inside each micro:bot kit you will find all the components required to build your micro:bit into a robotics powerhouse; the only part that's not included is the micro:bit itself. Simply add your own micro:bit to the provided moto:bit, assemble the kit, and you will be ready to start moving. The SparkFun micro:bot kit is a great way to get your feet wet in the world of robotics.
The kit does not require any soldering and is recommended for anyone curious about robotics or the micro:bit platform.
The micro:bit is a pocket-sized computer that lets you get creative with digital technology. Between the micro:bit and our shield-like bit boards you can do almost anything while coding, customizing and controlling your micro:bit from almost anywhere! You can use your micro:bit for all sorts of unique creations, from robots to musical instruments and more. At half the size of a credit card, this versatile board has vast potential!
Note: The SparkFun micro:bot kit does NOT include a micro:bit board. The micro:bit board will need to be purchased separately.
This skill concerns mechanical and robotics knowledge. You may need to know how mechanical parts interact, how motors work, or how to use motor drivers and controllers.
Skill Level: Rookie - You will be required to know some basics about motors, basic motor drivers and how simple robotic motion can be accomplished.
See all skill levels
If a board needs code or communicates somehow, you're going to need to know how to program or interface with it. The programming skill is all about communication and code.
Skill Level: Rookie - You will need a better fundamental understand of what code is, and how it works. You will be using beginner-level software and development tools like Arduino. You will be dealing directly with code, but numerous examples and libraries are available. Sensors or shields will communicate with serial or TTL.
See all skill levels
If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.
Skill Level: Rookie - You may be required to know a bit more about the component, such as orientation, or how to hook it up, in addition to power requirements. You will need to understand polarized components.
See all skill levels
We welcome your comments and suggestions below. However, if you are looking for solutions to technical questions please see our Technical Assistance page.
Based on 12 ratings:
The micro:bit is a great tool for students to use. Easy to use with lots of functionality.
The Shadow chassis is a favorite for a good reason: it works, and it adapts well to many different controllers. The micro:bot edge connector is a little awkward in placement with regard to the cables for the line sensors (initially installed the bit, then flipped the board around in the mount and ran the cables over the bit so they would reach), but a little 3d-printed part should remedy this. Having a ready-to-go servo setup is nice as well, as it means I can attach a gripper arm (also made from printed parts) to the front. The larger servo slot means that, instead of a gripper, I can also make a 3d-printed rubber band cannon!
All in all, a great little robots package for the micro:bit. Would love to see some in STEM workshops!
0 of 1 found this helpful:
If I could leave zero stars I would. I filed a issue with Tech Support close to 30 days ago as the chassis is defective. No word from Sparkfun Tech Support. Two emails later to follow up and still no word. I cannot bring myself to make a purchase although some great items have come out - there is just no customer support here. Since I haven't been able to put it together, I cannot even give a review of the product.
Sorry about this. Our techsupport should have gotten back to you within a couple of days. Please double check your Spam folder and I'll make sure to forward this on to them.
Hello Member #792634. We've tried answering your questions on three occasions but it appears you're not getting our emails. Please check your spam box for those. If you still have an issue after reading our responses, let us know and we will help you. You might need to white list techsupport@sparkfun.com in your email program to avoid our responses going to spam.
I have bought a total of three of these kits. Two of them have been assembled in an after school enrichment class at my wife's school. The kids range from 3rd to 5th grade. The only issue the kids have had with the assembly has been some of the parts take a stronger hand to press together than some of the little one's can muster. But it is not a big deal. That is part of learning.
The third kit will be used next semester when we start the program again. I plan to buy more of these if you ever get them in stock. I had hoped you would have had them in stock for the cyber Monday sale.
A colleague and I tried twice to get it working but couldn't We just ordered new gear motors from a third party to try again. The parts fit together well but there is either something in the coding or the way the motors are responding that is off. This model needs some tweaking, SparkFun.
Sorry to hear you're having trouble with the micro:bot kit. Please send and email to our technical support team at techsupport (at) sparkfun (dot) com and we can help!
Used with micro bit card the block programming is really fun and easy to teach coding principals. Total system cost with robot is much less than REDBOT KIT. I teach Boy Scouts at merit badge fairs and they can’t afford $120 kits for a 2 day event. . I love your persuit of new technology and making products that are cost effective as possible.. great company, thank you
We are learning to code and along with some robotics. These kits have been a big hit. I only wish I could have got more kits.
Clear instructions, good performing parts and scratch library for the board makes it pretty easy to use.
I purchased this for my grandson which has Asperger's syndrome for Christmas. hoping to give him something special to help him develop a trade or skill that he may enjoy and can put to use in his future. Not sure of what he would like to do. He wants to be a military scientist. This may help.
This is an impressive kit. It contains everything you need to build the robot chassis (motors, frame, some sensors) and a breakout board to connect a BBC micro:bit. This combo is really powerful, since the micro:bit has a solid amount of sensors onboard already.
The chassis is sturdy and easy to configure. The motors are powerful and fast.
However, the highlight is the breakout board, and the integration with the micro:bit. The board breaks out 2 drive motor connections, 2 servo connections, 6 sensor inputs, and an I2C connection. Together with the sensors on the micro:bit (accelerometer, compass, light and temp), you can build a VERY capable robot easily.
To compare, a Lego Mindstorms EV3 supports 4 motors and 4 sensors. This thing supports 4 motors, 6 sensors on the breakout board AND 4 sensors on the micro:bit itself. The I2C port is compatible with Sparkfun's Qwiic system, so you can add a bunch of stuff that way too - I've attached an MP3 player.
Radio communication between micro:bits (or between micro:bits and a phone) is easy, so it is straightforward to create your own remote control using another micro:bit. This is really helpful, and provides the possibility for kids to create their own control interface.
The only change I would request is the possibility of accessing full battery power easily, for driving 5v sensors and accessories. Right now I'm tapping VCC from the servo pins and putting it through a 5V voltage regulator.
I feel the kit is overpriced for how it is designed but it is still a great intro to robotics and a fun addition to a micro:bit collection.
I'd like to see a kit in the low 100's that uses micro:bit as well as more resources to go a little deeper.
Thank you for the feedback, we will pass this onto our product design team.
I bought three of these kits for a girl scout troop robotics badge series. They went over great and the girls liked assembling them and programming them in MakeCode. The only downside was assembling the chassis requires significant force to get the pieces to snap together, more force than the 10 and 11-year-olds could muster. It would have been great if the girls could have had the satisfaction of assembling these themselves.
Is this kit easy to disassemble and reassemble? I'm hoping to use this in a group setting over and over again and wondering how it will hold up over time and if the parts disassemble easily.