Stuff - UK (2020-01)

2

TESTED SPHERO RVR

Q Drive my car

The Programs tab is where

you create and store

predefined actions, and

where others are shared

by the Sphero community.

In Activities you can watch

tutorials, while Drive gets

you behind the wheel with

no coding necessary.

Q Day tripper

The app is suitable for

all levels. Doodle a route

on screen and watch the

RVR drive it. Then try

personalised actions by

filling in blanks – ‘drive

forward XX seconds’, for

example – and choose

what order they go in.

Q Cam together

You can even take photos

and videos using the

in-app camera, and record

your adventures from

the RVR’s viewpoint

using an optional

add-on camera (which

costs extra) – perfect

for adrenaline fiends.

Q What goes on

The homescreen has a

feed with Sphero projects

other people have shared,

while the ‘3D Models’ tab

lets you dissect each bot

in an exploded 3D diagram

and see what makes it tick.

Safer than taking the thing

apart yourself.

There’s a lot going on in Sphero’s Edu app, but it’s

user-friendly and simple enough for kids to use

Sensors Colour, light, IR, magnetometer,

accelerometer, gyroscope

Battery Lithium-ion

Connectivity Bluetooth

Weight 1.36kg

STUFF SAYS +++++

If you’re turned off by the

mere mention of the word

‘coding’, give the RVR

a try and you might just

be converted

The long and winding code

Tech specs

Some coding gadgets are all a bit serious... but

anything too knockabout risks veering into wacky

territory. The RVR pulls off the balance perfectly:

it’s a fast, fun all-terrain vehicle you can throw

about without worrying about it breaking; but

it also has serious coding chops, being compatible with the

best low-cost programming machines around. @joesvetlik

Rover the hills and far away
Want to do more than splash
people? The Sphero Edu app
lets you programme your bot
to perform a series of actions:
have it turn at a certain angle,
move forward for a set number
of seconds, flash its lights (3),
make noises, even say phrases.
Perfect for terrorising pets.

It’s all rover now, baby blue

Playing with the RVR can be as

simple or as complicated as you

want. You could spend hours

constructing the most intricate

and contrived routine imaginable,

or just gun the motor and tear

it up. Our Bluetooth connection

drops a couple of times, but

overall the range is impressive.

Holding out

for a Sphero

Even foetuses are into

coding these days, and

the Sphero RVR is

suitable for anyone

aged 10 and up.