The MagPi - July 2018

Review

raspberrypi.org/magpi July 2018 81

YETIBORG V2

Last word

More of an adult beginner’s kit than a young

maker’s kit, this robot is still a great product from

the PiBorg team for those wanting something

smaller than the DiddyBorg.

magpi.cc/TADbiy

£160 / $224

already have a basic grasp of
Python before tackling it.
Still, it’s quite fun to have the
YetiBorg trundling around using
a game controller. It’s not super-
quick either, so you won’t have any
problems with it running off your

table or smashing into walls, and the
extra functions with the example
remote-control script – such as a
button to reduce your speed – give
you an idea of how you can program
and control the YetiBorg.

Friendly for beginners?
One of the selling points of the
YetiBorg over the DiddyBorg is

that it’s for people getting into

Raspberry Pi robotics; however,

we’re not quite convinced that it

is. At least, we wouldn’t say it’s

well suited to kids or teens looking

to learn about the Pi, computing,

and robotics with a Raspberry Pi

robot kit. The barrier for entry with

the code is just a little too high

compared to other robot kits we’ve

used in the past.

However, we do think it’s quite

well suited for adults confident

in their computing skills who

want to try their hand at robotics

with a Raspberry Pi. The simple

setup allows anyone to get it up

With its ZeroBorg quad motor

controller, the YetiBorg is truly

a four-wheel-drive robot

and working pretty quickly, while

the example scripts help you to

become familiar with the ZeroBorg

libraries. Whereas kids’ robot

kits tend to be a bit cheap and

disposable, the YetiBorg works well

as a basic platform to then grow

from, rather than throwing it away

when you get your new robot kit.

As for younger makers, while it

may not be a good first kit, it could

perhaps make an excellent second

kit to really learn about the ways

of Raspberry Pi robotics.