We know that there are teachers who feel children are experienced with the SPRK+ and want the next best thing. Well, this Ollie Robot can flip, spin, and perform combinations of tricks to keep all students engaged! Programmable and drivable just like the SPRK+, Ollie will up students’ robotics skills to another level. Ollie is a tough robot that can withstand super speeds (up to 14 MPH!), rough crashes, and various terrains with its nubby tires and prime hubs. No tires? Students can use their innovation skills to help it drift like a pro on smooth surfaces. No jump ramps? They can build their own obstacles to launch Ollie off!
The Ollie is ridiculously durable, with a polycarbonate body protecting the internal features. It comes in two versions—white and black—with the black one known as Darkside. The Darkside Robot is a special edition Ollie and is capable of some different tricks, but is otherwise the same. In the box, students have the robot, two nubby tires, two prime hubs, a charging cable, and quick start guide. Ollie is compatible with most iOS and Android devices using the Ollie app (for driving) and Sphero Edu app (for programming). Students can learn how to perform numerous tricks by modifying their handling within the Ollie app and by programming Ollie with the Draw, Blocks, or Text environments within the Sphero Edu app.
Deciding between Ollie and Sphero SPRK+ could be a little challenging, so here are some similarities and differences to remember. Both are app-controlled and Bluetooth-enabled. Ollie requires an hour to charge fully for one hour of constant play and charges by using a USB charging cable, whereas the SPRK+ takes three hours to charge for one hour of constant play and charges on an inductive charging base. Each can drive on various terrains and have compatible shells and tires for protection. Although your students can program both robots, due to the SPRK+’s waterproof and clear shell, it's more of a complete educational robot and Ollie is more of a robotic racer because of its faster speeds and cool tricks.
As opposed to the SPRK+’s ball shape, the Ollie is cylindrical and it runs on two wheels. Ollie weighs in at 8.5 ounces, has a height of 4.7 inches, and a length of 3.2 inches. It also has great adjustability and better acceleration and handling than the SPRK+ model. To connect a compatible device, all students do is turn their Bluetooth on and touch their device to Ollie.
I found the app to be thrilling for going high speeds and spinning out, whereas the Sphero Edu app has an enormous amount of educational upside in this ability to program Ollie in three different formats depending on skill level. However, due to its high speeds, we recommend having a large space (cleared of breakables) when using Ollie.
Ollie is great for those students who want to take robot control to the next level. To purchase some Sphero robots for your makerspaces, classrooms, or to use at home, visit the Eduporium store. Also, look out next Wednesday for an all-new edition of the Eduporium Experiment! In the meantime, do not forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for a lot more and explore other cool robotics tools across our store. You might as well like us on Facebook, too!