Marty the Robot is a coding Robot for young learners. It’s sturdy and has sensors that can mimic the movements of something in front of it. Comes with a coding platform for simple commands and inputs.
While the product may be interesting, what do you think about this pitch? Later in the week I’ll return to offer my two sense.
Marty the Robot v2 – The walking, dancing, coding companion by Robotical — Kickstarter
I would not invest in Marty the Robot V2.
On the surface the ability to teach code through first block and then integrating python makes a lot of sense from a progression standpoint. The robot has flexibility to complete different movement tasks and its simple aesthetic makes it welcoming to young children but in my opinion this is also a limiting factor. I currently teach and support youth in coding and I could not see students beyond G4 enjoying the simplicity this model brings.
Although I really enjoy the integration of the advanced coding options of Python I do not see this as a tool for children of older ages. The lack of flexibility in the appearance of the robot itself makes it seem to me as this robots growth would be stunted by its simple appearance. Although the programming allows for a range of activities, the simplicity of this robot limits the age that students would consider exploring with it. I could not see a G6 or G7 student wanting to bring this robot to school to demonstrate their coding abilities with it.