SPC-Makeblock Neuron Inventor Kit, a fun way to get started in robotics

Robotics and programming do not have to be complicated, it has already been demonstrated many times, and toys for children designed to learn their most basic concepts are becoming increasingly popular among the little ones in the house.

If you want your little ones to start in this world and learn what robotics is and how to carry out basic programming, the kits that Makeblock, distributed by SPC, offers us are ideal. We have tested the Neuron Inventor Kit, which has up to 10 different projects, and I can assure you that my children have loved it.

It's a children's thing

When I said "we have tried" I have really lied, because my children have tried it. With 8 and 10 years they have been perfectly autonomous to understand the operation and build the different projects that the kit offers. Thanks to the help offered by the iOS application, through one of the tools that any child uses best, the iPad, can independently carry out each of the projects, even those classified as highly difficult.

And it is that this time it is not a children's toy that parents have to assemble. Those who have to explore each of the pieces of the kit, see how they are assembled on the iPad and proceed with their assembly are the children, who also enjoy seeing how they manage to complete the task without the need for anyone to help them. The pieces are also very easy to assemble thanks to Magnetic connections that can be joined and detached as many times as needed without fear of anything breaking.

The Neuron Inventor Kit

The box includes everything you need to complete up to 10 different projects. On the one hand, the «functional» pieces, which are those that include the sensors, circuits, lights, sounds and the main battery with the power switch, and which are the ones that are magnetically attached each. On the other hand, the «structural» pieces that are reminiscent of a LEGO and that are the ones that give shape to the project, and then some cardboard with drawings that are the ones that give the final touch to the project (dinosaur, robot, guitar, bomb…). The ten projects that can be carried out are:

• Tail wagging cat: Wags his tail when touching his head
• DJ table: Play sound when spinning the disc
• Telegraph: Send morse codes by tapping each color
• Deactivate the Bomb: Remove the proper connections or ...
• Dinosaur Robot: Care that bites
• Home: Mount it and bring it to life
• Singing Plant: Touch the leaves to listen to their music
• Sound Robot: It changes sound as you move it
• Electric guitar: Play the colored strings and enjoy
• Luminous Palette: Draw the screen of the color you want

If you want to go further, thanks to the Bluetooth connectivity of the Kit you can even Set yourself programming tasks from your iPhone or iPad using the MakeBlock Neuron app using a very simple interface with which children can explore different functions by themselves. A bug that must be corrected is that the application is in English, which is not a major problem because it is very visual and children navigate through it very well, but without a doubt it is a point to improve. And if everything that can be done with this Kit seems little to us, the compatibility of the «structural» pieces with the LEGO pieces will allow the most advanced to create the robots or instruments that their imagination dictates.

Editor's opinion

The SPC-Makeblock Neuron Inventor Kit is a toy for children who are interested in robotics and programming. Designed specifically so that children, without any help, build the projects with the help of an iPhone or iPad, the enormous possibilities offered by this Kit guarantee that children will have fun with a new and productive activity. The pieces are assembled and separated very easily thanks to their magnetic connections, so there will be no problem in assembling and disassembling the different projects over and over again. You have it available on the official Makeblock website for 129,95 (link) along with many other different kits. With the same price you can also get it on Amazon (link)