LEGO has long offered the Mindstorms platform for big kids (and adults) to make cool robotic projects. Now, however, they’ve launched the Boost platform, a robotics and programming system aimed at 7 year olds. The Boost kit comes with everything you need to make five projects including Vernie and Frankie, a funny robot and robotic cat, respectively.
The kit includes a battery-powered core system that powers multiple motors as well as a color and motion sensor. Lego’s Simon Kent showed us the two kits and was even able to train the robots to play harmonicas!
I really got a kick out of the platform. As a general cynic when it comes to programming toys like this one I found it quite fun and clever. The programming system is very simple and easy to understand and the entire package is very well designed. I’m excited to make my own Frankie at home. The company will release the kit in August 2017.