Building STEM Robots Skills with JIMU Robots

Thee are a lot of STEM kits for kids on the market today.  I love how they are getting both more sophisticated for older children while still offering more simplistic kits for younger ones. 

We recommended a number of different STEM products in our recent Christmas guide.

We’ve played with a lot of STEM kits over the years.  My son is now 13, so finding a kit that is creative, has directions that are easy-to-follow but still challenging, and allows for direct cause and effect programming is not always easy. 

The STEM kit also needs to have flexibility so my son can build the design in his mind too.

JIMU AstroBot Cosmos STEM Robots Kit

The JIMU AstroBot Cosmos Kit offers all of these features.  It comes with 387 snap together pieces and connectors, a main control box with rechargeable battery, an infrared sensor, 5 smooth motion robotic servo motors, and 2 large eyes with 16 LED color lights surrounding them.

What I love about this STEM robots kit is that it shows you how to build three robots: AstroBot, Astron, or Rover.  You can make each one following the step-by-step instructions in the app. 

Kids need to know what’s possible first before they feel comfortable building their own robots.  

The JIMU App

When you open the app, this menu gets started right away.  I originally chose the Build menu item so my son and I could build the first robot of our choice. 

But later I saw that within the Learn area, at the top of the menu, JIMU has created a fun menu called AstroBot Adventures. 

Within this area, there are four areas that you can open up after you finish your first task, which is to Build Astron. 

As you improve your skills, this area helps kids get an overview of what they can do with their robot, once they build it.  It’s like a game with levels that open up as you progress.

It, in a sense, provides a storyline that guides kids through the whole process.  It’s clever, I recommend you start here to begin building your first robot.

The JIMU app directions are in 3D and you can use your fingers to shift each diagram in each step around to see it from different angles in a 360-degree view. 

This is SO handy, especially when you are trying to decide where to place certain pegs.

Although this kit is recommended for ages 8+, I recommend an adult helps, especially to get your child confidence in understanding the directions. 

Each robotic servo motor needs to be placed exactly how it is detailed in the directions in order for you to be able to program your robot later. 

When you’re done building, the app will test your robot to ensure it’s built correctly.  If it’s not, it will point out which robotic servo motors need to be changed (if you used the wrong ones).

Building a robot will take around 2-3 hours.  The Control Box needs to be charged and takes about an hour to charge.  You attach it to your robot to get its power.

After your robot is cleared, you are ready to try out various actions.  The robotic servo motors have been preprogrammed to move in certain ways. 

Using the app, you can move your robot forward, back, left, and right,  But you can also have it cheer, twist, be happy, and perform crazy dancing!  All of these actions are pre-programmed in the app.

Your child will love interacting with his/her robot.  But it gets better.  Your child can also add a New Action by using different servos to make their own unique robotic moves.

Programming JIMU Robots

Using the code blockly, your child can build code to further customize their robots actions, taking advantage of its sensors and servo motors. 

Kids learn about if-then commands, how their robots can react to obstacles, use math to enhance their coding for robotic performance or to schedule random actions.

There is a help section within the app that explains each of the blockly codes.  I also like that they added some pre-made programs with code behind it so kids can get a better feel how to code for actions.

Dependent upon your child’s interest, the programming area can provide hours of interest, trial-and-error, and fun. Kids can save commands and programs and reuse them. 

A number of kids have uploaded their robotic creations to inspire other kids.  There really is a lot of possibility with a JIMU robotic kit like the Cosmos Astrobot.

Features:

• Comes with everything needed to build, program and code robots
• 5 smooth motion robotic servo motors
• 1 Infrared Sensor
• 2 16-color LED Lights
• 1 Bluetooth Speaker
• 387 Snap-Together Parts & Connectors
• 1 Main Control Box
• 1 USB Cable to connect to PC/laptop
• A free JIMU accompanying app with 3D instructions to aid the building process
• Bluetooth speaker capabilities

Pros:

• A fun learning experience for kids ages 8 and older
• Robots can be built to navigate rocky terrain with included heavy duty “wheels” kids build one piece at a time
• Adding LED eyes make the robots more identifiable
• Kids can add Bluetooth speaker capabilities to their creations
• The JIMU app is very helpful, offering 360-degree views when working on building steps
• The JIMU app comes with pre-programmed actions  and blockly coding to help kids get their robots moving
• Additional lessons are available in the app to help kids build their blockly coding skills

Cons:

• Some of the building steps in the app need to be updated with updated manufactured pieces…the control box pictured is not the same as the physical piece in the kit
• A parent probably is needed to help ages 8-12, it can be a little daunting at times for younger children

The AstroBot Series: Cosmos STEM Robots Kit is available through Amazon for $137 including free shipping.  JIMU offers a number of other STEM robots kits as well.

A Mom’s Perspective

I remember becoming fascinated with JIMU robots when my son and I attended the Maker Faire in New York. 

The Maker Faire was held on the grounds of the NY Science Museum and we visited the museum the night before for a STEM night. 

In the museum gift store was a nice display of a number of JIMU STEM robot kits.  They were showing a video of their new UnicornBot Kit, that just came out, I think girls would love it.

JIMU Robots also had a booth during the Maker Faire where we got to check out their products more closely and ask questions.

My son and I enjoyed working on the  AstroBot Series: Cosmos STEM Robots Kit kit together. I read ahead and got the pieces ready for him and he assembled the robot.  It was a nice mother and son activity to do together. 

It certainly takes dedication and tenacity to work through the steps, but it’s worth it in the end when you get to see your creation and program and move the robot about.

The blockly coding gives kids an understanding that toys can be programmed and personalized to each kid. 

Gone are the days when one toy was the same for every child. It gets kids thinking of possibility and hopefully unlocks their curiosity to create their own unique robot.

If you’re looking for a fun challenge to stimulate your child’s curiosity and imagination, these JIMU STEM robots are a great opportunity.

*I was given a UBTECH AstroBot Series: Cosmos STEM Robots Kit in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.