Cubelets facts for kids

A Cubelets robot built with Cubelets blocks.

Cubelets are special building blocks that let you create your own robots! They are made by a company called Modular Robotics. These small, colorful cubes snap together with magnets to form many different kinds of simple robots. Think of them like LEGO bricks, but for making robots that can move, sense, and react.

Each Cubelet block has a special job. Some blocks help the robot move, others help it see light or feel warmth, and some even make sounds. The blocks connect easily with magnets, so you can put them together in any way you like.

How Cubelets Work

Different types of Cubelets modules.

Cubelets are designed to be easy to use. Each block has a magnet on every side, allowing them to connect in any direction. This means you don't have to worry about which way a block faces; it will always connect.

When you connect Cubelets, they share power and information. This allows your robot to come to life! For example, if you connect a "sense" block (like one that detects light) to a "think" block (like a battery) and then to an "act" block (like a motor), your robot could move when it sees light.

Types of Cubelets

There are different kinds of Cubelets, each with a specific function:

• Sense blocks: These blocks help your robot understand the world around it. They can detect things like light, distance, or temperature. They are usually black.
• Think blocks: These are like the "brain" of your robot. They process information from the sense blocks and decide what the robot should do. The battery block, which powers the robot, is also a think block. They are often clear.
• Act blocks: These blocks make your robot do something. They can be motors that make wheels spin, lights that turn on, or speakers that make sounds. They are usually transparent.

By combining these different types of blocks, you can build robots that do many cool things, from driving around to responding to sounds or light.

M-Blocks: Moving Cubelets

Some special Cubelets are called M-Blocks. These are unique because they can move all by themselves! Imagine a block that can slide, jump, or even flip over.

M-Blocks use a clever trick involving a fast-spinning wheel inside them, called a flywheel. This flywheel spins incredibly fast, about 20,000 times a minute! By changing how this wheel spins, the M-Block can push itself in different directions. This allows the blocks to move horizontally, vertically, and even perform small jumps.

These M-Blocks also have a system that helps them know where other blocks are. This allows them to work together and move in a coordinated way, almost like a tiny robot swarm.

Images for kids

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  A set of Cubelets, including a temperature and light sensing cubes (black), and speaker and drive cubes (transparent)