Sphero is known for its line of programmable robot toys that help teach kids how to code while having fun. However, most of its products are designed for older kids and need a companion app (thus a phone or tablet). Now, it is targeting much younger kids with its latest robot toy, the Sphero Indi, which doesn’t need a companion app but still teaches problem-solving skills.

Sphero says that Indi is designed for kids in Pre-K to 2nd Grade. The robot which is shaped like a car also doesn’t need a device to be programmed as it does that with the aid of color cards. This is great for parents who are trying to reduce screen time for their kids.

However, Sphero has also added app support via the Sphero Edu Jr app (iOS and Android) for more features when a child is ready to level up. With the app, kids can reprogram how the toy responds to different colors. They can also customize the LED on the top of the toy and control the sounds the robot makes when it passes over a color tile. Kids can also simply drive the robot with the intuitive controls of the app.

Indi has a color sensor and comes with color tiles that are encoded with different actions. So when the car runs over it, it reads the color tiles and performs the said action which can be to turn left or right, slow down, stop, celebrate, or turn at a certain angle. Kids should be able to solve puzzles and build mazes with the color tiles. There are also stickers included for kids to customize their robots.

Indi is available in two settings – there is the Indi Class Pack which has the following and is priced at $1,199.99:

• 8 Indi robots
• 8 Durable student cases
• 1 Classroom tote bag
• 1 Charging case to charge and store 8 Indi robots
• 1 Standards-aligned Educator Guide Book
• 8 sets of 20 Durable silicone color tiles (20 per student case)
• 8 Sets of 15 Beginner’s Programming Challenge Cards (15 per student case)
• 8 USB charging cables
• 2 Sets of 30 replacement color cards
• 4 adhesive sticker sheets to secure color cards
• 1 Decorative sticker sheet for students to customize Indi

There is also the Student Kit that has the following and is priced at $124.99:

• 1 robot
• 1 charging cable
• 1 Student case
• 15 Beginner’s Programming Challenge Cards
• 20 durable silicone color tiles
• 2 Decorative sticker sheets to customize Indi
• 1 Quick start guide

Pre-orders are open now ahead of when it begins shipping in September.

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