Educational Kits: Build a Mars Rover, a DJ Mixtable, and More
CircuitMess, the team behind the CircuitBlocks coding language, has a full line of build-it-yourself kits, and all 11 of them are now in stock at ameriDroid.
Every kit is designed for first-time builders with step-by-step instructions. Most require no prior electronics experience; a few of the larger builds (especially the rover) are longer projects that benefit from patience or a basic soldering iron.
Space
NASA Mars Perseverance Rover - $349
Build a working Mars rover and learn electronics, motor control, and how to program its actions.
Two add-ons extend the mission: an AI vision camera with a live video feed and ArUco stickers for programming actions, and a Mission Control module, a DIY controller with a joystick, encoders, and a built-in LCD.
NASA Artemis Watch 2.0 - $149
A ready-to-use smartwatch inspired by the Artemis missions.
Pair it with your smartphone over Bluetooth and track daily activity.
Inside are an accelerometer, gyroscope, display, and Bluetooth module, and the watch is fully programmable: design custom watch faces, interactive games, and apps that run directly on the watch.
Robotics
Wheelson 2.0 - $169
Assemble and program a self-driving robot car.
It has object recognition with a built-in camera and line following. Building and coding it is a hands-on way to learn the computer-vision and sensing concepts (including LiDAR, thermal, and HDR) used in real self-driving systems.
Pair it with a ByteBoi 2.0 and drive it from the console.
Music
Jay-D 2.0 - $169
Build a fully functional DJ mixtable with two playback slots for cueing your next track.
Along the way you learn digital-to-analog converters, amplifiers, and speakers, and you can mix your own music collection.
Synthia 2.0 - $149
A DIY synthesizer with a drum machine (kick, snare, clap, hi-hats), a sequencer that memorizes beats, and a sampler with a built-in microphone for recording your own sounds.
Tweak preloaded sounds with high-pass and low-pass filters, reverb, and the Robofy effect.
Gaming
ByteBoi 2.0 - $159
A DIY 8-bit game console that teaches microcontrollers, displays, and the components that make a console tick.
Code your own games in CircuitBlocks, a visual coding language, or use ByteBoi as a controller for Wheelson 2.0.
Bit 2.0 - $89
Assemble a handheld gaming device, then code your own games in Python through CircuitBlocks.
It ships with preloaded games, and collectible Wacky Robots each unlock an exclusive game.
Wearables and pets
Clockstar 2.0 - $99
A DIY smartwatch kit.
As you build, you work through gyroscopes, displays, Bluetooth, and accelerometers.
Code a timer, remap the buttons, or build a balance ball game with the gyroscope.
Codee 2.0 - $89
Build and program your own virtual pet.
It is a practical lesson in real-time clocks and low-power design, with preloaded mini-games and room to code your own games, interactions, and animations.
Off-grid
Chatter 2.0 - $149
Build a pair of wireless communicators that send encrypted text messages over LoRa, with no Wi-Fi or cellular network in the way.
It is a hands-on lesson in radio communication and signal processing, and the screen and buttons open up drawing, writing, and sound projects.
Bench
Tools Pack - $39
Lead-free solder and more, to keep any of these builds going.
Getting started
All 11 kits are in stock at ameridroid.com. Pick by interest: the rover or the Artemis Watch for space, Wheelson for robotics, Jay-D or Synthia for music, ByteBoi or Bit for gaming, Clockstar for wearables, Codee for a low-power pet, and Chatter for radio. Start with the Tools Pack if your bench is bare. The kits cross-pair too: a ByteBoi 2.0 becomes a controller for a Wheelson 2.0, so two kits become one bigger project.