One robot - all ages, all curriculum areas
For over 20 years Valiant has been at the forefront of educational robots. Their wealth of experience and research has culminated in the new Roamer, which combines the latest understanding of how our brains work and how children learn with advances in robotics and technology to create the biggest advance in educational robots since the launch of the Logo turtle.
Roamer-Too's unique features mean that students can use their different learning styles to explore and discover how the world works. In particular Roamer's speech capability provides a new dimension to activities. Roamer can ask questions, give information, offer encouragement or even just warn that it is feeling tired and its batteries need recharging!
Roamer-Too's behaviour is contained within the keypad module. So changing Roamer's keypad changes its behaviour.
You could change from a Standard Logo-based keypad to one that recites Incy Wincy Spider as it moves up and down the drainpipe mat or perhaps a keypad that shows different terrains that influence the Roamers speed so the students have to work out quickest routes across different landscapes.
Simply download the new behaviour, change the keypad graphic and away you go. Use one of the ever-increasing open source activities available or create your own using the Activity creator within the RoamerWorld software suite.
Roamer-Too is offered as a range of standard Roamers. Each Roamer comes with a keypad appropriate to an age and ability.
They provide a scaffolded approach to control and Logo. Of course each keypad can be quickly changed and changed again.
So although these are the standard Roamers they can still become whatever you want them to be.
Early Years Roamer (foundation stage)
This simplest of keypads uses a counting paradigm to make Roamer move and turn.
Infant Roamer (5-6)
At this stage children should be using number. Repeat is introduced so children can start to explore patterns in Maths. And the popular music facility is present
Primary Roamer (7-9)
Building up on the Logo concept the students are introduced to Procedures.
They also have very simple control buttons for an input and output.
Roamer Behaviour CD
A CD containing all the above behaviours and appropriate keypad graphics is available so you can easily change the keypads as Roamer moves up the school. Just download using the computer interface and away you go.
The new Roamer uses 6 Rechargeable AA batteries and be recharged in only 2 hours! Under normal use they should last about a week before recharging.
It can now accept upto 500 commands, compared to the 69 on the classic roamer.
Roamer-Too's shape has a definite direction. It has a `nose or a tail` - the student's decide which is the front and which is the back. It can also be used as a pointer. This can have advantages in movement in space and exposure of the ideas of turn and angle - it explores both dynamic and static. Roamer's simple shape and neutral colour provide a sculptural canvas onto which students can design and create their own robot characters
The shape of the robot provides a naturally strong and robust structure. It is designed to survive the rigours of the normal classroom usage.
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