iRobot Root rt1 Coding Robot: Programmable STEM/STEAM Toy, Creative Play Through Art, Music & Code, Voice-Activated + Root Adventure Pack: Coding in Outer Space-Compatible With rt0 & rt1

Grandkids love playing with it.

I'm a STEM teacher at an elementary school as well as a Dad to 3 young kids, and I saw Root at a conference I attended earlier this year. I've tried a bunch of these coding robots at this point, and when I saw what Root could do and how the platform is scaffolded for different levels of skill, I decided to purchase one for my own kids to try at home. This thing is a blast! First of all, out of the box it's really adorable which is important to my kids, especially my 4-year-old daughter. It's like a cross between a mini Roomba and a scurrying mouse, and she's excited to decorate it with some of the stickers that came in the package. We've had it for a few weeks and so far we've tried a mix of the provided projects (press play to watch the robot follow a code to draw a star, for example) and creating our own codes, both of which have been a huge hit. My 4 and 6 year old kids have been able to work together to make the robot do various things in level 1, and I've tried out level 2 and can see how it seamlessly helps kids make the leap from concrete to more abstract/complex coding language. My 2 year old is completely mesmerized by the whole thing and can't wait to get his hands on it too. The interface on the app is really fun, nicely designed, and super easy to understand and use. My kids like how the eyes change direction and the robot makes little noises depending on what it's doing and which way it is turning. I'm looking forward to bringing this into my classroom if I can get my kids to put it down for a day!

I’m not the most tech savvy person, yet I looked at the tutorials and have been doing the lessons with my 4 year old and HE IS LOVING IT. I can almost see his brain grow. I missed a prompt for the microphone setup, but was able to figure it out amid writing to support. I also spoke with customer support yesterday regarding the accuracy (root wasn’t doing exactly what the simulator was doing) and they said it was totally normal. We’re thrilled with the product and with the support.Thus far I haven’t been prompted to pay any fees for the tutorials and challenges. But in reading the reviews, $5/month is totally worth it. We have been using root and learning new things every day since Christmas. In peeking ahead, I can see how it builds as he gets older, and feel confident that this will be engaging for a very long time.Note; my 4 year old has a pretty good attention span. When he starts to get fidgety/over-stimulated, we just take a break.

The media could not be loaded. Please see the attached video for full review and details.-SMR

We bought Root after our kids played with it at a friend’s house. We weren’t all that familiar with Root, even though we had researched a few other coding devices for kids, but after trying it out (actually, after our kids tried it out and played for HOURS) we were sold! It is super easy to setup and use, and the app is great with so many activities to garner the interests of any child. Our kids are 5 and 8 and love playing with Root, and even though it involves a “screen” we are more generous with the time allotted since they are learning...and having fun. We would highly recommend Root!

Out of the box, the Root did not function properly. When programming to move along the whiteboard, after 1cm, an error is returned that the right motor is stalled and to check for an obstruction. Googling this, one receives the all purpose solution to any tech question, turn the device off (this was iRobot’s advice. Then I was instructed to rotate the wheels manually. That did not work. I then went onto Root Robotics support site which has a series of faqs. You are advised to login to your account if you have additional questions; but there are no instructions to create a new account. They have a customer support email which I’ve utilized, but no response is forthcoming. Next I called iRobot customer service which apparently knows nothing about the RT1 Root, insisting that my product was a Terra. They sent me a text link to enter a chat room so I could share a picture of the device, but the link did not work. Then, they emailed me instructions, but again, it was for the Terra. I sent them a picture of the Root and am awaiting a response. It’s doubtful there is a resolution other than a return/exchange, but I’m hoping to find there is a reset button or software update that can resolve this. Unfortunately, there seems to be no support protocol in place for this newly acquired company. In light of this, I am returning this device (and not exchanging it). I will look for another coding robot. In short, a great concept, but not ready for prime time.

In all a nice idea and a nice productLooks like the developers joined hands with a shrewed business developer to ruin the idea (or atleast leave a bad taste ) with the productGood - nice product, nice idea, ok packaging, ok built, accesories like mat and stickers are goodBad - no user manual - the app has a learning mode that becomes paid after first 4-5 lessons - not even the basic features covered in the free lessons - dude i just paid 200 buck for the device and asking for money to learn the basic concept is daylight robbery. I know there can be an argument that the first month is free, but doesnt work unless apple store payment is setup ( which will in most cases be a child’s ipad where you dont want to set that up) really let down by thisSuggestion - Atleast sgould have been given a month based on device purchaseP.S Even otherwise not too much videos or manuals not avaialable for the productI would definitely recommend this product, if the manufacturer atleast shares the basics and make the app activation atleast for sometime, linked with product purchase