$119 – $249October 2026 check. ThinkEDU (US education reseller) lists Root rt0 at $119 and Root rt1 at $229 (list $249), with a 2-robot pack at $449 and 12-robot classroom pack at $2,499. Ready2STEM lists Root Pro (rt1) at $249.99 but sold out, and Amazon US shows rt1 as unavailable. Made by Root Robotics (2018–2019), iRobot (2019–2024) and now SAM Labs.
AvailablePython from a laptopClimbs whiteboardsDrawsPython SDKClassroom
Possibly ≤ 1 weekShipping: Unconfirmed. ThinkEDU, a US education reseller, lists rt0 and rt1 as purchasable (orders are aimed at schools and faculty), but stock and delivery time are not stated. Amazon US and Ready2STEM show it as unavailable or sold out. ThinkEDU ↗
Remote control: The iRobot Education Python 3 SDK runs on macOS, Windows and Linux and drives Root live over Bluetooth LE. The browser-based SAM Root app and Python Playground also work from a Mac using Chrome or Edge (Web Bluetooth).
Overview
A hexagonal coding robot that holds a marker to draw what it is programmed to do, and the rt1 (Root Pro) can drive up a magnetic whiteboard, scan colors with 32 sensors and erase its own drawings. It came out of Harvard's Wyss Institute as Root Robotics, was bought by iRobot in 2019, and since 2024 has been built and sold by SAM Labs after iRobot stopped making it. Its app spans pre-reader graphical blocks up to full Python, and the same Python SDK also drives iRobot's Create 3. Retail availability is thinning, so it is mostly bought through school suppliers.
A strong classroom robot with real Python, but its future depends on SAM Labs and retail stock is patchy.
Specifications
| Category | Wheeled rovers · Classroom coding cars |
|---|---|
| Released | 2018 |
| Country | USA |
| Availability | Available |
| Sales | Over 1,800 Kickstarter backers for Root Robotics (estimate) Robots Guide (IEEE Spectrum) ↗ |
| Programmability | Full SDK |
| Built-in autonomy | None / scripted · Moves only when controlled, or plays preset motions |
| LLM support | Possible via SDK · No built-in LLM, but the open iRobot Education Python SDK and documented BLE protocol let custom code (including an LLM) drive it from a computer. |
| MuJoCo simulation | None found · Nothing found. The SAM Root app includes its own 3D simulator (SimBot). |
| NVIDIA Isaac simulation | None found · Nothing found. The SAM Root app includes its own 3D simulator (SimBot). |
| Gazebo simulation | None found · Nothing found. The SAM Root app includes its own 3D simulator (SimBot). |
| Best for | Ages 6+ (maker rating) |
| Vision sensors | No vision sensors |
| Actuators | DC / gear motors |
| Audio | Speaker |
| Compute type | Unknown |
| Remote control | Python from a laptop |
| Size | About 14.9 × 13.4 × 4.5 cm, about 0.5 kg |
| Drive | 2 driven wheels with encoders, 4 slide points; rt1 has magnets to drive on vertical magnetic whiteboards |
| Compute | Not published |
| Vision | None |
| Lidar | None |
| Sensors | 4 capacitive touch zones, 2 bumpers, 2 ambient light sensors, wheel encoders, gyroscope, accelerometer, motor current feedback; rt1 adds 32 RGB color sensors underneath and a cliff sensor |
| Runtime | Integrated 9 Wh (2,500 mAh, 3.6 V) Li-Ion, runtime not published, USB-C charging |
| Speed | 10 cm/s max |
| SDK | SAM Root app (graphical, block and Python levels on web, iOS, Android), iRobot Education Python Web Playground, iRobot Education Python 3 SDK, openly documented BLE protocol |
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
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