Name: Sphero BOLT / BOLT+
Brand: Sphero (USA)

$179 – $199BOLT $179, BOLT+ $199 single robot on sphero.com (September 2026); 15-robot BOLT+ Power Pack $3,499. BOLT launched at $149.99 in 2018.

AvailablePython from a laptopLED matrix / LCDIR robot-to-robotPython & JavaScriptClassroom standard

≤ 1 weekShipping: Days. Sold directly by Sphero, through education resellers and on Amazon. Sphero BOLT+ ↗

Remote control: The official Sphero Edu app runs on macOS/Windows/ChromeOS (and in a browser) and drives the robot over Bluetooth LE with block or JavaScript/Python code; the unofficial spherov2 Python library (pip) also drives it directly from a laptop over BLE.

BOLT+ ↗BOLT ↗Sphero Edu ↗spherov2.py ↗

Overview

The current Sphero flagship and a fixture in school STEM kits, a waterproof clear ball with an 8×8 LED matrix, compass, light sensor and infrared links so several BOLTs can talk to each other. BOLT+ (2024) swaps the matrix for a 128×128 color LCD. Everything is programmable from blocks up to text code, but there is no camera, so it teaches motion and sensing rather than vision.

The easiest programmable rolling robot to buy today, with the deepest curriculum around it.

Specifications

Category	Spherical & rolling · Consumer & education
Released	2018
Availability	Available
Programmability	Full SDK
Best for	Ages 8+ (maker rating)
Vision sensors	No vision sensors
Actuators	DC / gear motors
Audio	No audio
Compute type	Arduino / ESP32 / microcontroller
Remote control	Python from a laptop
Size	73 mm (2.87 in) diameter, ~200 g
Locomotion	Internal two-wheel drive cart in a sealed clear shell
Compute	Not published
Camera	None (BOLT+ adds a 128×128 LCD; ambient light sensor)
Sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer (compass), motor encoders, ambient light sensor, infrared transceivers
Runtime	Rated 'all-day' for classroom use (not quantified)
Speed	Not published
SDK	Sphero Edu: Draw, Blocks, JavaScript and Python; unofficial spherov2 Python library