Sphero SPRK+

Sphero (USA) · 2016

Was $129.99Launched June 2016 at $129.99 as the Bluetooth LE successor to the SPRK Edition; sphero.com still listed it at $129.99 as a legacy product in 2019. Classroom 'Power Packs' were also sold.
Discontinued · used/leftover onlyPython from a laptopClear shellEducationBluetooth LEDiscontinued
Weeks+Shipping: Used only. Discontinued; used units and classroom sets appear on eBay. Sphero points buyers to BOLT+ instead.
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.

Overview

The education version of Sphero, a transparent, waterproof, inductively charged ball meant for classroom coding, sold alongside the Lightning Lab (later Sphero Edu) curriculum. It set the pattern that BOLT later expanded. Now listed by Sphero as a legacy product; Sphero Edu still supports it, and used classroom sets are easy to find.

Specifications

CategorySpherical & rolling · Consumer & education
Released2016
AvailabilityDiscontinued · used/leftover only
ProgrammabilityFull SDK
Best forAges 8+ (maker rating)
Vision sensorsNo vision sensors
ActuatorsDC / gear motors
AudioNo audio
Compute typeArduino / ESP32 / microcontroller
Remote controlPython from a laptop
Size73 mm diameter, 181 g
LocomotionInternal two-wheel drive cart in a sealed clear shell
ComputeNot published
CameraNone
SensorsAccelerometer, gyroscope, motor encoders; RGB LED
RuntimeOver 1 h per charge (inductive charging)
SpeedUp to 4.5 mph (2 m/s)
SDKSphero Edu (formerly Lightning Lab): Draw, Scratch-style blocks, JavaScript and Python

Ratings & reviews

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Image credits