$119.95$119.95 for the XRP Kit (SparkFun SKU KIT-27644, sold by resellers as KIT-28009), in stock at SparkFun, October 2026. Educator accounts, including FIRST teams, get a discount on request, but SparkFun lists no amount. The controller alone (ROB-26619) is $52.95. AA batteries and a USB-C cable are not included. The original Beta kit (KIT-22230, Raspberry Pi Pico W) opened for pre-order in July 2023 at $114.95, or $64.95 for schools and FIRST teams (about 43% off). SparkFun retired the Beta line in November 2025 with a $60 closeout. The current kit uses the newer RP2350 controller and is a regular in-stock product, not a pre-order.
AvailablePython from a laptopRaspberry Pi RP2350MicroPythonBlocklyWPILibFIRSTEncoders
≤ 1 weekShipping: In stock, ships from Colorado. SparkFun sells the kit directly and ships from its warehouse in Colorado, and the kit showed as in stock in an October 2026 check. DigiKey also sells it, and resellers abroad list it as KIT-28009. Batteries (4 AA) and a USB-C cable are not included. SparkFun ↗
Remote control: XRPCode runs in Chrome or Edge on a Mac and connects over USB or Bluetooth. WPILib runs on macOS, and a Java, C++ or Python program on the laptop drives the robot live over its own Wi-Fi access point.
Overview
The XRP (Experiential Robotics Platform) is an open-source two-wheel robot kit designed by a consortium including WPI and DEKA, built and sold by SparkFun. It snaps together without soldering and carries encoder motors, an ultrasonic rangefinder, a line sensor, an IMU and a servo arm on an RP2350 controller with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The software range stands out, from Blockly and MicroPython in the XRPCode browser IDE to the same WPILib Java, C++ and Python used on full-size FIRST robots. Free WPI course material backs it, which suits middle and high school classes and new FIRST teams. It has no camera, and its 3D-printable frame is larger than palm-sized kits like the Pololu Zumo 32U4.
Specifications
| Category | Wheeled rovers · Classroom coding cars |
|---|---|
| Released | 2023 |
| Country | USA |
| Availability | Available |
| Sales | Over 15,000 kits made in three years, used in every US state and 180+ countries (2026, estimate) Experiential Robotics ↗ |
| Programmability | Open source (hardware + software) |
| Built-in autonomy | None / scripted · Moves only when controlled, or plays preset motions |
| LLM support | Official LLM tools · XRPCode V2 includes XRPCode Buddy, a Google Gemini chat assistant that reads the open program and the XRP documentation to help write code, according to the open-source XRPWeb repository. It helps write programs rather than driving the robot, and whether it is enabled for every user on the hosted site is unconfirmed. WPILib and MicroPython access also let any LLM write or run code for it. XRPWeb repository (GitHub) ↗ |
| MuJoCo simulation | None found · Nothing found. |
| NVIDIA Isaac simulation | None found · Nothing found. |
| Gazebo simulation | None found · Nothing found. WPILib programs for the XRP run through WPILib's desktop simulation framework, but that only relays commands to the real robot over Wi-Fi and has no physics model. |
| Best for | Ages 13+ (estimated) |
| Vision sensors | Sonar / ultrasonic |
| Actuators | DC / gear motors |
| Audio | No audio |
| Compute type | Arduino / ESP32 / microcontroller |
| Remote control | Python from a laptop |
| Size | Not published (60 mm wheels, 155 mm track width) |
| Drive | 2-wheel differential drive with two 48.75:1 hobby gear motors with encoders (585 counts per wheel turn), 60 mm wheels with O-ring tires and two casters. A sub-micro servo lifts a small arm, and the board has two spare motor ports and four servo ports |
| Compute | SparkFun XRP Controller with a Raspberry Pi RP2350B (dual-core, 16 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM) and an RM2 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module. The 2023 Beta controller used a Raspberry Pi Pico W (RP2040) |
| Vision | None |
| Lidar | None |
| Sensors | Ultrasonic rangefinder (20–4000 mm), 2-channel reflectance line sensor, STMicroelectronics LSM6DSOX 6-axis IMU, wheel encoders, motor current sensing, user button, RGB LED, two Qwiic I2C ports |
| Runtime | 4×AA (not included), runtime not published. The barrel jack accepts 4.8–11 V |
| Speed | Not published. The motors turn about 90 RPM with no load at 4.5 V on 60 mm wheels, roughly 0.28 m/s by calculation (unconfirmed) |
| SDK | XRPCode V2 browser IDE (Blockly and MicroPython, Chrome or Edge, USB or Bluetooth) with the open-source XRPLib; WPILib (Java, C++, and Python via RobotPy) running on a computer over Wi-Fi; Arduino C++ through the community arduino-pico core, with no official XRP library |
Timeline
- AnnouncedSparkFun opened pre-orders for the XRP Kit Beta with a Raspberry Pi Pico W controller at $114.95. SparkFun News ↗
- Estimated deliverySparkFun expected the first Beta kits to ship later in summer 2023. SparkFun News ↗
- UpdateWPILib added XRP support for the 2024 FIRST season, including a Python package for RobotPy. PyPI robotpy-xrp ↗
- ReleasedSparkFun released the production XRP Kit with the new RP2350 controller and an updated chassis. DigiKey Maker.io ↗
- UpdateSparkFun retired the XRP Beta line and ended software and curriculum support for it, with a closeout sale. SparkFun News ↗
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
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