While Black Friday and Cyber Monday used to be a US-only event, it changed many years ago, and we’ve been writing about international Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and coupon codes since 2014, since a large portion of our audience cannot benefit from promotions on Amazon’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday events that will take place from November 21 until December 2 this year. So I’ve gathered some international Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024 deals and discount coupon codes from relevant manufacturers and popular online stores such as Aliexpress, Banggood, and others. Aliexpress Black Friday and Cyber Monday event Aliexpress’ Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024 event has already started. There are three periods: Nov 19-21 PST – Warm Up event where users can find and add items to the cart before purchasing during the main event. Nov 22-30 PST – “On Sale” event with discounts up [...]
Create Your Own Bot (CYOBot) v2 is an open-source, modular robotics platform for students, educators, hobbyists, and future engineers based on the ESP32-S3 microcontroller and featuring up to 16 servo motors for complex control. The CYOBot v2 is a follow-up to the previous quadrupedal robotic platform from the same company. It adds new features such as a modular design, an upgrade to the ESP32-S3 chip, more motor channels, and an expansion block with more peripherals. It also supports integrating AI systems, such as ChatGPT, for added functionality. The CYOBot supports up to three configurations via the CYOBrain — which powers the robotics platform and controls the servo motors — and separate 3D-printed components. The CYOBot Crawler is a four-legged robot powered by eight 180-degree servo motors. The CYOBot Wheeler form factor features four 360-degree motors linked to wheels at the end of each leg and is essentially a hybrid between [...]
At Arduino, we believe coding should be accessible to everyone – including the youngest learners. With this in mind, we’re thrilled to announce that the Arduino Alvik robot now officially supports block-based coding!
Coding has never been easier thanks to Alvik’s seamless integration with mBlock, one of the most widely used platforms for educational hardware, available in both desktop and web-based versions compatible with Chromebook, MacBook, and Windows PC. With mBlock’s intuitive block-based coding and Alvik as a tangible, interactive robot companion, elementary students and teachers can explore robotics, mathematics, astronomy, and other engaging projects.
With the release of the public beta version of the integration in mBlock, Alvik’s new features and improvements will be implemented over time based on feedback from educators.
Beyond coding: bringing all areas of learning to life
Alvik provides a unique, hands-on learning experience. This makes it the ideal tool for elementary-aged students who benefit from interacting with something they can see, touch, and control. They can get immediate feedback on their commands and see the robot’s reactions and movements in real time.
But Alvik is more than just a gateway to coding; it’s a multidisciplinary tool that can enrich learning across all subjects. This classroom companion truly reflects the spirit of STEAM education, enabling teachers to bring learning to life in creative and often unexpected ways.
Teaching abstract concepts to elementary-aged students can be tough. However, young children grasp abstract concepts and problem-solving skills more effectively when “learning becomes more hands-on, tangible and interactive”. This is where physical tools like Alvik can make a significant difference.
Through Arduino’s engaging Block-Based Coding and Robotics lesson, children can program their Alvik to perform an array of exciting tasks. These step-by-step project-based activities cover a diverse range of subjects, allowing students to convert abstract concepts into concrete, relatable experiences. This immersive approach is a great way to nurture kids’ natural curiosity and deepen their understanding of challenging topics and ideas.
And it doesn’t stop there. With LEGO® Technic compatibility and M3 screw connectors, Alvik becomes a canvas for creativity. Students can customize and decorate their robot for special occasions like Halloween and Christmas, blending art design with engineering and making the learning process even more personal and engaging.
With Alvik, kids aren’t just learning to code – they’re learning to think creatively and critically, and explore a wide range of subjects in a way of solving real-life tasks.
Why choose Alvik with block-based coding for primary school?
1. Enhances engagement with a child-friendly interface – Based on the popular Scratch platform created by MIT, mBlock is crafted specifically for elementary-aged students. With its game-like elements, vibrant colors, and instant visual feedback, block-based coding lowers the entry barrier and makes programming fun and engaging for learners of all ages.
2. Builds confidence at an early age – Block-based coding helps eliminate common frustrations like syntax errors, which can hinder young learners in text-based programming. Instead, students experience early success as they watch the Alvik robot follow their commands – boosting their confidence and love for creating more.
3. Makes interdisciplinary learning easy – Following the lessons available in Arduino’s dedicated online platform, elementary-aged teachers could enhance the students’ knowledge of various subject matters through playing and hands-on creative projects.
4. Simplifies abstract concepts – Abstract coding concepts such as loops, conditionals, and variables can be difficult for young students to grasp. Block-based coding provides a visual and interactive way to understand these concepts. Blocks represent specific functions and operations, making abstract ideas more concrete.
5. Supports the transition to text-based coding – Block-based coding with Alvik isn’t just a fun starting point – it’s a bridge to more advanced learning. As students advance, they can easily transition from blocks to text-based coding languages like MicroPython with a simple click of a button. This seamless shift lets students build on their skills and dive deeper into the world of programming at their own pace. And you won’t have to worry about purchasing separate hardware either, as students can program their Alvik robot by following the lessons in Arduino’s Explore Robotics in MicroPython course.
6. Supports Chromebook –The mBlock web platform works across Chromebooks, Windows PCs, and MacBooks, so students and teachers can jump into their projects on any device, anytime.
A wealth of support at your fingertips
We know that stepping into the world of coding can feel like a challenge, especially for elementary teachers without a computer science background. That’s why Alvik comes with free access to dedicated learning resources with project-based lesson plans, step-by-step tutorials, and engaging activities. These are currently available in English, Italian and Spanish, with more lessons coming soon. Utilizing both Alvik and mBlock means teachers can lead their students into the world of coding and robotics (and beyond!) with confidence.
Ready to get started?
With Arduino’s strong reputation for innovation and mBlock’s child-friendly platform, we’re combining our strengths to make learning robotics and coding more engaging and enjoyable than ever before.
Are you ready to inspire the next generation of innovators? Bring the joy of coding into your classroom with Alvik!
We’re thrilled to announce that Arduino Education has been shortlisted for the Bett Awards 2025, this time in the AV, VR/AR, Robotics, or Digital Device category with our Alvik robot! This recognition highlights our dedication to innovation, inclusivity, and the advancement of practical STEM education.
The Bett Awards celebrate leading-edge technology in education, with entries evaluated on key criteria such as innovation, curriculum suitability, online safety, research evidence, customer support and more.
About the Alvik robot
Alvik is an adaptable, lifelong learning robot that supports educators and students as they transition from block-based programming to text-based coding using MicroPython and Arduino language. It enables them to explore robotics and tackle real-life challenges with comprehensive learning content. However, Alvik isn’t just designed to teach programming and robotics; it can also enhance students’ understanding of topics like mathematics and astronomy, along with other engaging projects. Alvik’s curriculum-aligned course makes it an ideal fit for today’s classrooms, empowering students with hands-on skills and a strong foundation in STEAM.
But what truly sets Alvik apart from other educational robots is its limitless potential for customization. Students and teachers can easily add external sensors using the I2C Grove and Qwiic plug-and-play connectors, eliminating the need for soldering or complex wiring. Additionally, the LEGO® Technic and M3 screw connectors encourage hands-on creativity, allowing users to build custom components and further expand Alvik’s capabilities.
We’re honored to be recognized once again, and we can’t wait to attend Bett in just a couple of months. The winners will be announced at the Bett Awards 2025 Ceremony on January 22nd at The Brewery, London. We look forward to seeing you there!
Collaborative coding in education can be a game-changer for students, providing them with real-world skills in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
If you are on a paid Cloud School or Business plan and you have created a Shared Space, Collaborative Coding will already be enabled for you. Just open a sketch file from your organization space and start editing.
You can purchase an Arduino Cloud School or Business plan on this page.
How does Collaborative Coding work?
Before, to edit a shared sketch, the user needed to make a copy to edit it, only the owner could edit the original sketch. Users could end up with many copies of the same sketch. Now, if you’re editing a shared sketch and another user tries to access it, they’ll get an instant notification in the lower corner of the Arduino Cloud Editor. Once you’re done or have uploaded the sketch, the other user can edit it.
Below are seven ways that showcase how collaborative coding can enhance learning experiences in educational settings.
1. Remote team projects
In today’s increasingly connected world, remote collaboration has become a critical skill. By assigning students to a remote team project, such as building a smart greenhouse, educators can simulate real-world tasks. In this scenario, each student tackles a different component of the project: one works on coding for temperature sensors, another handles humidity control, while another focuses on pressure regulation.
Through real-time collaboration tools, students can test and integrate their code seamlessly, making it easier to identify and resolve issues as they arise. This approach doesn’t just encourage communication and teamwork; it also gives students valuable exposure to the challenges of coordinating efforts across distances – a skill essential in modern engineering and tech careers.
2. Peer learning and mentorship
As the students code, mentors can provide immediate feedback, guide them through debugging, and teach best practices. This instant interaction accelerates learning by allowing students to correct mistakes as they occur and learn more efficiently. Mentors can also demonstrate advanced coding techniques, improving the overall skill set of junior students while fostering a supportive learning environment.
3. Interdisciplinary projects
A great way to incorporate collaborative coding is through interdisciplinary projects, which bring together students from diverse fields like computer science, physics, and environmental science. Take a weather station project, for example. Each student can code different elements, and with the Collaborative Coding feature, they can seamlessly integrate their work into a unified system in real time. This setup not only helps students share their domain-specific knowledge but also prepares them for real-world scenarios where interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial.
4. Classroom code review sessions
Arduino Cloud simplifies live code review sessions. Teachers can use the platform to host collaborative peer reviews, where students suggest improvements and optimizations on each other’s code. The Collaborative Coding feature allows these suggestions to be implemented and tested instantly, creating an interactive learning experience. This real-time feedback helps students improve their coding skills by learning to write cleaner, more efficient code. It also exposes them to different problem-solving approaches.
5. Hackathons and coding competitions
Hackathons are a great way to encourage teamwork and creative problem-solving, with students having to work closely together under time constraints. The Collaborative Coding feature enables real-time teamwork, allowing students to brainstorm, write, and debug code simultaneously. This setup encourages effective communication and quick decision-making, which are crucial skills in high-pressure environments like coding competitions. Students also learn how to divide tasks, manage time, and integrate different components swiftly.
6. Cross-school collaborative projects
Collaborative coding doesn’t have to be limited to one classroom. By connecting students from different schools, you can promote collaboration on larger, more ambitious projects. For example, students from various schools could work on a shared environmental monitoring system, with each school responsible for different parts such as data collection, interface design, and system integration.
Using the Collaborative Coding feature, they can integrate their code into a unified system in real time, learning from each other’s approaches and gaining exposure to different coding styles and experiences.
7. Pair programming exercises
In pair programming exercises, two students work together on a single coding task – whether that’s in the classroom or remotely. One student writes the code while the other reviews it in real time, and they switch roles regularly so both get hands-on experience with every part of the project.
This technique encourages close collaboration and helps students develop their communication skills and systematic debugging techniques. It also gives them the opportunity to learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses, improving their overall coding abilities.
Conclusion
Integrating collaborative coding into the classroom can dramatically enhance the learning experience for students, giving them the skills they need to thrive in the modern workforce. From remote team projects and interdisciplinary work to peer mentoring and hackathons, these use cases demonstrate how coding can be both a collaborative and creative activity. By fostering teamwork, communication, and technical expertise, educators can prepare students for success in coding and beyond.
Olimex RVPC is one Euro RISC-V computer powered by a WCH CH32V003 RISC-V microcontroller and equipped with a VGA port for video output and a PS/2 connector to connect a keyboard. You won’t be able to do much with this device as an end-user, but it does not matter since the RVPC open-source hardware board mostly targets the education market and is offered as a kit to be soldered to lower the selling price and to serve as a soldering learning kit. Olimex RVPC specifications: MCU – WCH CH32V003 32-bit RISC-V2A microcontroller up to 48 MHz with 2KB SRAM, 16KB flash (SOP8 package with 6x GPIOs) Video Output – VGA connector (3x GPIO used for Vsync, HSync, and RGB) Keyboard port – PS/2 connector (2x GPIO used) Programmer port – 2-pin header for CH32V003 programming through a board such as ESP32-S2-DevKit-LiPo-USB Misc – Buzzer (1x GPIO) and Red power LED [...]
Have you ever discovered a cool piece of tech buried in your drawer and thought, “This could make for an awesome project”? That’s exactly what happened to Roni Bandini, maker, writer, electronics artist – and Arduino Alvik Star!
Bandini began coding at 10 years old, and has always found automatons and robots fascinating. About Alvik, he has said, “I really like this little robot—the elegance of its concept and design. As soon as I encountered it, I dove into several projects aimed at expanding its default capabilities.”
One of those projects in particular caught our attention, and we are excited to share it with you.
Getting the building blocks ready
After stumbling upon a tiny Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32S3 with an OV2640 camera sensor, Bandini saw its potential right away. It was the perfect tool to upgrade Arduino’s Alvik robot with computer vision. His mission? To teach Alvik to evade law enforcement officials – or at least a LEGO® police figure!
Since both the Alvik main board and the XIAO cam board use ESP32, Bandini used ESPNow – a fast communication protocol – to connect the camera with the robot. He then 3D-printed two support bars and attached them with a pair of M3 screws.
Learning to react fast!
But before the epic police chase could begin, Alvik needed some training. Bandini took pictures of the LEGO® police figure and a ball and uploaded them to Edge Impulse. He then exported the trained model as an Arduino library using the EON compiler, before importing the zip file into the Arduino IDE.
Once everything was set up and the MicroPython script created, Alvik was ready to roll. As it moved forward, the robot took pictures and processed them through a machine learning (ML) model. If it detected the police figure, Alvik would turn around and flash a red light. In other words, it was time to make a quick getaway!
For more details on this exciting project, including a link to a YouTube demo, visit Bandini’s blog post here.
Making it useful
However, the action doesn’t stop there. Although Alvik can drive autonomously, Bandini has also adapted a remote control from the 1980s to give himself even more control. How? By writing C++ routines that translate the remote’s coordinates into commands. These commands are then sent via ESPNow to the MAC address of the ESP32 in Alvik, where they trigger functions to move the robot.
Inspired by an old-school advertisement for the Omnibot 2000 robot, Bandini has even taught Alvik to bring him a glass of whiskey! While we don’t recommend this for anyone under the legal drinking age, there’s no reason why you can’t substitute it for your favorite refreshments!
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compatibility and M3 screw connectors, Alvik becomes a canvas for creativity. Students can customize and decorate their robot for special occasions like Halloween and Christmas, blending art design with engineering and making the learning process even more personal and engaging.
