Treads Robot
Grades K-3A tracked robot with a screen face, ready to use on arrival.
- Assembly
- None, it arrives pre-built
- Screen
- A face with two large cartoon eyes
- Coding
- Icon blocks, with math and ELA practice built in
The True Robotics classroom robots
Treads, Pilot and Axle
True Robotics makes three classroom robots, one for each grade band of the K-8 Classroom Suite. The Treads Robot is pre-built for grades K-3. Students build the Pilot Robot Kit in grades 3-5 and the Axle Robot Kit in grades 6-8. Everything is reusable.
One robot per grade band
Plan a classroom set from four numbers: who builds the robot, how many students share one, how long a charge lasts and what each robot costs.
The three robots comparedCurriculum licensing and professional development are priced separately and bundled into Classroom Packages at a discount. Prices subject to change.
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Robot | Student assembly | Students per robot | Battery life | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treads RobotGrades K-3Paving the Way with Treads | No | 2 students | 60 to 90 minutes | $200 per robot |
| Pilot Robot KitGrades 3-5Taking Off with Pilot | Yes | 2 to 3 students | 4 to 5 hours | $399 per robot |
| Axle Robot KitGrades 6-8Introduction to Robotics with Axle | Yes | 2 to 3 students | 2 to 3 hours | $650 per robot |
- All robot kits are reusable.
- Come with all required tools and pieces.
- Programmed with our scaffolded drag-and-drop software.
- Compatible with any Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPad, or Android Tablet.
The three robots
Pilot Robot Kit
Grades 3-5The kit students build in grades 3 to 5, then program and drive.
- Pieces
- About 150 pieces, built in one to three class periods
- Sensor
- Ultrasonic at the front, programmed to avoid walls
Axle Robot Kit
Grades 6-8Pilot's big brother, built and taken apart in grades 6 to 8.
- Pieces
- About double the Pilot Robot Kit
- Sensors
- Ultrasonic at the front, light sensor underneath
FlexForge: add-on pieces
FlexForge is a set of add-on pieces students build onto a Pilot Robot Kit or an Axle Robot Kit they have already assembled, so a class that has finished the base robot keeps going into the engineering design process. In one challenge they design a claw that carries an object across the classroom. FlexForge is not offered for the Treads Robot.
- Gray build pieces, extra motors and gears that fit the Pilot Robot Kit and the Axle Robot Kit
- A 15-day curriculum extension built around 5 engineering challenges
- FlexForge Basic $149 per kit, FlexForge Enhanced $349 per kit
In the box
Your school provides a device for coding, such as a Chromebook or an iPad. True Robotics provides everything else:
- The robots and robot kits, with all required tools and pieces
- The batteries and the chargers
- Double the screws you are going to need
- Real-world tools for building the kits: a screwdriver, a wrench and a ruler
- A game controller with the Pilot and Axle robots, so students can learn to program it
- The curriculum and the professional development
Assembly instructions
The Treads Robot arrives pre-built. Students build the Pilot Robot Kit and the Axle Robot Kit with the screwdriver, wrench and ruler in the kit, plus double the screws you will need.
Each program has its own Learning Portal, open 24/7. The Axle course has a Building Axle chapter: an illustrated parts sheet paired with follow-along build videos. Teachers build the robot first.
- A printed Assembly Instructions sheet on top of the parts tray in the Axle Robot Kit box
- Maintenance tips, and a Robot Parts Catalog in the Teacher Digital Portal
Programming the robots
Students program every robot in True Robotics Playground, at app.truerobotics.org. They pick their robot on the first screen, then drag blocks into place.
The blocks grow with the grades. Kindergarten starts with icons, and math and ELA practice sit inside the coding. By middle school students are working with sensors, conditionals, loops and the game controller.
- Programs upload to the robot over Bluetooth, and the connection menu also offers USB
- 0 student logins and no student data collected
Buying the robots
Schools buy the robots as part of a Classroom Package: a classroom set of robots, curriculum licensing, the Learning Portal and one-on-one teacher training, quoted for your number of students and teachers.
Questions about the robots
How many students share a robot, and how long do the batteries last?
We recommend groups of two to three students per robot; that is your best bet for engagement. For the Treads Robot, which needs no assembly, the ideal is 2 students per robot and the battery lasts 60 to 90 minutes. For the Pilot Robot Kit, 2 to 3 students per robot and 4 to 5 hours of battery life. For the Axle Robot Kit, 2 to 3 students per robot and 2 to 3 hours. Batteries and chargers are included with every robot.
Do students build the robots, and what can the robots do?
The Treads Robot needs no assembly: students turn it on and start playing and learning right away. The Pilot Robot Kit has about 150 pieces that students put together with real-world tools, usually in one to three class periods; once built, Pilot uses its ultrasonic sensor to avoid hitting walls. The Axle Robot Kit is like Pilot's big brother, with about double the pieces, built with a screwdriver, a wrench and a ruler. It has an ultrasonic sensor and a light sensor on the bottom for line following. Pilot and Axle also come with a game controller that students learn to program. Every kit comes with all required tools and pieces.
Is the equipment reusable?
Yes. All of our robots and all of our equipment are reusable. Students build Axle and take it apart at the end of the unit, which is also what lets one grade hand the robots on to the next. Treads is never taken apart, so it moves from classroom to classroom all day. The equipment stays with the school, so from year two the only cost to plan for is the license renewal.
Bring the robots to your classrooms
Tell us your grades, your days and your goals. We put together a Classroom Package around the right robot for each grade band.
