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Ozobot Evo Review: No one is too small to be a programmer

20.3.2020

Translation: machine translated

Robots that teach you programming are a dime a dozen. It's rare for them to be as tiny as the Ozobot Evo. But appearances are deceptive: the golf-ball sized little thing has it all.

Do I want a robot that teaches me how to programme? No. I want a robot that I can play with and learn something - preferably without realising it. That's exactly what Ozobot aims to do with the Evo: switch it on, download the app and I'm "trapped" in the coding screen. A few hours later, I've written various programmes, from simple to complex. And I'm having great fun doing it. During the programming breaks, I try out a few mini-games that make me smile. Evo is barely bigger than a golf ball, but it has everything I could wish for in a programmable robot.

Unboxing: Lots of content, but not in the box

But back to the beginning: the Ozobot Evo looks like R2-D2 before, just a bazillion times smaller. The packaging, on the other hand, is almost as big as the "real" astromech droid from the Star Wars universe. "Your creative companion with a heart of code." That's what the Evo is called on the box. The printed marketing slogan promises quite a lot of content for such a tiny robot. I'm curious to see whether the little one lives up to the promise of the big box.

Robotics kit

Ozobot Evo

The inside of the box contains nothing apart from four felt-tip pens in the colours black, red, green and blue, an ultra-short micro USB charging cable and a few sheets of paper. Ozobot urgently needs to change this - in this day and age, this is neither sustainable nor ecologically correct. That and the giant box are simply unacceptable.

Why does such a small robot need such large packaging?

I doubt it, but still give it a fair chance and fully charge it for my review. It takes about 55 minutes. I should be able to play and programme it for about half an hour. I then place the robot on a large black dot, which can be found on the enclosed configuration sheet, press the power button and the Ozobot Evo is calibrated. In other words, I place it on a black dot, it beeps three times and one LED flashes green a few seconds later - it's ready to go.

Specs: When appearances are deceptive

As with the Sphero Bolt, the robust polycarbonate casing is transparent. So I can see the insides of the Evo at a glance. I like the black colour of the main board and it matches the dark mini robot. In contrast to the lighter-coloured Sphero, the black makes the LEDs stand out better. It also makes it look more dangerous and mysterious. It is also available in white, but I tested the black version. I can control it from a distance of up to nine metres via a Bluetooth connection. But I don't want to do that, because I would hardly recognise it from that far away.

Small but mighty: This is what the Ozobot Evo looks like up close.

The Ozobot Evo has four distance sensors - two at the front and two at the rear. This allows it to recognise obstacles and drive around them, roll away from approaching objects or perform tricks. The optical sensors attached to the underside of the robot enable it to recognise lines and read colour codes. The transparent mini-robot also has six LEDs: five lights are directed forwards and one upwards - the latter is also the status LED. The Ozobot Evo also speaks: it has a speaker that emits almost 200 sounds at the touch of a button.

Playing: Made for teenagers, also entertaining for adults

Ozobot combines playing and programming in its app. While I had to download a separate app for the Sphero Bolt if I wanted to not only programme it but also play with it, Ozobot has everything in one app (available for iOS and Android).

In the clearly organised app, you can find all games at a glance.

In Drive mode, I move the Evo in all directions, change its speed or make it follow a black line. To spice things up, Ozobot gives the robot sounds: from devilish laughter and snoring to outbursts of rage, everything is included. Unfortunately, you can't record your own sounds. I can also control the LEDs individually to give it a rainbow look. The Evo executes manufacturer-programmed moves on the spot at the touch of a button. It follows my finger or moves away from it, rolls along an imaginary catwalk or serves as a musical instrument - the Ozobot sensors act as buttons.

The Evo in its element: it recognises lines and colours and reacts to them.

In Ozolaunch mode, I play robot golf with Evo. The Ozobot is the golf ball, the app is my club and green, blue, red and black stickers are the holes. First, I spread the coloured stickers on as light a surface as possible - or alternatively draw some myself on white paper and stick them on a light-coloured surface. I use the Ozobot or standard felt-tip pens supplied for this. The game starts as soon as I place the Evo on the black dot. The first colour I need to hit then appears on the mobile or tablet screen. To simulate the tee shot, I pull a digital lever backwards in the app and release it again. This is how I determine how far my golf ball, in this case the Ozobot Evo, should fly or roll. I use the left and right buttons to control the "flight direction". The Evo rolls off and into the vicinity or - with a bit of luck - onto the coloured dot that I have previously aimed at. The counting method is like golf: the fewer attempts I need, the better it is.

Golf on the desk? The Ozobot Evo makes it possible.

I like the game modes on the Ozobot Evo. In contrast to the slightly more expensive, larger Sphero Bolt, they are more cleverly implemented, put the robot - and not the app - at the centre and offer long-lasting fun. But here, too, my interim conclusion is that the Evo is not enough to play with on its own and would gather dust in the corner after a while.

Programming: Perfectly solved, whether beginner or pro

I have options when it comes to programming the Ozobot Evo. I recommend that all beginners start with the Experience Packs. These are pre-printed sheets of paper that are included in the scope of delivery. They have black lines on them, some with small green, red and blue squares. With the Experience Pack, Ozobot introduces me to the world of colour coding. Thanks to its sensor on the underside, the Evo reads colours and converts them into commands in a specific order.

With the Experience Packs, you send the Ozobot on a learning mission in colour coding.

After working through all ten sheets, I receive the Evo Master award in the app. As I've learned some colour codes in the Experience Pack challenges, I can now apply what I've learned and draw lines with coloured patterns myself. Admittedly: The tasks in the Experience Packs are not the most challenging, but for a gentle introduction to colour coding - especially for the manufacturer's recommended target group of 8 to 14+ - it's not bad at all. The many experiences of success make you want more.

You can see the progress of the experience packs in the app.

"Ozoblocks": This is what Ozobot calls its own version of the Scratch programming language and the individual blocks. In principle, it is the same as conventional Scratch codes. I can choose between predefined tricks and an editor. The former have already been programmed by Ozobot and I can play them. I watch what the Evo does and follow in the app which components trigger which movement sequences. In the editor, I find an empty screen that I can fill with scratch blocks. I also find a tutorial that explains building blocks and other basics. Very nice: I can select a difficulty level and my skill level in the editor. At level 1, I only see a few building blocks that relate to basic elements such as driving, turning and lighting. At level 5, I can then go into more detail, including rotation angles, speed, functions, variables and much more.

This is how I like it: The app's programming screen leaves nothing to be desired.

Here Ozobot has gone one better with the Evo compared to the Sphero Bolt and the Dji Robomaster S1: The programming app is fun and leaves you wanting more. I don't want to learn to code by playing with this robot. No, I want to throw myself into the Ozoblock fray and write my own programmes. Which I promptly do. Numerous programmes later, which become more sophisticated each time, I jump back to the first code. I try to spice up the relatively simple programme with more Scratch blocks. I'm already trapped in the Ozoblock universe. Ozobot laughs to itself and thinks: Goal achieved. Because I'm having fun and learning how to programme the Evo with Scratch at the same time.

Conclusion: Small but mighty

The Ozobot impresses me across the board. Compared to the Sphero Bolt, the game mode is more sophisticated and manages to keep me entertained for much longer. The games are varied and because the robot is so tiny, the whole thing is even more fun. The funny sound and light effects give the little one the final kick. At a price of just over 110 francs (as of 20 March 2020), I would even consider the Ozobot Evo as a toy.

Everything the Ozobot Evo needs to function is there.

I was blown away by the Ozobot in its main discipline, programming. The simple introduction with the Experience Pack, then the felt-tip pens and colour codes that build on the basics learned in the Experience Packs and finally the Ozoblocks that perfect your coding. The tutorial lacks nothing, the five difficulty levels make the Ozobot interesting for beginners and professionals alike. The Ozobot Evo is a no-brainer. Programming has never been so much fun for me. Without realising it, I'm suddenly in the middle of programming mode - and I don't want to get out of it. With the Evo, Ozobot has created an ingenious mini-robot that is great fun and teaches you how to code.

Size does not matter: The Evo proves this impressively.

Is there another robot that can hold a candle to the Evo? I'll go on a search and review potential candidates. If you want to stay up to date and never miss any more robotics or gadget highlights, then follow me by clicking on the "Follow" button on the author profile. <p

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Raphael Knecht

Senior Editor

raphael.knecht@digitecgalaxus.ch

When I'm not stuffing my face with sweets, you'll catch me running around in the gym hall. I’m a passionate floorball player and coach. On rainy days, I tinker with my homebuilt PCs, robots or other gadgets. Music is always my trusted companion. I also enjoy tackling hilly terrain on my road bike and criss-crossing the country on my cross-country skis.

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