Wonder Workshop Dot and Cue Review: One of these is not like the other

A few months ago, I reviewed a university version of the famous “Cozmo” robot from ANKI. Cozmo was first and foremost a game, but the application included a “symbol laboratory” where the owners can create simple blocks based on the blocks (so that I have extended this in subsequent updates). After that review, Wonder Workshop asked me if I wanted to try two gameputs – “Dot” and “Cue”. Unlike Cozmo, where coding functions were more than just a later idea, programming is at the heart of the point and signal. All activities that you can do with these robots include a level of coding, but can be accessed enough for most children to get some enjoyment. More and more parents try to provide programming concepts to their children at an early age, and in this way, robotics groups have become increasingly common. So do Dot and Cue deserve $ 79 and $ 199, respectively? I think Dot is a great game for young children, but braid … not much.

Goodness

Not very good

design

a point

Let’s start with “dot”, in the picture above. It is a green plastic ball, without any capabilities. Dot is designed to be customized, and comes with a variety of attachments and fashion. This includes a connector for LEGO’s compatible blocs, a basic position, a “sponge case” is similar to the depths of the seas, a mood lamp, 20 project cards with games and activities, and more than 100 posters. Because stickers make everything more wonderful.

On each aspect of Cue there is an access connection and LED lamp, and on the back is the power button and the MicroUSB port. This means that you can charge a point with any old MicroUSB cable – nothing to worry if you (or your children) lose the guaranteed rope. The bottom has another supplement conductor, and at the top there are four buttons. Dot’s introduction has a large eye, with a 12 -LED loop that surrounds the student.

You may think the point will become boring quickly, taking into account that it cannot actually move. However, it has a lot of other functions. Dot has four buttons on top, microphone, amplifier, and acceleration scale. All of these can be used in programs; LED loudspeakers and lamps provide notes, buttons and acceleration scale can be used as players, and you can applause to start a procedure, etc. In addition, the point’s lack of wheels means that it will not be able to infiltrate you when the inevitable robot uprising occurs.

cue

If the Dot Pokemon, the braid of the advanced version will be. It still has a large DOT eye and a set of lights and buttons, but adds two engines to move around the floor. The fun green design is replaced by the black and blue colors system (or white and green, if you purchase the special version). The un shuttle base has two wheels and a third rotating wheel to keep a balanced braid.

(GFYCAT DATA_ID = “Somlazyliger”)

A braid sequence on power

As mentioned above, the head contains the same set of lamps and buttons as Dot. The head can also rotate about 270 degrees, and can search up or down. The entire robot can also wander, giving a braid several degrees of movement. There is another LED on the front neck area, with the MicroUSB port on one side and the power button on the other side.

Just like Dot, Cue has a lot of buttons and sensors to use with coding projects. There are four buttons in the top, a set of infrared receivers and transmitters in the front, three proximity sensors, acceleration scale, gyroscope, wheel consists, and three microphones. There is also a speaker to get audio reactions.

programming

a point

The main app for “Wonder for Dash & Dot” is called, which you can get from Google Play, Apple App Store or Amazon App Store. This is the person that most children may want to use with DOT, because it is a regulator like the game. The main menu contains some different options – the inventor record, Wonder Cloud, Controller, Scroll Quest, and free play.

Scroll Quest is the main gravity of the application. It is the place where you travel across different regions and a full series of challenges, by creating basic programs. For example, in the “Firefly Lagoon” area, you should program a Dot to act like a wire. This is achieved by repeating lifting movements using LED lights, choosing transmission from the ground (the acceleration scale is used for the movement of movement), and making Dot play different sounds.

The challenges begin easy, but become more difficult as you advance through Scroll Quest. Frankly, I am not sure whether an eight -year -old can know some of them (8 is the minimum age for the Wonder application), but there is an assistance button that provides instructions for any next step. To facilitate matters, the interface usually shows the jobs required to complete the task, so children will not be immersed in every possible feature.

Very simple program

The programming interface in the Wonder is somewhat unique. The procedures are displayed as circles (similar to the blocks in zero and other visual programming languages), and the user must connect the circles to form a program. You can move the circles around them after connecting them to give yourself more space, and click on the lines to change how to advance the program. For example, you can make the program waiting for the pressure button just by clicking on the place where you want to stop the program and select the button, click on the procedure.

Complex program

It is definitely an intuitive way to teach children the basics of programming, and the Connect-The-Tots interface makes it easy to discover episodes and other complex tasks. As mentioned above, if the user stumbles at all, the auxiliary button directs them through the required steps.

“Free Play” mode allows you to create and save your own programs, and you can even share programs with others. “Wonder Cloud” is the place where you can download coordinated programs from other users, and the “Control Unit” allows you to process directly (changing light colors, operating sounds, etc.).

In general, I have no complaints with the DOT application. It is well designed and simple to move, allows children to complete the pre -specified tasks in the Scroll Quest and allow them to go in free play. There is a good amount of manual adherence, which will definitely prevent young children from frustration, but children over the age of 11 or 12 years are bored. This is where a braid comes.

cue

Cue app is completely different from DOT’s doming. First, it is available on the Play Store, Apple App Store and Amazon App Store. Once the application opens and prepare an account, you can choose a avatar to give a braid. You can choose between “Charge”, “Zest,” Pep “and” Smirk “. These will not affect what you can do with a braid – it only changes the sound lines that the robot uses.

The main screen has some options. “Create” is where you can write dedicated programs for Cue, in the same way as Dot. “Code” has a series of tasks that you need to complete by creating programs, just like “Scroll Quest”. Finally, “control” allows you to drive a braid like a remote control.

Remote control interface

The more you play with a braid, the more you realize that it was not manufactured like Dot. First, the programming interface in “Create” is completely different from the interface contained in the “code”. When you write your own programs, a user interface is given very similar to those used in the DOT application. You can pull the procedures anywhere on the screen, and connect it to other procedures to form a program. But in the position of “code”, you should create programs with something that resembles scratching closely.

The interface in “Create”

The interface in the “symbol”

You can still create your own software with a Block Editor, by going to “Code” and taking advantage of the “My Programs” tab. You are not sure why Wonder does not use the same interface for both modes, or at least give the “My Programs” tab in the main menu. The block editor seemed slightly late – opening the panels and pulling the blocs around it slow and enlarged.

Another strange aspect of the app is the chat function. You can talk to Cue using the messaging box at the bottom of the screen, and use orders such as “Sing A Song”, “Tell Me A Joke”, “Moast Forward 30” and “Show me your colors.” This in itself is not necessarily strange, but the wonder sells “mission packages” for $ 2.99 in the app.

Tasks include talks and text games only inside the chat interface. Who wants to pay $ 2.99 for what robot games are primarily, after Pay $ 200 for robot? I really don’t get it.

conclusion

Wonder Workshop and Dot robots are interesting products, and try to teach children the basics of programming while keeping them sharing them is not an easy task. Both Cue and Dot try to solve this problem, as Dot targets children between the ages of 6 and 10, and Cue aims at children 11 and above.

I think it is for $ 80, Dot is a good product. The main “Wonder” app has hours of tasks to complete, and children can make their own programs and share them easily. When they feel bored of it, there are also applications (a scratch -like icon editor) and GO (a simplified version of the Wonder for Young Kids application) to try it. As mentioned above, the DOT group comes with more activities. It may seem a lot of $ 80 for the eye that Bluetooth is plastic, but there is a large amount of value, and it decreases up to 50-55 dollars sometimes.

On the other hand, I am not sure that I can recommend x -rays. At $ 199 (although $ 150 on Amazon is currently), it saves a lot of jobs, but the application is not polished or intuitive like DOT. There are two completely different software instructions, one of which is the animal and slow carts, and there are purchases inside the application. IAPS in no way is not required to take full advantage of Cue functions, but still bother me.

One of the disadvantages that both robots shares is completely dependent on the application. Dot does nothing at all without opening the application, and it only occupies a bad braid. Your phone/tablet does not need an internet connection to the application to work, but it is worth noting.

If you are looking for a gift for a 6 to 10 -year -old child, I think they will get some fun from the point, and they may learn some problem -solving skills in this process. For older children, you should search elsewhere.