DJI Releases RoboMaster S1 ‘Tank’ That Helps Kids Learn Programming
DJI introduces the RoboMaster S1, a robotic vehicle that can be controlled via an app or programmed to make its own movements. The vehicle costs 500 dollars, converted 443 euros. It is not yet clear when it will be released in Europe.
The RoboMaster S1 is inspired by a robotics competition in China called RoboMasters, in which students have to create robots that fight against each other. The robot is an accessible version for educational purposes that allows users to drive, record footage and engage in battles.
Those fights can be held with the Blaster: the weapon on top of the vehicle. This contains LED lighting and infrared and can also fire small gel balls. Pressure sensors on the housing allow the robot tank to register hits from those projectiles and there are also infrared sensors. In total there are 31 sensors.
Above the Blaster is a built-in 5-megapixel camera that can take photos at a resolution of up to 2560 by 1440 pixels and record video at 30 fps in 1920 by 1080 pixels. The lens has a field of view of 120 degrees and an aperture of f/2.4. The camera images can be streamed to a smartphone via a WiFi network.
Both the camera and turret are attached to a two-axis gimbal, for rotation and 65 degrees of up and down movement. The gadget has 4WD drive with four brushless electric motors. Thanks to the presence of Mecanum wheels, the robot can not only drive forwards and backwards, but also sideways and rotation is also possible. The maximum speed when driving forward is 3.5m/s, driving backwards is at a maximum of 2.5m/s. Moving sideways is possible at 2.8m/s.
By default, there are several game modes. For example, there is a ‘Target Practice’ and a ‘Target Race’ mode in which players have to scan visual markers. There is also a multiplayer Battle mode, which includes a race and free for all mode. Thanks to the sound recognition, the vehicle can respond to, for example, clapping in the hands, and thanks to image recognition, it can follow people on gesture-based commands.
Users can add new features such as evasive maneuvers using the development languages Scratch 3.0 or Python. DJI posts videos online explaining how the robot and programming works. Users can also access the ‘Road to Mastery’ program through the Robomaster app. This program teaches users the programming languages that software supports for the tank.
In addition to the standalone version, a controller bundle for the tank will be released. This bundle must be purchased separately and includes an extra battery and more gel projectiles. The robot costs 500 dollars, which translates to about 443 euros. It is still unclear when the tank will be released in Europe. The company states in a statement that the robot will not be released in Europe for the time being.