LEGO Education’s WeDo 2.0 is wireless robot learning system

LEGO Education is the learning portion of the giant LEGO corporation and they are making some news at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show. Introducing LEGO Education’s WeDo 2.0; this is a hands-on science solution that is designed for use in elementary school. It is a robot based learning system that utilizes the classic LEGO Bricks and some software. It allows students to build, program, and modify their projects.

There is a curriculum based around WeDo 2.0, one that contains over 40+ hours of lessons and activities that are built on key science standards grades two through fourth. Students are given different challenges and tasks that they have to solve, they do this by designing and then prototyping an answer. What better way to prototype then with LEGOs, they are very natural to use and most kids have some experience with them. WeDo 2.0 also makes learning more active and interesting for the students, rather then hearing a lecture or reading a book. By tasked with a challenge, they then have to physically prototype and make a solution happen.

Imagine being tasked to create a drop and rescue answer, you would then be tasked with designing a device to reduce the impact on humans, animals and the environment after an area has gone through a natural disaster. It will allow you to explore and remember that there are many ways to approach any given scenario

Even better there is a wireless component to this platform, an electronic-base building brick contains a Bluetooth low-energy chip, and this acts a s a Smarthub element. This brick is part of the LEGO Power Functions, which is another new technology platform of LEGO Education. It contains a motor, a title, and a motion sensor. This then pairs with the WeDo 2.0 core software, which is an easy to use and simple application, it has a drag-n-drop interface that relies heavily on visuals.

As of right now, WeDo 2.0 is available now for the iPad, Android, PC, and Macs. LEGO Education will be rolling out support for Chromebooks in the second half of 2016. A scratch interface for LEGO Education’s WeDo 2.0 will be coming to the Mac in February and to Windows PCs in June.