Elegoo Smart Robot Car Kit 3.0 Plus Review (Age 13+) Sent for review.

Robots are one of my favourite things, and thankfully my children enjoy them too. We've been sent the Smart Robot Car Kit to review by Elegoo, and it's genuinely a great set for any young engineer who has some very basic experience with robotics and electronics, but who wants to expand their ability and practise their skills, and maybe get more involved in programming. 

The set is recommended for age 13+, and looked quite daunting, but it actually took my 12 year old just over 2 hours from in-the-box to bathroom floor line-following robot - with very little help. Genuinely pleasing...

The packaging has some minimal single-use plastic, which would be hard to avoid, especially the static-free bags for the electrical components. It's mainly card, and is a gorgeous arrangement in bright yellow, which really feels like opening presents. 

There was just enough cute to stop my son feeling it was beyond him, but clearly this isn't a set for little ones. There are a lot of small parts, wires and circuits, and they've included 3 small screwdrivers, which is always very welcome (and saves hours of searching). Batteries are also included, and the main robot is rechargeable. You don't need anything aside from what's in the box. 

Everything is packaged really neatly, and well labelled in plain language and measurements. It's 'grown up' and really clear. In a sort of step-by-step you start with fixings bag 1, so you don't have to search through everything to find the correct tiny nut. 

The instructions are less detailed than instructions we've used before. When my son came to put his model together, he immediately found them less complicated, easier to follow, and very intuitive. There are lifesize drawings to compare to for nuts and bolts etc., and everything else is labelled. 

This build will stretch the knowledge of some less-experienced robot-builders, but it'll encourage them to think about what they are doing and go by common sense and logic, rather than simply following a diagram without considering what you are doing - and learning. 

This is a clever little robot car, which has several skills including line-tracking and obstacle-avoidance. (Compatible with Arduino IDE with UNO R3 Board, Line Tracking Module, Ultrasonic Sensor, IR Module.) More specifications at the bottom of the post. 

When your child adds the components, they are all labelled, and the electronics all plug together, so they can see how they create the circuit, and it takes seconds. 

The entire build only took my 12 year old (and 10 year old assistant) just over 2 hours, and he had a recognisable vehicle within 20 minutes. It's a very rewarding build, and ideal for children who might be a bit reluctant, because you can see your effort is worthwhile very quickly. 

You have a choice of controls. My boys got the hang of controlling the robot's movement immediately by using both the included infra-red remote control, and the app. (free on IOS or Android). 

Programming is Arduino, which allows for much more freedom than programming with younger children's sets, but is still very easy to understand and use. Here's a look at the Smart Robot Car in action: 

We're really impressed. It's a rewarding build, and a great little robot. The controls are instant, it's nippy, but easy to manoeuvre, and it's pretty cute. It's also a very fair price for what you get, and it'll teach your child a lot about electronics and programming. And it really is crying out for more additions - which are available. 

A good one to interest youngsters who wouldn't expect to be be interested, or to stretch youngsters who are interested in robotics, programming or engineering.... 

The Elegoo Smart Robot Car Kit 3.0 Plus is available now priced around £69.99. Available from Amazon (affiliate link below): 

Model Name UNO R3
Operating System Windows 10
CPU Model Cortex
Processor Speed 16 GHz

Complete Package: 24 module parts. XH2. 54 ports as to make it much easier and convenient to assemble the car and reduce the chance for errors.

Component List:

1pcs ELEGOO UNO R3, 1pcs USB cable, 1pcs V5.0 extension board V3.0, 1pcs L298N motor driver board V3.0, 1pcs ultrasonic Sensor, 1pcs ultrasonic holder, 1pcs servo motor, 1pcs servo motor fixed plate, 1pcs line tracking module, 4pcs motor, 1pcs remote, 1pcs charger, 1pcs cell box, 2pcs 18650 battery, 1pcs tape, 8pcs separation shims, 2pcs acrylic plates, 4pcs wheel, 8 bags of screws and nuts for sensors and modules, 4pcs aluminum blocks , 10pcs copper columns, 1pcs plastic box, Several DuPont wires, Several fix tools

We were sent our Elegoo Smart Robot Car Kit 3.0 Plus for review. Amazon links are affiliate, which means I earn a few pence if you buy through my link, but you never pay a penny more. It all helps keep the website running.