TECHNOLOGY Akash Sablok
The learning curve is not steep. Beginners will be able to start coding within minutes of having the SPRK+ out of the box and set up. The younger the “students,” the faster they will pick up the language . . . uncluttered minds, ready to absorb!
http://www.sphero.com/sprk-plus
Photo credit: Jaslyn Thorne
Spring Tech/Auto Why a novice Chuck Yeager like me can master this drone so quickly is software, specifically the software in the app for your phone. Once connected through Bluetooth V4.0, the drone is ready to take your command. The range is 60 metres (200 ft), more than enough for indoor and most outdoor flying. Go past that distance and the Swing is smart enough to turn around and land. Just 2 hours of charging can give you up to 8 minutes of flight time. The battery can stay in standby mode for up to 6 hours. Once it is depleted, you can charge it within 30 minutes.
What better way to learn a language than making it fun—and robots are fun.
The Parrot Swing is hybrid quadcopter that combines the vertical take-off capabilities of a helicopter with the horizontal flight capabilities of a fixed-wing plane.
The Sphero SPRK+ robot is designed to educate and inspire children through connected play and coding and the next-gen SPRK+ is now scratch-proof, shock-resistant, and watertight.
The Swing’s X-wing configuration is less Star Wars and more dragon fly. The wings are flat and light but very durable. A few crashes into walls and windows and the Swing’s wings stayed intact.
Sphero SPRK+
The basic mechanics and shape are the same as the original Sphero and the cute little ball-shaped robot from Star Wars Episode 7. The SPRK+ is different from its cousins in that you can program it through an app-enhanced remote control. Powered by the Lightning App, the SPRK+ teaches foundational programming through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and design, math) activities.
76
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Parrot Swing Drone Commercial pilots are required to have a minimum of 200 hours of flight time before they can fly with passengers. It took me less than 3 minutes to master flying the Parrot Swing Drone. The dynamics are a little different—295 grams (10.40 oz.) compared to the 237 metric tons (660,000 lbs.) of a Boeing 777, but aerial properties are aerial properties. The Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia
Your app-enabled phone docks onto the included Bluetooth gamepad. Your phone serves as your screen, giving you a visual of what your drone is doing (and shouldn’t be doing). Taking off is as simple as pushing a button. The Swing rises up and waits for your next command. To change from vertical to horizontal flight, push another button and away you go.
Parrot Swing Drone $119 www.parrot.com Volume 26 Number 1 Spring 2017
