We’ve been hard a work over the last year designing an even better Edison robot. Meet Edison V2.0.
What’s new?
Edison has received some exciting upgrades since the very first version shipped in December 2014. Let’s take a look at them.
Precision Driving
Edison V2.0 has wheel encoders. Wheel encoders allow Edison to travel specific distances at exact speeds. Think of it as cruise control. Edison can now also turn to specific angles (using EdPyApp.com) and drive straight – VERY straight.
Clutch mechanism
Edison V2.0 has a clutch in each gear box that prevents damage to the gears if the wheels are forced around. This means Edison V2.0 is even tougher.
More power at the wheels
Edison V2.0 has upgraded motor drive components that deliver more power to the wheels. This also improves efficiency helping to conserve battery power, as the motors are only supplied with the power they need, no more and no less.
Longer range obstacle detection
Edison V2.0 has more precise obstacle detection and can be calibrated for longer range sensing. The sensitivity also stays constant throughout the life of a set of batteries. Calibrate once and you don’t need to do it again.
Longer battery life
Edison V2.0 has higher quality electronic components and a smarter sleep mode that uses less power. Edison V2.0 can be awoken from sleep mode by just pressing the triangle button. Sleep mode is activated after 5 minutes of inactivity to conserve battery power.
A more sensitive clap sensor
Edison V2.0 can detect claps from smaller hands. A small round of applause!
More programming space
Edison V2.0 has more than 5kB of memory for downloading larger programs. This is five times more than the original Edison’s 1kB.
More programming options
Edison’s graphical programming software, EdWare is getting some friends. Meet EdPy and EdBlocks.
EdPy
EdPy is a Python based programming environment for Edison. It’s FREE, online and the best way we can think of to introduce students to a written programming language. Students can now write programs in Python and see their code come to life in Edison. Check it out here www.edpyapp.com
EdBlocks
EdBlocks is a super simple graphical programming language for introducing younger students to programming. EdBlocks is based on Scratch Blocks created by the MIT Media Lab and Google. EdBlocks is in the final stages of development and will be released in the first half of 2017. All versions will be FREE!
Price
So by now I’m sure you’re thinking… ‘How much are they going to slug us for all this improved performance and features?’
The answer is $0!
Edison V2.0 is the same super affordable price (from US$33 each) as the earlier version.
How good is that!?
In fact, we’ve scoured the internet and we can‘t find a more affordable, feature-rich and easy to use educational robot than Edison V2.0. If anyone can, tell us about it below and we’ll send you an EdPack10.
Great news, well done! Especially EdPy for advanced programming and EdBlocks for children that can’t read yet.
Awesome news. Gotta get med some.
Ok, but, I have a few of the first version gathering dust. Our Dojo isn’t using them anymore, they were too unreliable to teach kids programming. At the end we were busy troubleshooting and weren’t programming anymore. So you’d except that I just buy a bunch of brand new ones now and hope things will be better now ?
Hi Jo,
I’m sorry to hear that the earlier version of Edison is gathering dust. Edison V2.0 performs more reliably with the encoders, so students programs also perform better.
I found this line tracking Mouse robot, that can do kind of the same things as an Edison.
robotshop.com/eu/en/elenco-line-tracking-mouse-kit.html(EDIT: this link no longer works and thus has been removed)But it is cheaper; 26,99 euro.
But I’d love to get the Edpack10 for free 🙂
My primary school can’t afford to buy them but I know how much my pupils could learn from exploring with the Edison!
Greetings from Holland,
Wendy van Dijk
Hi Wendy,
Thank you for your submission!
We wouldn’t consider this mouse kit to be more feature rich or easier to use than Edison V2.0. The mouse kit requires soldering, which is not so easy. Also, this kit has only two functions (follow line and sound activated start/stop). Edison V2.0 does this as well as many other functions such as LEGO compatibility, programmability (text-based and graphically), built in programs: obstacle avoidance, light following, bounce in borders, sumo all of this with flashing LEDs and accurate driving with wheel encoders.
To win the EdPack10 we want to know about a robot that is simultaneously more affordable, feature-rich and easier to use.
Sounds great but sucks because I literally just ordered 2 (older ones) a month ago for Christmas, they are still in the box.
Hello Brenton,
Nice work and thank you for taking onboard the feedback from our WA May Primary Teachers PL and turning it into a great new solution(EdBlocks) in a VERY short period of time. That just goes to show how much you believe in the product, listen to your customers and sheer dedication to changing the way we link to digital technologies in education. You guys rock…..
Cheers,
Paul Moro
Thanks Paul!
I can’t program my edisons. I recently bought three.
Hi Justina,
I’m very sorry to hear you are having trouble with your new robots. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Getting started with Edison guide (available at https://meetedison.com/content/Get-started-with-Edison-guide-English.pdf) which should help you out. You can also walk through our online troubleshooting guide at https://meetedison.com/edison-robot-support/trouble-shooting/ and, of course, our friendly Support team will be happy to help! You can reach out to them at https://meetedison.com/edison-robot-support/contact-us/
Hi,
This is in response to the “edison vs cheaper robot” challenge.
I found this robot kit which has the same price as the EdPack 1 of $49. Although it has the same price, the kit includes several accessories to jump start the learning process. It also has a free upgrade (worth $9.99) to include its programming environment. Ozobot is also a multi-award winning robot including 2015 Kapi’s Best Robot toy, 2015 Toy of the Year (TOTY) finalist and CES 2015 Editor’s Choice award winner.
Link: s
hop.ozobot.com/collections/bit/products/ozobot-starter-pack-cool-blue(EDIT: this link no longer works and thus has been removed)However, I find the edison more interesting and more fun to use in the classroom. So, I hope to win the EdPack 10 and promote edison here in our country.
Thanks and more power Team Edison!
Hi Ace,
Thanks for your entry! Ozobot is a nice little line following robot and we love anything that helps students become engaged in STEM-related studies.
The Ozobot is a close contender but lacks a number of key features for educational robotics, such as:
– Expandability – with LEGO you can build other robots or machines with Edison
– Sensors – with obstacle detection, light sensing, two-way IR comms between Edisons and wheel encoders, Edison has more sensors to program with, and therefore more possibilities for students to learn.
– Class pack discounts – Edison is just US$33 each in a full class pack of 30
Thanks so much for your support!!
The biggest problem that I have with the original Edison is that the method of connecting to the PC to download programs and firmware updates is extremely unreliable. I was never able to successfully update the firmware on my original Edison, and it eventually went and sat in a box. I tried it with both of my PCs at home, with no luck.
Does the new Edison use the same 3.5mm jack based connection? It seems like a good upgrade would be to use a simple, standard and cheap USB connection for connecting to a PC. Does the new Edison use the same connection mechanism?
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your feedback. Edison V2.0 uses the same 3.5mm jack based connection (EdComm).
It sounds like one of two problems is occurring. Either your internet connection is very slow or unreliable or there is some form of sound enhancements active on your computer. See this page for how to do this: https://meetedison.com/robot-activities/youre-a-robot-programmer/installing-edware/
If you are still not having luck get in contact through our ‘contact us’ page and I’m sure that we will get you up and going.
I purchased a USB connector ($4.80 on eBay) that I plug into almost any PC or windows laptop and then have no issues at all with sound cards or settings.
Really looking forward to getting a 3-pack!
Hi Brenton. My son is 10 and loves Robotics. I am keen to get the Edison for our homeschooling class for next year. My 7yo daughter loves the look of this, but I am not sure if it will be ‘over her head’. She is currently Grade 1 level. Thanks.
Hi Leah,
I think that with some guidance your daughter would benefit from our upcoming EdBlocks. EdWare would certainly be too advanced for a 7-year-old. That said, Edison has a range of built-in programs that are activated with barcodes. While there is no programming involved the robot’s actions demonstrate sensors and robot behavior. Plus, there is the opportunity for her to grown into Edison’s more advanced capabilities in the future.
Hello,
I’m teacher from France. I bouth 10 edison and I would like to buy 10 more with the new 2.0 version.
I try to use Edison in my classroom like what we do with Lego Mindstorms.
The problem is the memory.
We need to have 5 differents programs.
How can we do with the small memory of Edison.
Can we put inside the Edison memory, more than one program ?
Can we use barcodes to initiate differents programs ?
Can we use the TV command to send more than two differents options to execute two differents programs or two differents parts of one program ?
I don’t Know if i am clear.
Let me know.
Thanks
Regards
Philippe
Hi Philippe,
Edison V2.0 has a much larger memory, however there is not the option to have multiple stand-alone programs.
There is a work around though. You can use the various buttons on a remote control to activate different sections of a program. You will need to use IF statements (EdWare) to qualify which button on the remote control has been pressed and run the required part of the program.
Ok. So…
In our school, every year, some students have a robotic’s trimestre curriculum.
– With Lego Mindstorms RCX for 6 years old students.
– With Lego Mindstorms EV3 for 10 years old students.
We create a challenge to validate each curticulum.
We want to create new curriculum for age 7, 8 and 9 years old students.
So we want to use Edison.
– “You’re a controller” for age 7.
– “You’re a programmer” for age 8.
– and “You’re a builder”. for age 9.
We have yet 10 Edison 1.0, 10 Lego Box 42032, and 10 remote control.
We’ll have to by 10 new Edison 2.0 to have a much larger memory, a better programming control for the driving and….
have enough robots to realise “You’re a builder”. For each group of this Edventure, we will associate one Edison 1.0 and one Edison 2.0 and will use a remote control to control both of them.
Thank you so much !
Regards
Philippe
I’m curious about the memory. Can you describe how long a program can be stored?
Thanks,
Karen
Hi Karen
Edison V2 has 4K of memory for user programs
We ordered 30 this past spring (2016). Does that mean we received the 1.0? We’ve had numerous problems with them being reliable in their programming. As a public school, we can’t afford to order new ones. We are just now trying to program them for this school year.
Hi Michelle,
The programmability of Edison V2.0 is the same as the V1. You may be experiencing one of the following:
1. Understanding how to program with EdWare – Have a look at the videos here to learn more about how to use EdWare https://meetedison.com/edison-robot-support/edison-robot-videos/
2. Sound enhancements interfering with the programming signal – Disable all sound enhancements on your computers. See here for how to do this https://meetedison.com/robot-activities/youre-a-robot-programmer/installing-edware/
If you are still experiencing trouble, let us know through our contact form https://meetedison.com/edison-robot-support/contact-us/
Great! I am going to order at least one pair for myself and kids. We had great fun with the first version.
When will EdBlocks be available? You stated by the end of 2016…
Hi Mirko
Our developers have been quite busy and we have hit a few delays, the current plan is to release EdBlocks in the first half of 2017
Great to see many important updates to this robot. I ordered 20 v1.0 bots for my classroom a year ago and only 9 are still fully operational. The biggest gripe was the worm gear moving on the motor shaft and then no wheel movement. I fixed them a few times until the screw heads holding the bot together finally stripped. Hopefully my school will let me order 20 more V2.0 bots. The kids love them.
Any news on EdBlocks.
I am introducing a number of small and some large primary schools to robotics in the classroom and I concentrate on the Edisons in Yrs 3 to 6 (NSW). Most schools also want something for their K-2 classes to introduce coding. At present we use BeeBots but I’m positive that once EdBlocks is available, even 5 yr olds will be able to grasp using it with the Edisons – and really the BeeBot is a on board programmable toy, not at all autonomous like the Edison.
We have had a few delays, but have recently finished an Alpha version.
We are going to test it and release it as soon as we can, but the release date will depend on the outcome of some of the tests
Hi Meet Edison Team,
I thought you may be interested in this challenger, if you’ve not already seen it. It certainly isn’t cheaper, but there are some striking similarities, and some interesting innovations too (like a pen holder, memory card slot, trailer hook, challenge cards, etc)… Thymio (https://www.thymio.org/en:thymio), it looks like a slightly larger, glammed up Edison. I like the look of it, but still love my Edison 🙂
Hi Matthew
Thanks for the heads up.
We have seen Thymio before, they started a bit before Edison as an open source robot project.
They are quite a bit more expensive than Edison though
My robot isn’t driving straight. What can I do?
Hi,
Please check out our drive calibration page to get your Edison driving straighter.
https://meetedison.com/edison-robot-support/drive-calibration/
Thanks!
Just wondering when you are planning on releasing EdBlocks, really excited for this to come out
Hi Martin,
We are really excited for the release of EdBlocks too!
The approximate release date should be within the next 6 weeks, we are currently doing some testing and making some minor changes.
Am looking forward to the release of Edblocks given its link to Scratch. Will it download on to the robots in a similar way to EdWare?
Hi Vicki,
We are really excited about the release of EdBlocks!
EdBlocks will be downloadable on Version 2 Edison robots in a similar way to EdWare, Version 1 Edison robots will need to run a firmware update in order to run EdBlocks. The firmware update will be released before EdBlocks release.
Hello,
We are Edison users with our Robotixlab workshops with kids (we have more than 30 Edison Robots) since the beggining (the kickstarter). Brenton was also great with supporting “Electric Circus”, a robotics festival for kids we organised by offering Edison Robots as trophies for the winners of the competition!
Unfortunately through the years we have had reliability issues with Edison, mainly kids displacing the motor gear by turning the wheel by hand, IR obstacles avoidance being temperamental and batteries going low fast. Also lacking encoders frustrated the kids having to use time delays to obtain specific turns.
I am thinking of giving version 2 a try as it looks like that most issues have been fixed. Is the new sound sensor able to differentiate between a hand clap from a couple of meters against motors running noise? Do we still have to stop the robot to listen for something?
Keep up improoving Edison!!!
Hi Antonis,
It is so great to hear that you enjoy Edison! As you mentioned, a lot of improvements have been made to Edison in the current version compared to the original Kickstarter model. Our support team will be in touch to go through the specifics in your email as well.
Edison’s sound sensor is designed to detect loud sounds, not specific sounds, which is why the motors can trigger it. While this can still occur even with the V2.0 Edisons, we have made improvements to how the different programming languages and lesson plans communicate and handle this fact. Hopefully that, along with the other improvements, will give you and the kids an even better Edison experience!!
Is there going to be a version 3 of the Edison?
We are always working on new products and resources to help bring robotics to everyone. New products and services are announced when they become available on our website and through our newsletter (sign up at https://meetedison.com/keep-up-with-edison/). At this time, we are working on a range of projects to support Edison and our STEM educational offering. There is no new version of Edison planned for release at this time.
Are there any plans to add blocks that turn using degrees rather than time as the parameter?
Hi Bob,
Assuming you are talking about adding blocks in EdBlocks?
The short answer for EdBlocks is no, for 2 main reasons:
The first and most important reason is that EdBlocks has been designed to be an introductory programming language. Having multiple parameter input types (time and distance/degrees) would create additional complexity at several levels which is undesirable for this language.
A second issue is that Edison version 1 robots can only use time as the input parameter, so could not use ‘degree’ blocks. To include some blocks which only some robots could use would mean more work for the end user in selecting the correct blocks, more pop-ups, etc, which again goes against what the language is trying to be.
You can use degrees with a V2.0 Edison robots in EdPy, however, so you might want to check that out! https://meetedison.com/robot-programming-software/edpy/
I can also let you know that our library of programming languages is not yet complete – and future additions may also meet your needs! Be sure to sign up to our newsletter to be sure you get all future announcements https://meetedison.com/keep-up-with-edison/
How many different programs edison robot can store?
How do I switch between there different programs?
I tried to switch by press the round button once, but it does not respond.
Hi there!
Edison can only hold one program at a time, so it’s not possible to switch between programs.
Does anyone know what to do if your robots wheel stops working? Only one wheel will work at a time, and by that I mean that the wheel will work, stop working,and switch to the other wheel. So only one wheel works at a time. Has this ever happened to anyone before? If anyone has advice on what to do that would be great!
Hi Sherri,
That definitely sounds like a technical issue with the robot. The best thing to do will be to contact our technical support team through our contact form at https://meetedison.com/edison-robot-support/contact-us/
Please select ‘Help! My Edison robot isn’t working correctly’ for your issue and follow the steps in the form. One of our friendly team will be able to help!
Hi,
What happened to the possibility of buying rechargeable battery packs for the V1 Edisons? I was assured this would be made available in August 2018 on SEVERAL occasions by your customer service representatives?
This was our only issue with V1 Edisons, that there wasn’t an indicator for low battery and not a rechargeable option.
Hi Jessica,
Thank you for your message. I can confirm that a charging solution for Edison robots is still in development, but, unfortunately, due to other projects, it has been delayed. At this point in time, we are not able to provide you with an exact release date. We will release information about the charger when it is available through our newsletter, which you can sign up for at https://meetedison.com/keep-up-with-edison/ if you have not already. Our apologies for any inconvenience caused by this delay.