Edison robot: lessons and resources

Educational robots

te: Robot-Advance has been a reseller of educational robots to schools in Europe and individuals for more than 10 years. A question, a need? Contact us by e-mail at contact@robot-advance.com or by phone at 0033437479145. Click on the image below to access Edison educational robots product sheets.

Educational robots are often labeled as robots for school, but more and more manufacturers like Edison are going to great lengths to erase this barrier and highlight the possibilities of these robots to learn code, programming and STEM at home.

Many lessons are available online for free to allow children and parents to engage in this step-by-step learning in a simple and fun way. 

The Covid-19 period was a challenge for everyone and Edison has put a whole line of lessons online to help overcome the distance learning barrier but which can now be used directly by families and children at home. Educational robots allow you to learn but also to have fun through challenges, challenges and projects straight from your imagination.

Robot-Advance offers here direct links to download Edison's educational robot resources for use at home. These resources are in English but you can use automatic translators such as Deepl to understand and advance easily. These resources can also be used by schools for new ideas for using the Edison robot in the classroom.

Learn how to code with EdScratch

A set of lessons for EdScratch users. The lessons use the EdScratch programming application which is easy to learn while providing a solid platform for teaching computer science. This set of lessons is suitable for children over 10 years old.

To set up these activities, you will need :

• An Edison educational robot (charged with 4 AAA batteries)
• An EdComm programming cable supplied with your Edison robot
• A programming device (a tablet, computer or laptop) with an audio jack
• An Internet connection to access the EdScratch programming application at https://www.edscratchapp.com/. 
• A digital or printed copy of the lesson

General Edison Resources :

• Configuring and setting up Edison: see the Teacher's Guide
• If necessary, consult the Edison Warning Message Guide.
• Parents can consult the EdScratch and Edison Guide for Parents (Explanation of concepts, objectives and comprehension aid)

First steps with the Edison robot

Starting with Edison and Edscratch

• Introduction to your Edison robot
• How to open and use EdScratch to program Edison
• Time required: between 15 and 30 minutes
• Lesson 1: Getting Started with Edison and Edscratch

Exploring Warning Messages

Meet the Bug Box: a useful and important feature in EdScratch that will help you find and solve problems in your code.

• Introduction to the bug box
• Debugging
• Time required: between 15 and 30 minutes
• Lesson 2: Edison Warning Messages

Moving the Edison robot

How computers "think

• Computational Thinking
• Sequence
• Time required: between 30 and 45 minutes
• Lesson 3: Computational Thinking

Exploring EdScratch

Learn how changing the sequence of blocks on the screen affects the robot's behavior, reinforcing the importance of the sequence in programming. The idea that each EdScratch block is an "action" is introduced.

• EdScratch programming
• Sequence
• Time required: between 15 and 30 minutes
• Lesson 4: Exploring EdScratch step by step

Drive of the Edison robot

Use the "drive" block category to lead Edison through a trail and a mini maze. Includes a bonus maze challenge.

• Computational Thinking
• Sequence
• Training" blocks
• Time required: between 30 and 45 minutes (15 to 45 additional minutes for the bonus maze challenge)
• Lesson 5: Exploring Edison's Conduct

Exploring Edison outputs

The input-output cycle is introduced and then tested. Explore the "LED" and "Sound" block categories in EdScratch. Includes a bonus maze challenge.

• Inputs / outputs
• LED and sound blocks
• Time required: between 30 and 60 minutes (15 to 30 minutes extra for the bonus maze challenge)
• Lesson 6: Exploring Edison's outputs

Exploring Edison inputs

Explore the concept of input parameters in detail. 

• Inputs / outputs
• Computational Thinking
• Time required: between 15 and 30 minutes
• Lesson 7: Exploring Edison Inputs

Counting with Edison

This activity presents programming challenges that build on some of the skills developed by the students, including an understanding of the input-process-output cycle. Includes a bonus challenge activity.

• Inputs / outputs
• Sequential thinking
• "Drive" blocks
• Time required: between 30 and 45 minutes (15 to 30 minutes extra for the bonus challenge)
• Lesson 8: Counting to 9 with Edison

Making music with Edison

Use sequence and I/O to create musical tunes with Edison.

• Inputs / outputs
• Sequential thinking
• "Music" blocks
• Time required: between 45 and 60 minutes (additional 30 to 45 minutes for the bonus challenge)
• Lesson 9: Exploring Edison's Musical Talent

Exploring bugs and debugging Edison

The basic principles of debugging are presented in this lesson and the practice is applied to the EdScratch environment.

• Debugging
• Time required: between 30 and 45 minutes
• Lesson 10: Edison Bugs and Debugging

The motors of the Edison robot

Students explore in more detail how Edison's motor outputs are controlled by drive blocks and learn that motors can operate and be controlled independently.

• Debugging
• Inputs / outputs
• Sequential thinking
• Input parameters
• Time required: between 45 and 60 minutes (Plus extra time for bonus challenge projects: 2 available)
• Lesson 11: Exploring Edison Engines

Edison educational robot: skills challenge

Choose from two challenges and ask students to apply the sequence and their learning to a project.

• Debugging
• Inputs / outputs
• Computational Thinking
• Sequence
• Time required: specific to each project
• Lesson 12: Edison Skills Challenge

You have completed these lessons and would like to continue your coding journey? You can continue learning with EdScratch and Edison, learning new coding skills as you go. You can find all EdScratch lessons on the official website. 

To go further, find below a complete activity guide for new Edison lessons around principles such as loops:

• Download the guide Here

Videos of initiation to the Edison robot

Getting started with the Edison educational robot

How to program the Edison educational robot