It’s fair to say that Makeblock knows how to make great robots and robotic toys for a range of ages and skill levels. We’ve picked two of their most beginner friendly robots to compare – Codey Rocky vs mBot.
We go into detail about the pros, cons, similarities, and differences of each robot. But first, let’s take a look at them side by side in the table below.
| Codey Rocky |
mBot | |
| Preview |  |
 |
| Recommended Age |
6 years and above | 8 years and above |
| Bluetooth Control |
✔ | ✔ |
| Compatible with LEGO | ✔ | ✔ |
| Requires Assembly | ✖ | ✔ |
| Programming Languages |
Scratch (drag & drop) Python |
Scratch (drag & drop) Arduino C |
| Color Options |
Available in white only | Available in 2 colors |
| Latest Price | see on Amazon | see on Amazon |
Follow Line Race: mBot vs Codey Rocky
What Can Codey Rocky Do?
Codey Rocky is definitely the cuter of the two robots. He is easy to operate and ideal for younger children. Your child can use Codey Rocky as is and he is good to go straight out of the box – NO TOOLS REQUIRED!
Programming & Coding
Ideal for beginners with the drag and drop coding on a smartphone or tablet. Once you get the hang of it, you can upgrade your skills and switch to Python code. This is great to Codey Rocky too, as he will grow skills as you do. However, using Python will need to be done on a computer.
Makeblock uses a game-based app to help teach programming, making it fun at the same time.
Artificial Intelligence
Codey Rocky uses a range of sensors to do cool things like avoid obstacles, follow lines, recognize colors and use infrared communication to tell you things like the weather. His expressive face can display a huge range of emotions and information.
We’ve reviewed Codey Rocky before and were super impressed by this compact robot’s features and functions.
Operating Power & Batteries
When fully charged, Codey Rocky will last up to approximately 2 hours. Although this is less than mBot, Codey Rocky doesn’t require any batteries to be purchased separately as he has a 950mAh Lithium battery built-in. This is another great reason why Codey Rocky is ready to use out of the box, no fiddling around with batteries (parents love this).
What Can mBot Do?
The mBot is more hands-on to set up but makes for a great beginner DIY robot. This robot appeals to the budding engineer and it’s appearance really reminds me of the movie ‘WALL-E’. However, this robot is just as clever as Codey Rocky.
Build, Customize and Expand
One of the obvious differences between these two robots is that mBot is a DIY robot. Instructions to build mBot are provided and takes only about 15 minutes to assemble. But, a cool advantage that mBot has over Codey Rocky is that you can create your own robot design too. This does leave a lot to the imagination.
Tinkerers will love the creative building process. Building options can expand beyond the original kit too. Add other parts to mBot from the Makeblock Maker’s Platform range and LEGO bricks to create a whole new robot. This is one of the reasons mBot ended up on our top robots for beginner programmers list.
Programming & Coding
Using the drag and drop Makeblock app, your child can make the robot avoid obstacles, change speeds, and move objects. Operate the app on a phone or tablet, a computer is required for more advanced coding. The mBot has a programmable buzzer and LED lights, so it is both visually and audibly stimulating. Similar to Codey Rocky, mBot can follow lines and as you can see in the video above, is much faster than Codey Rocky at doing so. Although he can be a little jerky when turning corners.
Unlike Codey Rocky, mBot can use Arduino programming language for more advanced coding. It is a preferred language for programming hobby electronics and is widely recognized.
Operating Power & Batteries
The operating power of mBot outperforms Codey Rocky by quite a significant amount. If fully charged, mbot will last for approximately 10 hours when in follow-lines mode. However, it does use a bit more battery power to do so. You can either use 4 x AA batteries or 1 x 3.7V 1800mAh Lithium battery component for mBot and the remote requires a CR2025 coin battery which needs to be purchased separately.
The remote itself has multiple buttons for controlling the robot. Alternatively, this can also be done via a phone or tablet.
Conclusion
If you looking for a cutesy, playful, smart robot that is ready to rock straight out of the box, then Codey Rocky is a great option.
The mBot robot kit is definitely more of a speedier, hands-on STEAM tool and is perfect for those with interests in robotics, electronics and how they work together. The options to expand the robot gives it great longevity too.
If you want to know more about STEAM, be sure to check out our post on the Benefits of STEAM Education.
