Another year has passed and a lot has happened in the world of robotics and AI. Some of us started to wonder about automation, with industry’s like food-service and hospitality joining the list of sectors robots are ready to change. We also collectively cracked up when a GIF of a Boston Dynamics bot failing at basic administrative tasks went viral. One thing’s for sure: we’re closer to and more curious about robots than ever before.
That brings us to Evo, our tiny, app-connected bot. Kids can code Evo two ways. New coders start with Color Codes, made with markers and paper, then advance with our OzoBlockly programming editor. Meanwhile, an app connects them to friends and rewards them as they become coding masters. Evo is a robot, yes. But it also nurtures the qualities that make us most human, like creativity and connecting with others. As bots take on more repetitive tasks and analytical roles in our world, our imaginations and communication skills are more important than ever.
For all the reasons above, we’re super proud of Evo. And we’re also proud to announce Evo’s very first birthday. You’re all invited! We’re celebrating at CES, a consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, where we’re unveiling some of our updatable bot’s new features. If you’re headed to Vegas this week, stop by and see us in South Hall 2. If not, join in the fun by checking out what’s new with your Evo or entering the Evo’s 1st Birthday Sweepstakes on Instagram. The winner will get three (yes three!) Evos worth over $250. Read on to learn more.
Win an Evo Party
Want to experience the fun new Evo features below, but don’t have an Evo? We’ve got you covered. Enter our Evo’s 1st Birthday Sweepstakes, and you could win an Evo party! Here’s how it works:
- Follow @ozobot on Instagram
- Like the Evo 1st Birthday post
- Tag a friend
Follow the steps above to be entered to win. The sweepstakes ends January 16, when we’ll pick one lucky Ozobot fan to win three Evos, enough to throw a bot birthday party with their besties. Check out the full Terms and Conditions for details, and good luck!
What’s New with Evo
Evo is app-connected and equipped with Bluetooth Smart technology. That allows us to regularly update the bot, with new features, games, and ways to create. Since releasing Evo to the wild, we’ve already made some major updates, including:
Tricks: Evo now performs three different Tricks. To check them out, make sure your Evo is up-to-date simply by connecting to the Evo app. Then, just power on. Evo starts out by performing its Follow Trick, following your finger wherever you lead.
Cover all four of Evo’s sensors, until it’s front lights turn green and it’s top light turns white, and you’ll switch to the Music Trick. In Music, cover different sensors to play different notes through Evo’s mini built-in speaker system. Cover all four sensors again to switch to the Escape Trick. In Escape, Evo will run from your hand.
OzoBlockly My Programs: With our latest Evo update, we introduced six featured OzoBlockly programs. From Dance Lesson to Rev Up, these programs showcase everything you can code Evo to do. To run one of the programs, select OzoBlockly from the Evo app’s Play menu. You’ll find them under My Programs. Tap one to see a description of the program and watch Evo’s behavior change. Some programs, like Color Match, are games you can play with Evo.
The best part? Uncover the code behind these six programs, and hack into them to change Evo’s behavior. Open the OzoBlockly editor. Login in the upper right corner, using your Evo app username and password. From there, you can access the sample programs and save new ones of your own creation!
Levels: What else is new with Evo? Only an entire level system, that rewards you for every way you play, code, and create! Here’s how it works: as you play with Evo, from interacting with Tricks to creating OzoBlockly code, you’ll start to level up in the app. As you level up, you’ll also earn coins which you can spend on things like upgraded avatars. We’ve added 27 new avatars, from robot puppies to pandas to zombies.
Even when you’re playing screen-free, like using Color Codes with Evo, the bot will remember your activities and reward you the next time you connect to the app.
To learn more about Evo’s updates and how to install them, click here.
