Open Roberta Lab vs Ozobot Classroom
Open Roberta Lab
lab.open-roberta.org
Ozobot Classroom
classroom.ozobot.comSide by side
| Figure | Open Roberta Lab | Ozobot Classroom |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Robotics Education Software | 7.6 (#20) | 8.6 (#5) |
| Intended users | The Roberta initiative describes its aim as engaging children, young people, trainees, and employees with STEM topics and technology. | Ozobot describes Classroom as a teacher-facing K–12 portal for educators using Ozobot robots in schools. |
| Purpose | Open Roberta Lab is an online programming environment for robots and microcontrollers, aimed at helping people learn programming. | Ozobot Classroom is a K–12 STEAM lesson portal and companion software for Ozobots used in schools. |
| Support | The maker directs users to its Wiki and FAQ and offers email support for questions that remain unresolved. | Ozobot lists [email protected] and +1 (310) 318-0070 for help and provides a Classroom Help page with setup and Color Code resources. |
Plans
In their own words
Open Roberta Lab
Open Roberta Lab is a free online programming environment for learning with robots and microcontrollers. Its NEPO language uses graphical blocks assembled by drag and drop. The Lab supports hardware including Arduino boards, Calliope mini, LEGO Mindstorms EV3, micro:bit, NAO, LEGO SPIKE Prime and many other listed systems. Open Roberta Sim provides virtual robots for users without physical equipment. An integration also lets NEPO programs create and use artificial neural networks. The service runs in a standard browser on a PC, Mac or tablet without installation, and iOS and Android apps are listed. Programming works without an account; an account saves programs and settings, while sharing or gallery publication requires a verified email account. The site is hosted on Fraunhofer IAIS servers in Germany, with personal data kept within the EU. Visitor IP addresses are deleted from server logs after 30 days. The initiative targets children, young people, trainees and employees exploring STEM.
Ozobot Classroom
Ozobot Classroom is a free K–12 STEAM lesson portal and companion software for Ozobot robots used in schools. Its library offers about 700 standards-aligned lessons across grades K–12 in computer science, math, ELA, science and social-emotional learning. Lessons use screen-free Color Codes or on-screen Ozobot Blockly coding. Teachers can use pacing guides with up to 30 lessons per grade, create and share lessons, and set up and manage devices. Boosted Bluetooth can update up to 18 bots at once. The web application requires no download; teachers use Chromebook, Mac or Windows 10 computers with Chrome or Edge. Students can use Color Codes without a screen or OzoBlockly on a computer or tablet, including iPads and Android tablets. Teachers can share lesson links through Google Classroom or another LMS, but importing rosters through the former Classes feature is no longer available. Ozobot says Classroom is FERPA- and COPPA-compliant, collects no student data and does not allow educators to create student accounts. Bit robots cannot connect to Classroom devices because they are not Bluetooth-enabled, so some features are unavailable with Bit.