The Binary Player Robot is an unassembled robot that comes with a 48 page manual. The manual is easy to understand complete with pictures and building tips.

The robot has three wheels; two are used to propel the robot forward, or in reverse, the other one drags behind. It is about three inches high and eight inches wide. There are two models available: the pre-soldered one that I have and the other one is unsoldered.

It is semi-easy to assemble. It took me seven hours total, but I did not work on it straight through. It should only take about 2 hours to finish. There are a lot of small and complicated pieces so I don't recommend this for anyone under seven.

I like the Binary Player Robot because it can be "programmed." You can black out little paper discs according to how you want the robot to respond. A little inferred sensor picks up the markings, which you draw on the disc, and operates the individual motors, which are hooked up to the wheels. It has three speed settings. The slowest one has a lot of torque and it can scale a 40 degree angle with ease. The fastest setting can go about 2 MPH (pretty good for its size) and then there is a middle setting which has both good speed and power. For $35.95, it is great for homeschoolers that are into engineering and model building.

-Product Review by Paul Suarez, Jr., The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC