Fable

A modular white robot with a small torso, arms and a phone displaying expressive eyes sits on a wooden tabletop base. — Fable is here to teach and to learn. Photo: Shape Robotics

Fable is a modular robotics kit for the classroom that makes it easy and fun for students to build and program their own robots. Kids can quickly prototype, test, and improve their creations while learning real-world problem solving.

Creators

Shape Robotics and Technical University of Denmark

Year

2017

Country

Denmark 🇩🇰

Categories

Features

Did you know?

Students can program their Fable robots using visual blocks (Blockly) or a programming language (Python).

Modular pieces spread on a white surface show all of the possible parts that could be used to assemble a Fable robot. — Build your own Fable. Photo: Shape Robotics

History

Fable began as an academic project at the Technical University of Denmark, outside of Copenhagen. In 2011, Moises Pacheco, a PhD student, and David Johan Christensen, a robotics researcher, started working on an educational robot system designed to be extremely easy-to-use even for young students. They were inspired by earlier projects based on modular robots, including a collaboration they had with Lego to develop new, digital products. At the end of 2015, the two roboticists, along with Helene Hald Christensen, a project manager, founded Shape Robotics as a spin-off company from their lab at the Technical University of Denmark. The Fable robotics system has since launched not only in Denmark but also in the U.K., United States, Italy, France, and Mexico, and the company hopes to make Fable available to even more students globally.

A configuration of Fable with two large wheels in the front, one small wheel in the back, and a scoop hand attached to a extending arm. Expressive eyes on a phone look like its face. — Modular parts let students be creative. Photo: Shape Robotics

Specs

Overview: For ages 8 and up. Fast to build. Easy to program. Designed for the classroom. Robust, modular design. Strong magnetic connectors. Wireless programming. USB rechargeable. Note: Specs shown here are for an example configuration.
Status: Ongoing
Year: 2017
Website: shaperobotics.com
Width: 31 cm
Height: 32 cm
Length: 23 cm
Weight: 2.1 kg
Speed: 1.23 km/h
Sensors: Sensors on Fable modules: color, proximity, light, encoders.
Actuators: Robotis Dynamixel AX-12A actuators
Degrees of Freedom (DoF): 2 DoF per active module (Fable Joint: 2 DoF, -90 to 90 degrees; Fable Spin: 2 DoF, 360 degrees, 60 rpm)
Materials: Injection molded plastic
Compute: Atmel microcontroller in each module. Main control executed on user PC.
Software: Programmable using Blockly or Python
Power: 3,500-mAh lithium-ion battery pack, 8 hours of operation
Cost: $500 starting kit; other kits and separate parts available