Mechanical systems Sensing and response

Balancing Robot

SKU E2K-STM-BLR

Build a two-wheeled robot that stays upright the way a roly-poly toy does, then build the radio remote that drives it. One motor turns both wheels through a pinion-and-gear pair, and a 27 MHz two-channel link carries every command from your hand to the robot.

Grades 6-8 Intermediate 60–120 min build
Original price was: $15.99.Current price is: $12.99.
In stock · ready to ship
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  • Grades 6–8 · fits a single class period
  • Broken or missing part? We'll post a replacement
What they'll learn

Four ideas, one robot

Everything here is visible in the build itself. Nothing is hidden inside a chip.

Mechanical systems

Weight kept low down stops it toppling.

Mechanical transmission

A small pinion turns a bigger gear on the axle.

Input/output

A transmitter sends, a receiver picks it up.

Systems thinking

Wiring a motor, switch and battery so it runs.

Specifications

One robot, down to the last screw

Finished size, materials and part counts for the build.
Finished size 120 × 92 × 251 mm
Weight 197 g
Materials Wood
Pieces 73 pieces
Country of origin China
Safety & compliance

Do not put small parts in your mouth and patiently guide children to install them.

Certified with CPC. Full printed warnings are supplied in the manual.

Everything in the box laid out on the supplier's parts sheet
What's in the box

Two builds in one kit: the robot and its remote

  • 1× DC motor with an orange pinion gear on the shaft
  • 2× 27 MHz two-channel boards (transmitter and receiver)
  • 2× battery boxes with slide switches (one per unit)
  • 2× wire antennas (one for the robot, one for the remote)
  • 2× spoked wheels, three-hole design
  • 1× metal axle, orange drive gear and two fixing rings
  • ~19 laser-cut plywood plates, numbered ①–⑲
  • 2× button caps (one red, one yellow)
  • – screws in two lengths, 4 mm and 7 mm coarse
  • 1× illustrated English manual, 29 steps

You'll need to supply: 4 × AA batteries (two pairs, one set for the robot and one for the remote) and a small Phillips screwdriver. No glue is needed at any point in the build.

How this build works

See mechanics in motion

Build the model, set it loose, and understand the science by watching it work.

Build

Around nineteen numbered plywood plates, the motor, two radio boards and the hardware for both units. Twenty-nine steps, screw-together throughout.

Play

Fit four AA cells, flick the slide switch on each battery box, and drive it.

Experiment

The weight below the axle is what holds it upright. Add something above the axle and watch what that does to the balance.

Where to start

Master the basics first

Work your way up. Each completed robot unlocks the know-how for your next challenge.

Start here
Doodle Robot
Grades 3–5
7 steps
Then this
Mechanical T-Rex
Grades 3–5
16 steps
You are here
Balancing Robot
Grades 3–5
29 steps
Curriculum alignment

Educator & Procurement Resources

Essential information for classroom integration and school purchasing.

Every kit starts as a box of parts and turns into something kids can actually use. Making that happen means following directions and fixing mistakes along the way. They're tackling real engineering challenges, but to them, it just feels like play.
Product safety
Children's Product Certificate (CPC)
Certified to US children's product safety requirements
Before the batteries go in, ask: what stops a robot on two wheels from falling over? Look at the finished robot from the side. The motor and batteries sit below the axle, and only a light frame and the head sit above it. Predict what would happen if that weight sat on top instead, then switch it on, drive it and watch it stay upright. What it shows: it balances like a roly-poly toy because its heaviest parts hang low, not because of sensors or electronics.
Whether you're exploring circuits in a science lab, tackling gears in a makerspace, or learning at home on the living room table, these kits fit right in. One quick tip if you're building a whole class set: build one kit yourself first, so you know where students are likely to need a hand.
PC University Distributors, Inc. is the exclusive distribution partner for E2K Robotics STEM kits to schools and educational institutions. From a single classroom to a district-wide rollout, message the team on WhatsApp at 516-596-1500 or email sales@pcuniversity.com, and they will send educational pricing and the full product list.
What educators & parents say

Reviews

Nothing here yet — and we'd rather say so

Verified reviews will appear on this page as soon as the first Balancing Robots are built at home and in classrooms. We don't carry ratings over from other kits in the range, and we don't publish anything that isn't from a verified buyer.

If you've built this one with your class, we'd like to hear how it went — what worked, what didn't, and what you'd change.

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Questions, answered

Before you build

By weight, not by electronics. The motor and the robot's battery box sit below the wheel axle, and only a light wooden T-frame (the neck and head) sits above it. Because the mass below is much heavier than the mass above, the heavy side always swings back to face down. It's exactly how a roly-poly tumbler toy works, and it's the reason this makes such a good center-of-gravity lesson: the physics is visible instead of hidden inside a chip.
Yes, and that's half the point. The kit contains two 27 MHz boards: a transmitter that goes into the wooden remote you assemble, and a receiver that goes inside the robot. Each unit gets its own battery box, its own slide switch and its own wire antenna. You're building both ends of the radio link, not a robot plus a supplied controller.
4 × AA batteries (two pairs, one set for the robot and one for the remote, since each has its own battery box) and a small Phillips screwdriver. The build is screw-together from start to finish, so no glue is needed at any point.
It suits grades 3 to 5, and takes about 60 to 120 minutes. At twenty-nine steps it's one of the longest builds we make, with gear meshing to get right and wiring to connect, so we'd suggest building it alongside an adult the first time, which is what the manual asks for too. If this is a first kit, the Doodle Robot at seven steps is the gentler way in.
120 × 92 × 251 mm, measured to the top of the head and excluding the antenna. It's taller than it is wide. Most of that height is the neck and head sitting above the wheels.
PC University Distributors, Inc. is the exclusive distribution partner for E2K Robotics STEM kits to schools and educational institutions. Message the team on WhatsApp at 516-596-1500 or email sales@pcuniversity.com for educational pricing, classroom quantities and the full product list.
29-step manual

In English, with a science tip and a troubleshooting guide

Made for ages 8–11

Best built alongside an adult the first time

Schools welcome

Educational pricing through PC University

Before you start

4 × AA and a screwdriver, both supplied by you

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Build the robot. Build the remote.

Twenty-nine steps, one motor, two wheels and a radio link you assemble at both ends — and a physics lesson you can see working.

Add to cart · $12.99 Request a school quote
Balancing Robot
Grades 6-8 · Intermediate
Original price was: $15.99.Current price is: $12.99.
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