Pre-Orders Open for Carl Bugeja’s Pocket-Sized ProtoBot Robotics Kit

Depending on your level of experience, it may teach you something about robotics, or it may not. But who cares? While Carl Bugeja’s ProtoBot is being sold as an educational tool for teaching robotics, it would be a blast to play with in any case. It looks like a car straight out of the Micro Machines lineup, only it is remote-controlled and hackable. ProtoBot is an RC car that fits in your pocket and can be pulled out for some fun anywhere, anytime.

Hiding behind the toy-like appearance is a fairly capable robotics platform designed to introduce users to everything from soldering and embedded electronics to sensor integration and automation. The tiny robot measures just 6.3 × 7.5 cm and weighs only 92 grams, but it packs in an ESP32-C6-based controller board, four N20 motors, RGB lighting, proximity sensors, and a 9-axis motion sensor for balance and orientation tracking.

ProtoBot is available in three different versions aimed at different experience levels. The Beginner Edition ships fully assembled and ready to drive immediately, while the Pro Edition requires users to solder the electronics themselves. The DIY Pro Edition requires builders to 3D-print the shell and assemble nearly everything from scratch.

The vehicle is controlled through the MicroLink smartphone app for Android and iOS. The app allows joystick driving, path recording and replay, obstacle avoidance routines, and block-based automation programming. Users can also make the robot draw shapes or follow custom movement sequences. The integrated compass and motion sensors also allow ProtoBot to do some basic tricks, such as steering in patterns and briefly balancing itself.

ProtoBot was built for experimentation. The robot includes a breadboard mount for attaching additional sensors and accessories. The body design, accessories, and software libraries are all open source. Furthermore, builders can modify the shell, design custom add-ons, or create entirely new behaviors using the optional Arduino library and example code.

With an estimated runtime of around 35 minutes per charge and a wireless control range of roughly 40 meters, ProtoBot doesn’t sound much like a typical classroom robotics kit. If you’d like to tinker around with your own, pre-ordering is now open with prices starting at about $86. Orders are expected to ship by the end of June 2026.