Taking Off with Pilot
Taking Off with Pilot is the True Robotics program for grades 3 to 5. Students build the Pilot Robot Kit from about 150 pieces with real-world tools. Then they program it in True Robotics Playground. Two or three students share one kit.
The build
Students build the robot first
Every Pilot Robot Kit arrives in pieces. Students build it on days 3 and 4 with a screwdriver, a wrench and a ruler. Then they program the robot they built.
Pilot Robot Kit
Grades 3-5The kit students build in grades 3 to 5, then program.
- Pieces
- about 150 pieces
- Build time
- one to three class periods
- Battery life
- 4 to 5 hours
- Sensor
- Ultrasonic sensor
The curriculum
What the curriculum covers
Taking Off with Pilot is a unit, not a set of activities. It starts on day 1 and builds to day 25, with math and science taught through the robot.
Taking Off with Pilot at a glance
| Grades | 3-5. Curriculum versions: Grade 3, 4, 5 and General |
|---|---|
| Lessons | 25 lessons per grade curriculum |
| Lesson length | About 45 to 60 minutes, with a lot of flexibility |
| Ideal students per robot | 2 to 3 students |
“It really is a comprehensive STEM experience rather than just looking at the technology piece.”
Five strands in every track
- Build the Pilot Robot Kit. About 150 pieces assembled with real tools in one to three class periods.
- Math the robot needs. Fractions and measuring with a ruler so students can measure distances accurately.
- Programming and sensors. Programming challenges, the ultrasonic sensor, obstacle courses and races.
- Science with the robot. Speed and energy, balanced and unbalanced forces, reviewed with the robot in hand.
- Engineering design process. Every grade version includes an engineering design lesson before the challenges.
Standards. Math and science run through the unit itself, taught with the robot rather than beside it.
See how Pilot lines up with standardsThe four tracks, day by day
Grades 3, 4 and 5 each have their own track. The General track drops the grade-level prior knowledge, for mixed grades and after-school clubs. Each list shows days 1 to 21. Days 22 to 25 are in the Teacher Digital Portal.
Grade 3
- Day 1Introduction to Robotics
- Day 2Introduction to Pilot
- Days 3 to 4Pilot Robot Kit Building
- Day 5Fractions Basics
- Day 6Measuring with a Ruler to the half and quarter inch
- Day 7Engineering Design Process
- Day 8Programming Explorations
- Days 9 to 10Programming Explorations Challenges
- Day 11Debugging Code
- Day 12Algorithms
- Days 13 to 14Balanced and Unbalanced Forces
- Days 15 to 16Pilot Obstacle Course Challenge
- Day 17Sensors and Robots
- Day 18Ultrasonic Sensor Programming I
- Days 19 to 20Ultrasonic Sensor Applications I
- Day 21Technology: Past, Present, Future
Grade 4
- Day 1Introduction to Robotics
- Day 2Introduction to Pilot
- Days 3 to 4Pilot Robot Kit Building
- Day 5Mixed Numbers & Improper Fractions When Measuring with a Ruler
- Day 6Factors and Multiples
- Days 7 to 8Engineering Design Process
- Day 9Area and Perimeter of Rectangles
- Day 10Programming Basics
- Days 11 to 12Basic Programming Challenges
- Days 13 to 14Speed and Energy
- Days 15 to 16Pilot Obstacle Course Challenge
- Day 17Introduction to the Ultrasonic Sensor
- Day 18Ultrasonic Sensor Programming II
- Days 19 to 20Ultrasonic Sensor Applications II
- Day 21Pilot Science Race
Grade 5
- Day 1Introduction to Robotics
- Day 2Introduction to Pilot
- Days 3 to 4Pilot Robot Kit Building
- Day 5Converting Measurements Within a System
- Days 6 to 7Engineering Design Process
- Day 8Material Properties
- Day 9Programming Applications
- Days 10 to 11Application Challenges
- Day 12Debugging Code
- Day 13Discovering Volume
- Day 14Converting Measurements and Volume Escape Room
- Days 15 to 16Pilot Obstacle Course Challenge
- Day 17Understanding the Ultrasonic Sensor
- Day 18Ultrasonic Sensor Programming III
- Days 19 to 20Ultrasonic Sensor Challenges III
- Day 21Pilot Science Race
General track, for mixed grades
- Day 1Introduction to Robotics
- Day 2Introduction to Pilot
- Days 3 to 4Pilot Robot Kit Building
- Day 5Measuring with a Ruler
- Day 6Bluetooth Signals
- Day 7Engineering Design Process
- Day 8Electrical Circuits
- Day 9Material Properties
- Day 10Introduction to Programming
- Days 11 to 12Movement Programming Challenges
- Day 13Debugging Code
- Days 14 to 15Speed and Energy
- Days 16 to 17Pilot Obstacle Course Challenge
- Day 18Introduction to the Ultrasonic Sensor
- Day 19Ultrasonic Sensor Programming
- Days 20 to 21Ultrasonic Sensor Challenges
The software
What students learn to code
Students code Pilot in True Robotics Playground with drag-and-drop blocks. The blocks carry more words and fewer icons as students grow. There are no student logins to manage.
In the Pilot workspace
- Five block categories: Drive, Events, Inputs, Conditionals, Loops
- Programming the ultrasonic sensor and the game controller
- Programs upload to the robot over Bluetooth and run on the robot
- No student usernames or passwords, and no student data collected
Runs on the devices you have
- Windows
- Mac
- Chromebook
- iPad
- Android tablet
The add-on
FlexForge on Pilot
FlexForge is a kit of gray build pieces, extra motors and gears that mounts on the Pilot Robot Kit. It adds about 15 days of engineering challenges. We fit those days into the plan you already have.
Five units for the Pilot Robot Kit
- Soccer Bot Mobility
- Pickup Bot Dexterity
- Plow Bot Pushing and plowing
- Climber Bot Climbing
- Capstone robot Capstone challenge and showcase
Your calendar
Fitting Pilot to your calendar
Not every school has 25 full days. We build a scope and sequence around the days you have. One set of kits can move from class to class.
How Pilot runs at your school
Four steps from the quote to the first build.
Ask for a quote
Tell us your grades and class sizes.
The kits arrive
In pieces, with all required tools, batteries and chargers. Nothing else to buy.
A 30 minute session
Every teacher gets one, held virtually. We set up your login and tour the portal.
You build, then they build
Build one kit first with the Learning Portal videos. Students build theirs on days 3 and 4.
- What your school provides
- One device for students to code on. We supply everything else.
- How many robots you need
- Two to three students share one kit, so a class of 24 needs about 8 to 12.
Training that comes with Pilot
Everything below is in your package except the last row.
See how we train teachers| What you get | When | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Portal | Self-paced | An online course with chapters, videos and quizzes, including one on building Pilot. |
| A 30 minute intro session | First step | One on one and held virtually. We set up your login and tour the portal. |
| Your own contact | Any time | A person at True Robotics who knows your school, not a support line. |
| One-on-one training | One to two hours | Held virtually and included. Many teachers spend it building the robot with us. |
| In-person sessions | Optional | A school can add these at additional cost. The virtual sessions stay in the package. |
What Pilot costs
Curriculum licensing and professional development are priced separately and bundled into Classroom Packages at a discount. Prices subject to change.
An example: one class of 24
- Students in the class
- 24
- Students sharing one Pilot Robot Kit
- 2 to 3 students
- Robots that class needs
- 8 to 12 robots
- Robots at $399 each
- $3,192 to $4,788
An example, not a quote. It covers the robots only. Curriculum licensing and teacher training are quoted on top and bundled into a Classroom Package at a discount, and we size the set with you before you order.
What a first-year Classroom Package includes
A classroom set of the robots, the curriculum materials, the Learning Portal and the full one-on-one training package. Title I, II and IV funds and grants commonly pay for one.
Questions about Taking Off with Pilot
Why does third grade appear in both Treads and Pilot?
On purpose. Depending on the school and the students' prior experience, some third graders have never done robotics. Treads suits them, especially new third graders in the first semester, because its coding environment is simpler and easier to pick up. Other third graders are mechanically inclined, have done robotics before, or are ready for more. That is why there is also a third grade Pilot curriculum. Pilot is a kit that students put together, which suits children who thrive on hands-on learning, and the coding levels up a little. For a full K-8 pipeline, keep Treads for K, 1 and 2, then move third graders up to Pilot, because they will already have had Treads for three years.
How does a Pilot unit flow?
Pilot is a unit that builds from day 1 to day 25. Students start with what robotics is, what the Pilot robot is, and why they are learning all this. Then they build the robot, which usually takes one to three class periods. After that, the robot becomes a tool for a lot of other learning: a math review such as fractions, because measuring with a ruler needs halves and fourths; programming challenges, including programming the robot's sensors; obstacle courses and races; and science reviews such as speed and energy, and balanced and unbalanced forces. It is a comprehensive STEM experience rather than just the technology piece.
How does the coding change from Treads to Pilot and Axle?
Treads coding is very simple and icon-based. Students drag and drop blocks and connect them so the robot follows patterns: creating a square, driving across the classroom, driving around the desks. With Pilot and Axle, the coding levels up. It is still drag-and-drop, block-based coding, but the blocks use more text and fewer icons. Students learn to sequence blocks for different challenges, use conditionals and loops, program the ultrasonic and light sensors, and program the game controller. The whole progression is our scaffolded drag-and-drop software.
How much does it cost?
Robots are priced per unit: the Treads Robot is $200 per robot, the Pilot Robot Kit is $399 per robot, and the Axle Robot Kit is $650 per robot. FlexForge add-on kits are $149 for Basic and $349 for Enhanced. A first-year Classroom Package includes a classroom set of robots, curriculum licensing for the lesson plans, PowerPoints and worksheets, access to the Learning Portal with all of its asynchronous videos, and the full one-on-one training package. The total depends on how many students and teachers are involved, so we quote each school individually.
Bring Pilot to your grades 3 to 5 classrooms
Tell us your grades, your days and your goals. We put together a Classroom Package with Pilot Robot Kits, curriculum licensing and one-on-one teacher training.
