LEGO Education Science announced
Posted by Huw,
LEGO has published a press release concerning a new educational product line entitled LEGO Education Science. The range comprises three products which seem to be aimed at kids of primary school age. They'll be available in August from educational suppliers.
Details and images are scant, but considering it solely as a source of new technology, it looks interesting.
The system introduces two new motors, one with one output, and one with two, a light sensor, some sort of remote control unit, and 'connection cards'. It's hard to tell from the pictures how the separate parts are used or connected together, but presumably Bluetooth plays a part.
Read the press release, look at the photos, then let us know what you make of it.
From the press release:
LEGO Education Science includes lessons, teacher materials for lesson preparation, ready-to-teach presentations, and carefully selected LEGO bricks and hardware to enable hands–on learning.
All teacher materials will be available online through our new Teacher Portal for free, including 120+ curriculum-aligned lessons across year groups.
LEGO Education Science Kit Year 1-3
- 277 LEGO bricks
- 1 double motor
- USB charging cable
- Building instructions
LEGO Education Science Kit Year 4-6
- 335 LEGO bricks
- 1 double motor
- 1 controller
- 2 connection cards
- USB charging cable
- Building instructions
LEGO Education Science Kit Year 7-9
- 424 LEGO bricks
- 1 double motor
- 1 single motor
- 1 controller
- 1 colour sensor
- 3 connection cards
- USB charging cable
- Building instructions
Thanks to Colin for the news.
71 likes
44 comments on this article
Well, at least it’ll make monofig collectors happy.
Is there some gen AI going on with these images? The top one looks odd when you zoom in.
Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated...
Hey, was my comment removed (strict ban on Thomas Dolby?) or did I find some cheat code te remove my comment myself by editing it?
All jokes aside, interesting stuff, makes me wish I was some 40 years younger.....
@Nopjes said:
"Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated... "
I upscaled them because, as you say, the originals are tiny.
@WizardOfOss said:
"Hey, was my comment removed (strict ban on Thomas Dolby?) or did I find some cheat code te remove my comment myself by editing it?"
Strict ban in anything that's not relevant :-)
Yet another motor standard - but at least this time with proper USB charging! Looking forward to see the technical specs on these. I don't see a battery box anywhere (except maybe that one fat motor) so I'm curious to know if these are daisychainable (via usb-c?) or something like that.
@Mister_Jonny said:
"Well, at least it’ll make monofig collectors happy.
Is there some gen AI going on with these images? The top one looks odd when you zoom in."
Looks like AI upscaling, makes stuff smooth in places where it's not supposed to.
Interesting, but is going to be really expensive like other 'educational' kits.
Whoa, do the motors have an onboard batteries? There don't appear to be any connection cables, other than the USB charging cable. Regardless, always excited for more motor options, especially if that is the case. Expensive, of course, $500 USD for the largest kit.
@Huw said:
" @Nopjes said:
"Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated... "
I upscaled them because, as you say, the originals are tiny."
The originals are better quality than yours, maybe they changed it. The press release image looks normal to me.
Remember Lego Mindstorms?
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
@Huw said:
" @Nopjes said:
"Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated... "
I upscaled them because, as you say, the originals are tiny."
If you open the press release photos in a new tab, or copy their link, and remove all the fluff after .jpg in the links, the photos are their normal size and look perfectly fine.
https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/aboutus/assets/blt3524b705dc3f10bc/legoeducationscience03.jpg
https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/aboutus/assets/blt0d566b332409c35d/legoeducationsciencenews02.jpg
@Huw said:
"Strict ban in anything that's not relevant :-)"
Sorry, I was just Blinded by Education Science ;-)
But as JK_Brickworks mentioned above, interesting to see no connection cables whatsoever. Now these motors are still a bit more bulky than they need to be because of the "Technic brick" mounts on the sides, but still these would be very useful to motorize small stuff when there's no room for cables, let alone a chunky hub. Would be cool if these would be used in regular sets too, even when that's rather unlikely to happen.
@yui said:
" @Huw said:
" @Nopjes said:
"Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated... "
I upscaled them because, as you say, the originals are tiny."
If you open the press release photos in a new tab, or copy their link, and remove all the fluff after .jpg in the links, the photos are their normal size and look perfectly fine."
Thanks, I've changed it.
@Tuzi said:
"Yet another motor standard - but at least this time with proper USB charging! Looking forward to see the technical specs on these. I don't see a battery box anywhere (except maybe that one fat motor) so I'm curious to know if these are daisychainable (via usb-c?) or something like that.
"
If you look at the originals for a couple of the images, you can see the regulatory symbols on the side of the motor suggesting it has an internal battery. It seems to be that the components talk wirelessly, each with their own internal battery, and use USB-C for charging.
I'd wager the "controller" acts as a remote for the motors and can be paired with them. I'm curious about the color sensor though - there's no programmable ability as far as I can see, I wonder if that's what the connection cards are for.
I am definitely curious to learn more. I wonder if the controller talks to the motors via the LFP2 Lego Wireless Protocol like the Powered Up/Control+/Duplo trains ranges do
LEGO have finally discovered the secret of internal rechargeable batteries? You're joking.
It's only taken them a couple of decades too, by LEGO standards for technical innovation that's the equivalent of a blink of an eye.
;-)
@AustinPowers said:
"LEGO have finally discovered the secret of internal rechargeable batteries? You're joking.
It's only taken them a couple of decades too, by LEGO standards for technical innovation that's the equivalent of a blink of an eye.
;-) "
Haha. To be fair, it does mean higher replacement cost when the motor eventually dies. :)
@Mr_Hobbles said:
" @Tuzi said:
"Yet another motor standard - but at least this time with proper USB charging! Looking forward to see the technical specs on these. I don't see a battery box anywhere (except maybe that one fat motor) so I'm curious to know if these are daisychainable (via usb-c?) or something like that.
"
If you look at the originals for a couple of the images, you can see the regulatory symbols on the side of the motor suggesting it has an internal battery. It seems to be that the components talk wirelessly, each with their own internal battery, and use USB-C for charging.
I'd wager the "controller" acts as a remote for the motors and can be paired with them. I'm curious about the color sensor though - there's no programmable ability as far as I can see, I wonder if that's what the connection cards are for.
I am definitely curious to learn more. I wonder if the controller talks to the motors via the LFP2 Lego Wireless Protocol like the Powered Up/Control+/Duplo trains ranges do"
Good catch!
New part alert! Those black 2x2s with coral studs in the bin on the right. I'm curious what they are; they remind me of the old Games dice, so maybe they're rubber pads to stick on the bottom of builds for friction? The same way we've seen tires and stuff used for on mech feet.
Lackluster amount of Ninjago content today considering the anniversary. I like the new education sets though, I wonder if these bridge the gap between Mindstorms and first Lego league.
A little bit of flashback/nostalgia from that white block with the two wheels on it--reminds me of the old wind-up motor from 890, one of my first Lego sets.
I remember when I was at school they had Mindstorms. I just built stuff out of the Lego instead of doing the programming lol.
Does this mean that PoweredUp is officially dead and this new incompatible system will come to upcoming Technic, Trains etc. too?
@R0Sch said:
"Does this mean that PoweredUp is officially dead and this new incompatible system will come to upcoming Technic, Trains etc. too?"
Going by TLG's fondness for backwards incompatability, I'd say yes.
Will primary schools be able to afford them though?
@Huw said:
" @Nopjes said:
"Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated... "
I upscaled them because, as you say, the originals are tiny."
We don't need AI edited images from a news site. Please don't do this in the future.
I'm going to need more detail on what those black bricks with the Vibrant Coral studs are...
Are they bricks with... rubber(ish) coating to be used for stuff like anti-slip feet?
I Agree with the sentiment that AI shouldn't be used in a news site, especially one for creativity. If the images are small, so be it!
@SolidState said:
" @Huw said:
" @Nopjes said:
"Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated... "
I upscaled them because, as you say, the originals are tiny."
We don't need AI edited images from a news site. Please don't do this in the future."
I personally wouldn't mind if a disclaimer was added for AI-upscaled images, but I'm curious as to why you and others don't want to see them at all.
@Dollhaus said:
"New part alert! Those black 2x2s with coral studs in the bin on the right. I'm curious what they are; they remind me of the old Games dice, so maybe they're rubber pads to stick on the bottom of builds for friction? The same way we've seen tires and stuff used for on mech feet."
Another new part: 8x16 Mario plate seen in the middle pocket of the bin.
I also thought of the Games die, a piece I wish I had more of or came in different rubber colours. I'm oddly fond of that piece, interesting geometry and design... would've made a good companion cube if I had more of those 2x2 Dimensions tiles.
@M_Jibril said:
" @SolidState said:
" @Huw said:
" @Nopjes said:
"Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated... "
I upscaled them because, as you say, the originals are tiny."
We don't need AI edited images from a news site. Please don't do this in the future."
I personally wouldn't mind if a disclaimer was added for AI-upscaled images, but I'm curious as to why you and others don't want to see them at all."
Pictures of parts, where the parts have been mangled beyond recognition, aren’t particularly helpful. It eliminates the purpose of the information.
@CCC said:
"Will primary schools be able to afford them though?"
Nope. This is what grants are for (at least in the US).
@Mister_Jonny said:
"Well, at least it’ll make monofig collectors happy."
My first thought, too, and I guarantee that we're not alone there.
@CCC said:
"Will primary schools be able to afford them though?"
Depends on what you call affordable.
For example, a classroom bundle for a 24-student classroom (6 kits) will cost:
LEGO Education Science Classroom Bundle K-2? $1,999
LEGO Education Science Classroom Bundle 3-5? $2,399
LEGO Education Science Classroom Bundle 6-8? $2,999
If purchased separately, the cost per kit is:
LEGO Education Science Kit K-2? $329
LEGO Education Science Kit 3-5? $399
LEGO Education Science Kit 6-8? $499
@R0Sch said:
" @CCC said:
"Will primary schools be able to afford them though?"
Depends on what you call affordable.
For example, a classroom bundle for a 24-student classroom (6 kits) will cost:
LEGO Education Science Classroom Bundle K-2? $1,999
LEGO Education Science Classroom Bundle 3-5? $2,399
LEGO Education Science Classroom Bundle 6-8? $2,999
If purchased separately, the cost per kit is:
LEGO Education Science Kit K-2? $329
LEGO Education Science Kit 3-5? $399
LEGO Education Science Kit 6-8? $499"
Primary school budgets here are very tight for extra-curricular equipment, with schools often fund raising for things like (non-curriculum) library books. This doesn't really fit in with teaching or lesson plans so those are incredibly high prices for something that doesn't really add to teaching. When my kids were at primary school, the only time they used LEGO was in after school 'LEGO club' which was basically after-school child minding with a big box of mixed LEGO without any teaching content.
Great idea... except that we've now got yet another comms protocol (non-)"standard"! Wedo, Power Up, Power Function, Mindstorms, all a bit of a mish-mash, some of which are compatible, some aren't, some even come in several incompatible versions. My children are interested in electronics and robotics, we've finally managed to make Scratch talk to WeDo (v1). It would be nice to use this new kit, but I can't justify buying it, firstly on the price anyway and secondly on the likely longevity (or lack thereof before yet something else comes along).
I really don't understand why Lego is producing these separate expensive and different electronic components, and parts in new colours, for education purposes. It makes the sets expensive to get for schools, which have tight budgets, and makes replacement parts hard. And it makes potentially hard to get for us fans, and again, expensive.
I would say make sets with existing components and parts, and produce good supporting (possibly digital) materials.
That said, the new components look cool, and I would like to see them in normal sets.
@JK_Brickworks said:
"Haha. To be fair, it does mean higher replacement cost when the motor eventually dies. :)"
It would be nice to see TLG use more standard lithium-ion battery sizes for this reason. I believe the the newest Technic hub uses an 18650, and the fairly standard 16340 could fit in many LEGO products. Lithium-ion batteries can be user-replaceable without a 10x markup from TLG for a custom battery.
I work making Lego workshops daily. These all seem like a downgrade from every Education set I own, lmao.
@M_Jibril said:
" @SolidState said:
" @Huw said:
" @Nopjes said:
"Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated... "
I upscaled them because, as you say, the originals are tiny."
We don't need AI edited images from a news site. Please don't do this in the future."
I personally wouldn't mind if a disclaimer was added for AI-upscaled images, but I'm curious as to why you and others don't want to see them at all."
For the same reason we don't want to see random MOCs sprinkled into the new set reveal posts. We want the real news, not invented plausible news.
Does this mean a new train system is coming?
@Huw said:
" @Nopjes said:
"Very interesting! The pictures in the press release are low in quality, but the pictures here seem somewhat distorted by the enhancement process, which make them look AI-generated... "
I upscaled them because, as you say, the originals are tiny."
oof… personally I’d rather see low-quality pics than AI upscales; in a case such as this, it’s not Brickset staff’s fault the pics were low-res, so I wouldn’t fault you for it anyway. I dunno, the current philosophy around AI, to me, seems very counter to the principles inherent to LEGO.
@lordofdragonss said:
"I work making Lego workshops daily. These all seem like a downgrade from every Education set I own, lmao."
As a teacher, I agree with you as I see less functionality when compared to other Lego STEM products.
@R0Sch said:
" @CCC said:
"Will primary schools be able to afford them though?"
Depends on what you call affordable.
For example, a classroom bundle for a 24-student classroom (6 kits) will cost:
LEGO Education Science Classroom Bundle K-2? $1,999
LEGO Education Science Classroom Bundle 3-5? $2,399
LEGO Education Science Classroom Bundle 6-8? $2,999
If purchased separately, the cost per kit is:
LEGO Education Science Kit K-2? $329
LEGO Education Science Kit 3-5? $399
LEGO Education Science Kit 6-8? $499"
Does Lego expect schools to pay that kind of money on an untried product?
@AustinPowers said:
"LEGO have finally discovered the secret of internal rechargeable batteries? You're joking. "
Yes, it’s weird that they gave us 8878 Rechargeable Battery Box in 2009, which was incredibly useful, but then forgot that rechargeable batteries exist, for 16 years!