The Labotrix Sensorkit R3 is an extended sensor and actuator kit that widens the capabilities of a teaching robotic manipulator with practical tasks from the Internet of Things (IoT), industrial automation and the design of intelligent scenarios of interaction with the environment. The sensors record environmental readings and user actions, and the actuators carry out the response, so students assemble in practice the scenarios by which a robot reacts to external events in real time. The kit is used on its own, with its switching unit and a computer, and together with the Labotrix Arm R1 manipulator, when sensor readings drive its motion. It is intended for schools: lessons in computer science, physics, technology and robotics, club work and project work, for students of 10 years and older, that is grade 5 and above.
The kit is built around a switching unit (controller) with a 32-bit microcontroller running at 168 MHz and 12 electronic modules, each in its own protective housing with a unified 4-pin keyed connector. The modules are connected to the universal ports of the switching unit with ready-made cables, without soldering and without tools, and the switching unit is joined by cable to the teaching manipulator when required; the module housings carry mounting holes compatible with LEGO-type construction elements, so they can be fixed on models and rigs. The kit works with analogue (ADC), digital discrete, digital serial I2C, one-wire digital and pulse-width modulation signals, and occupies 6 universal ports of the switching unit, 2 of which additionally support analogue-to-digital conversion. The modules run on 3.3 to 7 V DC, nominally 5 V, and the micro servo on 4.8 V; they are powered by the switching unit itself, so no separate power supply is required, and a typical module draws about 50 mA. The gesture recognition sensor distinguishes 8 types of movement at a distance of 5 to 15 cm, with a maximum recognition rate of 240 Hz and a current draw of 2.2 mA. The combined temperature and humidity sensor measures from 0 to +60 °C with an error of ±1 °C and from 10 to 90 % relative humidity with an error of ±5 %. The colour recognition sensor identifies 6 surface colours and additionally the RGB components. The light level sensor delivers an analogue signal with a conversion range of 0 to 407 conventional units, and the sound intensity sensor an analogue signal with a conversion range of 0 to 1023 conventional units. The potentiometer module gives an output voltage of 0 to 2500 mV, the infrared motion sensor (PIR) has a detection radius of 150 cm, and the trigger distance of the photoelectric sensor is set by a rotary adjuster on its housing. The micro servo turns its output shaft through 180 degrees with a torque of 1.6 kg-cm at 4.8 V. Programming is done in a graphical block environment and in text form in Python, where each module of the kit has its own ready-made control block and the port number it is connected to is entered in the program, and the sensor readings are displayed on the computer screen as graphs and numerical values in real time.
The set includes the switching unit (controller) — 1 pc, a gesture recognition sensor — 1 pc, a light level sensor — 1 pc, an LED module — 1 pc, a colour recognition sensor — 1 pc, a combined temperature and humidity sensor — 1 pc, a potentiometer module with a rotary knob — 1 pc, an infrared motion sensor (PIR) — 1 pc, a sound intensity sensor — 1 pc, a dual mechanical button module — 1 pc, an analogue joystick — 1 pc, a micro servo with adapters and horns — 1 pc, a photoelectric sensor with a mounting bracket — 1 pc, and a set of connecting cables — 8 pcs, of which 6 are standard and 2 are extension cables; the delivery also contains an access licence to the online course with the assistant built on a language model, the passport with the warranty card, and individual transport packaging. The power supply, the USB cable and the robotic manipulator itself are not part of the kit, and the manipulator is supplied as a separate product. The kit needs no assembly: all modules are connected to the switching unit with ready-made cables without tools.
The product is supplied with an access right to an online teaching support course hosted in a learning management system (LMS) and covering 70 academic hours of lessons, compiled for the current curricula of Ukrainian general secondary schools. The materials are grouped into research modules in physics, biology, chemistry, STEM and robotics, and every topic contains a lesson plan, a list of the equipment required, an experiment scenario, a step-by-step laboratory work instruction with an explanation of the expected result, a video demonstration of working techniques, interactive exercises and tasks for independent study, suitable for both individual and group work. All modules were compiled for this same equipment and verified on it, so the course runs along a direct chain from the item of equipment through the methodology to the learning outcomes.
The kit includes an AI assistant built into the learning management system on retrieval-augmented generation. It selects research tasks and experiments matching the topic of the lesson, describes the procedure of the experiment step by step, identifies typical student errors and gives personalised recommendations for correcting them, adapts task difficulty to different levels of student preparation, supports students in compiling reports on research results and in structuring the conclusions drawn from experiments, and works on a localised knowledge base aligned with the national curriculum of Ukraine. The licence for the course and the software is valid for 12 months; content, interface and learning materials are in Ukrainian.
Modules are connected and disconnected only with the power of the switching unit completely switched off, and the keyed connectors are inserted without force in the correct position. The light level sensor, the sound intensity sensor and the potentiometer module go to a port with an analogue-to-digital converter and the micro servo to a port that supports pulse-width modulation, while the remaining modules go to any free universal port. The boards are partly exposed, so the static charge is removed from the hands by touching an earthed metal object before work, the modules are held by the edges of the housing, and they are stored in the standard packaging or in antistatic bags. The housings are wiped with a dry or slightly damp soft cloth, the optical windows of the gesture, colour and light sensors and the lens of the motion sensor are cleaned with a dry soft wipe or a dust blower, and the microphone of the sound sensor by blowing dust away only. Preparation for work is carried out by a teacher or a laboratory assistant and students work under supervision; small parts of the micro servo and the cables are kept out of reach of children under 3 years. Keep the kit in a dry, clean and ventilated room at a temperature from +5 to +40 °C and relative air humidity of 80 % without condensation. The service life of the product is 5 years and the warranty period is 12 months from the date of sale.
