The RVR is equipped with all-terrain treads, sensors, what Sphero describes as a powerful motor, as well as plenty of torque. What truly makes it great for tinkerers, though, is its expansion plate that's designed to work with most third-party components, including Raspberry Pi, Arduino, micro:bit and Sphero's littleBits. You can, say, install a robotic arm, a camera or any other hardware and then program it to do what you want using the Sphero Edu app.

Sphero had education in mind when it designed the RVR and even offered multiples in packs for the classroom. It can be a great tool for teachers hoping to get their students interested in science, technology, engineering, arts and math subjects. You can get one even if you're not an educator or a student, though -- each unit will set you back $250.