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Neuroengineering
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Grade 4+
SpikerBot: Build a Brain, Create a Creature (Pre-Order)
Estimated Shipping October 2026
Most robots run code. SpikerBot runs a brain you build.
Wire living-style neurons by hand in a drag-and-drop app, hear them fire as real data, and watch behavior emerge — no code. Same robot, different brain, different creature.
Pre-order now — estimated shipping October 2026. Limited first-run slots.
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$299.99
In stock
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PRE-ORDER NOTICE: Estimated Shipping October 2026. Reserve your SpikerBot now to be among the first. Pre-order slots are limited.
Most robots follow code. SpikerBot follows a brain you build.
Built by neuroscientists and simple enough for kids, SpikerBot lets you wire a real brain by hand, hear it fire, and watch behavior emerge in real time. No code required.
That crackling isn’t a sound effect — it’s real data: the actual spikes its neurons fire, played live as the robot senses the world. Once you hear it, you’ll never think about robots the same way.
Instead of writing programming loops in C++ or Python, you use an intuitive drag-and-drop app to assemble Spiking Neural Networks — biologically accurate models where digital neurons fire just like the ones in your own head. Change a single synapse and the creature’s behavior changes instantly.
Same robot, different brain, different creature.
Make it chase a ball. Avoid a hand. Follow a color. Freeze during a game. React to your own body signals. The robot is the body — the brain is yours to design.
Customize everything.
SpikerBot comes with a camera, microphone, speaker, distance sensors, motor-driven wheels, and a customizable body. Dress it up and build a shell — add ears, wings, whiskers, bumpers, tails, flags, or 3D-printed parts. Wire neurons to external motors, servos, and lights, connect multiple SpikerBots and watch them interact, or expand it with standard BLE devices, keyboards, and controllers.
Advanced: put your body in the loop.
Feed muscle, heart, or EEG signals into SpikerBot’s brain as live inputs using the Backyard Brains Spiker:bit system — and control your creature with your own biology.
Why choose SpikerBot?
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No code, just biology: You teach SpikerBot by wiring its neurons, not by writing lines of code — a hands-on alternative to passive screen time and “black-box” AI tools.
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Real-time emergent behavior: A real-time biological simulation engine supporting up to 100 neurons, running live on the robot.
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Backed by real science: Developed by Backyard Brains with grant support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), peer-reviewed and proven in classrooms to boost STEM confidence and neuroscience understanding.
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Fully customizable: Save different neural-network configurations as “personalities,” instantly swapping your robot from a shy explorer to an aggressive hunter.
What’s in the box?
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1x SpikerBot: A palm-sized, highly responsive rover powered by an advanced ESP32-S3 microcontroller.
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Sensors & outputs: Forward-facing RGB camera (320×240 px), high-accuracy distance sensors, microphone, onboard speaker, and multi-color RGB LEDs.
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Customizable shell: Sleek, structural body shell ready for personalization.
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SpikerBot app access: Free download for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Chromebooks.
Technical specifications & compatibility
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Recommended age: 10 to 99 (perfect for families, classrooms, and makerspaces)
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Connectivity: Connects over its own local Wi-Fi network — no internet required to play.
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Power: 4x AA batteries (rechargeable NiMH recommended, not included).
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Bio-hacker friendly: 100% open-source hardware and software, expandable with external controllers and the Backyard Brains Spiker:bit system.
Successfully funded on Kickstarter in less that 1hr! Built by Backyard Brains — 15 years of award-winning, NIH-funded neuroscience tools, with a previous Kickstarter delivered on schedule.
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