Who are we?

ArcBotics is an educational robotics company whose goal is to make learning robotics easy, fun, and open source. 

Our Mission

Robots are powerful tools for learning and should be accessible to everyone.  

They teach you how to code, how electronic parts work, how to think critically and problem solve, how all the elements of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) work together, and how robots actually work so you can control a future with robots rather than be controlled by it.  

This is why we have created a line of robots for beginners to advanced users.  Our robots are a fraction of the price of other robots without sacrificing on features, and come with a robust set of tutorials.  

We also strongly believe in the open source philosophy, which is why we give you access to all lessons and tutorials for our robots before you purchase anything, and give you access to the code and design files to make the product your own.  

Our Story

When we launched our first product, Hexy the Hexapod, on Kickstarter in 2012, we weren’t sure what to expect. We were working as engineers and educational consultants by day, and by night had been designing Hexy for almost 6 months as a passion project.  Our goal was modest; we were hoping to raise enough funds for 50 units, or about $13,000.

The response from the community was overwhelming. We reached our goal within a day, and ended up raising $170,000 by the end of the month.  ArcBotics was born (and we promptly quit our day jobs).

After we successfully shipped Hexy, our community asked us if we could make a robot they could use with children.  Through our own work teaching robotics, we knew that children come alive when they can learn with a real live robot.  But the existing options were terrible.  None had complete lessons, more than a handful of sensors, were beginner-friendly, and taught real programming languages. 

So we created Sparki.  While Hexy is a powerful platform for exploring advanced robotics with its 19 motors, Sparki explores 40+ electronic components and is designed for use in the classroom as well as homes.   We also launched Sparki on Kickstarter, raised and successfully shipped $190,000.  

Today our robots are sold by distributors all over the world, and are used by over 1000 K-12 schools and top universities like Stanford, MIT and Northwestern. We have a line of complementary robotics accessories. We are constantly expanding content for Hexy and Sparki, and are working on new products.  

We are incredibly thankful to our Kickstarter backers, customers, and our fantastic retail partners.  Because of their belief in us, we have been able to stay true to our mission of making educational robotics affordable.  

Connie Hu and Joe Schlesinger

Co-Founders
San Leandro, California