Kickstarter has delivered some pretty cool projects over the last couple of years. One of our favorites to come out of the crowd-funding world is the Kano Raspberry Pi microcomputer. As coding has taken off with the success of iOS and Android’s app stores, we are seeing more educators and parents take an interest in using it as a medium for learning. Kano was one of the first coding projects for kids on Kickstarter and we loved it.

Fast forward a year later and another Kickstarter campaign is focused on marrying robotics and coding into a kid-friendly package. Robo Wunderkind uses LEGO skills and iOS/Android connectivity to enable children to build their own robot. So far the response has been through the roof.

Update (9/4 7:30am): Now available for pre-order at Amazon and Best Buy.

Ever since the first Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer hit during Thanksgiving weekend last year, there has been one character that has stood out amongst the rest. Everyone fell in love the BB-8 droid and now it’s coming to your living room with smartphone-connected controls. 

Last we heard from popular robotic vacuum maker Neato it was releasing its latest D-series Botvacs. And now it is back with the new Neato Botvac Connected robotic smart vac. Along with smartphone control, the new vacuum is being billed as “the best cleaning robot the company has ever designed.”

If you’re an avid bike rider, there is no doubt that you’ve wondered how to bring smartphone integration into your daily commute or exercise routine. There are plenty of iPhone or Android bike mounts, like this one from iOttie, that will suffice but still require riders to focus in on a display that may be difficult to read while riding.

SmartHalo is a new project on Kickstarter that attaches a simple round display onto the handlebars of a bike. It connects with your smartphone via Bluetooth so directions can be transmitted from the iOS or Android app. From there, SmartHalo provides turn-by-turn navigation, amongst other data, until you’ve arrived at the destination.