Pedro's journey began in 2016 with a simple question:
How can we make robotics and programming more accessible to everyone, especially beginners?
The very first version Pedro 1.0 was a humble prototype built around the ATmega328 microcontroller, with a fully open source design, Arduino compatibility, and 3D-printable parts. It featured 4 servo motors, required an external 5V 3A power supply, and needed screws and tools for assembly.
While it didn’t include wireless features, displays, or batteries, it
laid the foundation for an educational and hands-on robotics
experience.
That’s how Pedro: Programming Educational Robot was born.
In 2017, Pedro made its way into schools, becoming a hands-on tool in STEM workshops to introduce students to robotics and programming. From its early days, Pedro has helped spark curiosity and foster technical skills in the classroom — making complex concepts more accessible through play, creativity, and real-world applications.
In 2020, Pedro gained recognition by winning the "My Innovation in 120 Seconds" competition, following successful robotics workshops at the University of Comoros. This contest, organized by the West Africa Regional Office of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), highlights impactful educational innovations across Africa.
🚀 The Evolution of Pedro: From Prototype to STEM Classroom Hero
Fast forward to 2022, Pedro underwent a complete redesign with education and ease-of-use at its core.
Meet Pedro 2.0:
Now powered by an ATmega32U4 microcontroller, it remains fully open source and Arduino-compatible, but with major enhancements:
Pedro 2.0 was built for STEM education, designed to make learning about robotics, coding, electronics, and mechanics accessible, fun, and scalable in schools, workshops, and makerspaces.
Today, Pedro continues its mission to bring robotics
into classrooms around the world empowering students, teachers, and
makers with an open-source, hands-on STEM learning tool.
Pedro is officially Open Source Hardware certified (UID: FR000025). This label guarantees transparency, reusability, and compliance with open-source standards ideal for schools and educators.
In March 2025, Pedro’s vision came to life through a successful Kickstarter campaign reaching 268% of its funding goal. Thanks to our amazing backers for believing in the project, Pedro is now ready for classrooms worldwide.
