BOLT+ Speed and Distance AccuracyUpdated 2 months ago

When using roll blocks and commands with BOLT+, you may find that actual distance rolled may vary between program(s) and/or robot(s). Factors including driving incline, surface texture, battery life, temperature, and program code can cause slight variations in distance driven.

Some variances in accuracy, speed, and distance are expected when driving BOLT+. Due to the LED Screen inside BOLT+, BOLT+ is top heavy - if you drive a top heavy object quickly, and then it stops, it topples over (a good lesson in physics!). To combat the topple effect, Sphero implemented a control system for BOLT+ that runs a bit slower than SPRK+ and BOLT. Maximum speed and acceleration were reduced to ensure better accuracy and stability, providing the most accurate driving experience.

The Sphero Edu coding and block canvas have a couple of commands that allow you to choose how long and how far you want your robot to drive:

Drive to Time

• This command is available for all robot types

Drive to Distance

• This command was introduced in 2024 and is only available for BOLT+ and RVR+

• This command can yield more accurate, repeatable results than the Drive to Time block

• With this command, you may see variations in distance traveled, up to 10% for shorter distances, and up to 5% for longer distances