🧠 Learn how AI works · 💻 Coding · 🤖 AI robots, toys and kits
Thymio
By Mobsya (Swiss nonprofit association), designed with EPFL and ECAL. Visit Thymio
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Thymio is a small open-source wheeled robot used in schools, mostly in Europe. Out of the box it has six built-in behaviors, like following a line or avoiding obstacles, that kids switch between with buttons. With the free Thymio Suite software, children then program it in visual blocks (VPL), Scratch, Blockly, its own text language, or Python. A free Thymio AI add-on lets students train it to do new moves with supervised or reinforcement learning. Thymio 3 is due in classrooms from September 2026.
Our take: A sturdy, privacy-friendly robot for schools and coding clubs; families in the US may find it harder to buy than local brands.
| Ages it suits | about 6-18 and adults |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | No age rule found; the free software needs no account, and the maker says it collects no usage data from the apps. (terms) |
| Price | Paid. Robot sold through local resellers; no price on the maker's site (Oct 2026). Thymio Suite software is free. |
| Works on | A device, Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | Thymio AI software lets students train the robot with supervised or reinforcement learning to learn new behaviors. |
What's good
- Grows from button play to Python
- Free software, no account, no data sent
- Open-source, nonprofit maker
- Free AI training activities with teacher booklets
Watch for
- Must buy through a reseller; price varies by country
- Tablet programming needs a computer running Thymio Suite
- Most resources are Europe-focused
- New Thymio 3 may change what is supported
Data and privacy
Mobsya says its apps are free and run only on your computer or tablet, with no usage or connection data sent to it. Its website uses Google Analytics, MailChimp and cookies. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
Designed by EPFL researchers, and the maker lists university projects that use it; no independent study of learning outcomes was found in this desk research.
In the Big Index
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Where these facts come from
- https://www.thymio.org/
- https://www.thymio.org/buy/
- https://www.thymio.org/products/programming-with-thymio-suite/
- https://www.thymio.org/products/thymio-ai/
- https://www.thymio.org/products/meet-thymio/
- https://www.thymio.org/privacy-policy-page/
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/thymio-suite-mobile/id1481469575
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mobsya.ThymioSuite
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.