AI with Pictoblox

Download Microbit Hex File:
Uploading Firmware 

1. Download the Scratch micro:bit HEX file

2. Open the file manager, do to downloads, then move the scratch-microbit-1.2.0.hex file to the micro:bit folder

3. Similarly, IOS users can move the __MACOSX file to the micro:bit folder.

Adacraft
https://www.adacraft.org/ 

While Stretch3 focuses heavily on AI and Machine Learning, Adacraft is often distinguished by its focus on creative coding, generative art, and connectivity.

1. Generative Art (p5.js): Adacraft includes an extension for p5.js, a JavaScript library used by artists and designers. This allows students to create complex, algorithmic art and visualizations (generative art) using blocks, which is difficult to do in standard Scratch.

2. Web Connectivity (HTTP Requests): Adacraft features blocks that allow a project to fetch live data from the internet. For example, a student could write a program that pulls real-time weather data or stock prices and uses that data to change the animation on the screen.

3. Immersive Display Control: It includes specific "Display" blocks (like display text or set text color) that offer more control over how text and visuals are rendered, moving beyond the simple "Say" bubbles in standard Scratch.

4. Minecraft Integration (Via Extensions): There is a community-created extension called ScratchCraft for Adacraft that allows users to send code commands from Adacraft into Minecraft (specifically the ComputerCraft mod), bridging block coding with the Minecraft game environment.

Stretch 3
https://stretch3.champierre.com/ 

Stretch3 (hosted at stretch3.github.io) is a modified version of the popular Scratch 3.0 block-based coding environment. It is widely used in STEM education to teach children about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).

• Key Extensions:

  • TM2Scratch: Connects to Google's "Teachable Machine," allowing kids to train their own AI models (recognizing images, sounds, or poses) and use them to control Scratch sprites.

  • ML2Scratch: A machine learning extension that lets you train an image recognition model directly within the browser using your webcam.

  • Handpose2Scratch & Facemesh2Scratch: Tracks hand movements and facial expressions in real-time, enabling users to control games with hand gestures or face movements.

Pictoblox
https://pictoblox.ai/ 

Pictoblox (pictoblox.ai or thestempedia.com) is a robust educational coding platform developed by the Indian ed-tech company STEMpedia.

Like the others you have asked about, it is based on Scratch 3.0, but it distinguishes itself by being a "heavyweight" all-in-one platform. While Stretch3 and Adacraft feel like lightweight web tools, Pictoblox feels more like a complete software suite designed to support STEMpedia's own hardware ecosystem while remaining open to general boards like Arduino.

Key Features of Pictoblox

1. "Mobile-First" Robotics

Unlike many Scratch mods that only work well on a desktop computer, Pictoblox has a fully featured mobile app (iOS/Android).

• Why this matters: You can code on a tablet and control a robot via Bluetooth immediately. This makes it very popular in classrooms that use iPads rather than laptops.

• Hardware Control: It has extensive support for controlling robots directly from the app using on-screen gamepads or custom dashboards.

2. Advanced AI & Machine Learning

Similar to Stretch3, Pictoblox has powerful AI extensions. However, Pictoblox wraps them in a more polished, "curriculum-ready" interface.

• Capabilities: Face detection, object recognition, and machine learning (training models to recognize custom images or poses).

• Computer Vision: It can use the camera on your phone/tablet for these AI features, which is often easier than setting up a webcam on a classroom desktop.

3. Broad Hardware Support (IoT & Arduino)

This is likely its strongest feature for a user interested in electronics. It supports a wider range of "maker" boards than standard Scratch:

• Boards: Arduino (Uno, Mega, Nano), ESP32, and Micro:bit.

• Internet of Things (IoT): It has specific blocks for connecting ESP32 boards to the internet to log data or control smart home devices (e.g., creating a button on your phone that turns on a real LED in your room via the cloud).

MBlock
https://ide.mblock.cc/ 

mBlock (mblock.cc) is a major educational coding platform developed by Makeblock, a large robotics company. Like the others you have asked about, it is based on Scratch 3.0, but it is specifically engineered to be a "bridge" platform—connecting simple block coding to professional hardware and text-based languages.

It is widely considered the industry standard for classroom robotics because of its robust hardware support.

Key Features of mBlock

1. "Live" vs. "Upload" Modes (The Standout Feature)

mBlock solves a common problem in teaching robotics: "Do I want the robot to run on its own, or do I want to control it with my keyboard?"

• Live Mode: The robot stays connected to the computer (via Bluetooth/USB). You can press a key on your laptop, and the robot moves instantly. This allows for interactive debugging.

• Upload Mode: You click one button to compile your code and "flash" it onto the robot's brain. You can then unplug the robot, and it runs your code autonomously.

• Why this matters: Most Scratch mods only do one or the other. mBlock makes switching between them seamless.

2. Best-in-Class Python Transition

Similar to Vittascience, mBlock is excellent for moving students from blocks to text.

• Split Editor: You can see the Python code generate in real-time as you drag blocks.

• Full Python Editor: Unlike some platforms that only show you the code, mBlock has a dedicated Python editor where students can type native Python code directly, including using popular libraries like matplotlib for data science.

3. Extensive Hardware Ecosystem

While it supports general boards like Arduino and Micro:bit, it is optimized for Makeblock's own hardware, which is very common in schools:

• mBot: The blue two-wheeled robot found in many STEM classrooms.

• Codey Rocky: An AI-focused robot with a built-in display.

• CyberPi: A powerful microcontroller similar to a Micro:bit but with a full-color screen and Python built-in.

4. AI and IoT (Internet of Things)

mBlock integrates Microsoft Cognitive Services and Google’s AI tools.

• Cognitive Services: Students can make blocks that detect ages, emotions, or text from a webcam feed.

• IoT: It allows students to link devices to the cloud, enabling projects like a weather station that tweets the temperature or a plant that emails you when it needs water.

Vitascience
https://en.vittascience.com/ 

Vittascience (vittascience.com) is a French educational platform that is highly regarded for bridging the gap between block-based coding (like Scratch) and text-based coding (like Python or C++).

Here is the breakdown of what makes it unique:

1. The "Hybrid" Interface (The Key Feature)

The standout feature of Vittascience is its real-time translation.

• Split Screen: The screen is divided into two halves. On the left, you drag and drop blocks (just like Scratch). On the right, you see the actual Python or C++ code being written automatically as you move the blocks.

• Why teachers love it: It is designed to help students transition away from blocks. They can see exactly how a "Repeat 10 times" block translates into a for i in range(10): line in Python.

2. Built-in Hardware Simulators

Unlike standard Scratch, which requires you to have the physical robot or board connected to see it work, Vittascience includes visual simulators right in the browser.

• Micro:bit & Arduino: You can code a Micro:bit or Arduino project and "run" it on a virtual board on the screen. The simulator even lets you "wire up" virtual LEDs, motors, and sensors to the board to test your code before you upload it to real hardware.

• Cost-Effective: This allows schools to teach robotics and electronics even if they don't have enough physical boards for every student.

3. AI and Data Science

Like Stretch3, Vittascience has dedicated interfaces for Artificial Intelligence.

• Adacraft Connection: Vittascience actually powers some of the AI extensions used in Adacraft (the platform you asked about previously).

• Neural Networks: It offers tools to visualize how neural networks "learn" to distinguish between images or text, making it a strong tool for teaching the theory behind AI, not just using it.