Quick Start - docs.PrimaSTEM.com

PrimaSTEM is a screen-free educational kit for programming, logic, and mathematics, for children ages 4–10+. This page briefly explains how the device works.

1. What’s in the box

Robot

Wooden ladybug-robot on two wheels. Marker slot on top. Speaker, USB-C, Bluetooth.

Control board

Panel with paired slots for the program. Multi-colour indicators, ▶ Start/Stop button, speaker, USB-C, Bluetooth.

Code tokens

Cardboard tiles with NFC stickers — each one is a single command for the robot’s program.

2. Power on

Switch on the robot, then the board

Each plays a short sound; the green power indicator on each device means it’s on.

Connected = white

Available slots on the board glow white, the robot’s eyes blink white. You’re ready.

Both blue = pairing needed

Hold ▶ Start on the board for more than 10 seconds — the devices will pair and the robot will restart.

3. How a program works

The board has two rows of paired slots. Place tokens in the cells that glow white — that’s your program. Press ▶ Start — the robot runs it.

Control board diagram with labels A through F

Label	What it is
A	Main program — 6 pair slots, executed left → right
B	▶ Start / Stop — press to run; press again mid-program to stop
C	Function — 5 pair slots, called by the Function token
D	One cell of a pair
E	Execution line connecting paired cells
F	Multi-colour LED indicator on each cell

A pair = two logically linked cells. Order top/bottom doesn’t matter — put the command in either cell of the pair, and the repeat, number, or arithmetic tile in the other. If the second cell is empty, default values are used: 15 cm step and 90° turn — enough for young children. LED colours during execution:

⚪ White	🟢 Green	🔵 Blue	🔴 Red
Idle (slot available)	Command set	Command + number / repeat / arithmetic	Error — skipped

Empty slots and red pairs are skipped. LEDs flash on the cell being executed right now.

4. Tokens — by group

Group	What the tokens do
Movement	Forward · Back · Left · Right
Repeat	Two arrows in a loop + inside dots 2–6 (like a die, for young children) or numerals. In a pair with a command, repeats it.
Numbers	`1`–`999`. Set movement distance in mm or turn angle in degrees.
Arithmetic	`+N` `−N` `×N` `÷N` `√` `^N` — one tile per operation+number. Modifies the saved value of movement or turn. A negative result reverses the direction!
Function	Calls the bottom row as a subroutine. With a repeat tile, runs that number of times.
Step	Service tile + Number = changes the default step (e.g. number 100, in millimetres, for a 10-cm grid). Saved after power-off.

5. Defaults & saved value

Forward = 150 mm (15 cm), turn = 90°. The Step token changes the “default” distance and persists after power-off. Use it for grid maps from any robot.During one session, each movement command keeps its own saved value:

a number in the pair with the command → replaces the last saved value or default
an arithmetic tile → modifies it (+, −, ×, ÷, √, ^)
empty in the pair with the command → uses the last saved value or default

Saved values reset when the board powers off; the default (Step) remains.

6. The robot draws what you program

Try these examples — you’ll see what the device is capable of. Insert a marker in the centre of the robot — it draws while moving.

Star — numbers + repeat

Spiral — arithmetic in a loop

More examples in Drawing examples.

7. How to teach with PrimaSTEM

Introduce command tokens one at a time, in this order:Forward → Turns → Repeat → Function → Numbers → Arithmetic.Add each one only after the previous is confidently mastered. The full 12-lesson plan with age, duration, and materials for young children is in Book 1.Group work: we recommend one kit per 2–3 children.Maps: any grid map made for any educational robot will work. Set the cell size with the Step token plus a number (e.g. 100, 120, 150, 200 mm).A trick for 10 steps instead of 6. Place the Function [ ] token in the last (6th) slot of the top row and secure it with masking tape. The program now runs as one long chain: 5 top steps + 5 bottom = 10 steps in a row. Useful for young children who need a longer program before they’re ready to grasp the function concept.

8. More features

Marker and drawing

Insert a marker in the robot — it draws its path on paper: from a simple trajectory to polygons, stars, spirals, and fractals.

Voice feedback

The board reads each token aloud — voice in any local language, currently 17 supported, we’ll add any on request. Helps young and pre-reading children. Includes alphabet letters and places (Home, School, Shop, Forest, etc.)

NFC sound stickers and maps

Stick NFC tags on your map, program any available sound from your phone. The robot has an antenna underneath — when it stops on a tag, it plays the recorded sound.

Open NFC platform

Write your own tokens — any 13.56 MHz NFC tag (cheap, sold on every marketplace) + a text code from our documentation — the whole thing takes 10 seconds. Free phone app (NFC Tools).

User Manual

Full technical specifications, pairing, calibration, safety.

Teacher's Guide

Pedagogy, classroom use, programming concepts through play.

Book 1 — Lessons

12 ready-made lessons for young children — with age, duration, and printable materials.

Command tokens

All NFC codes — for writing your own tokens with a phone.

Drawing examples

Geometric figures, fractals, spirals — programs and results.

Audio dictionary

Words — places and concepts, alphabet, musical notes, system sounds. For recording your own tokens and playback.

Documentation Index

​1. What’s in the box