sBlocchiTi

With sBlocchiTi, programming the NAO V6 humanoid robot becomes easier, more immediate and more engaging. Programs are built by dragging and connecting graphical blocks, allowing you to focus on the robot’s logic and behaviour without having to start by writing code.

Movements, conditions, loops, mathematical and logical operators, text, variables and custom functions all coexist in the same workspace. You can begin with a short sequence of actions and gradually progress to complex programs while keeping their structure clear at all times.

This makes sBlocchiTi ideal for educational robotics, STEM labs, training and research.

sBlocchiTi provides dedicated blocks for controlling NAO’s main capabilities. You can make it walk and turn, assume a posture, move its head and arm joints, open or close its hands, adjust the volume, speak phrases and create lighting effects using its LEDs.

You can also enable breathing and Autonomous Life, use animated speech, and run animations and behaviours already installed on the robot. Graphical angle selectors, which can be operated with a mouse, pen or touch input, simplify movement configuration while respecting the robot’s joint limits.

For body rotations, a fine-precision mode is also available. It regulates movement through feedback control, gradually reducing the rotation speed as the robot approaches the target angle.

A robot becomes truly interactive when it can perceive its surroundings. With sBlocchiTi, you can incorporate the tactile sensors on the head and hands, foot bumpers, sonar sensors, battery level, foot pressure, inertial data, joint positions and hand opening into the program logic.

Dedicated blocks also let you use speech recognition and NAOmark detection, creating activities in which the robot listens, recognises events and decides which action to perform.

Event management and optimised sensor-data acquisition make it possible to create more responsive and efficient programs, avoiding continuous polling loops that would slow program execution.

You can start, pause, resume or stop the program.

The currently executing block is highlighted directly in the workspace, while the variables help you understand what is happening and quickly identify where changes are needed.

Connecting to the robot is made easier by the automatic detection of every NAO robot on the local network. When multiple robots are present, the identification function briefly flashes the eyes and feet of the selected NAO without initiating any movement.

All projects are listed in a library ordered by most recent modification, with a graphical preview of their blocks. Each project can be saved, renamed, duplicated, deleted, imported and exported.

The .sbtp format allows projects to be transferred between devices while preserving the blocks and the workspace display settings. Exporting block-based programs in SVG and PNG formats also makes it easy to create teaching materials, lessons, reports and presentations.

Projects are stored locally in the app’s private storage area, and explicit saving clearly indicates any changes that have not yet been saved.

All components required for the app to operate are already included, so you can create and manage programs without using cloud services or installing additional code on the robot.

sBlocchiTi’s responsive interface adapts to smartphones, tablets and computers. The app is designed and optimised for Android, iPhone, iPad, macOS and Windows, offers light and dark themes, and is available in Italian, English and French.

The minimum system requirements are Android 7.0, iOS and iPadOS 15, macOS 10.15, and Windows 10 version 1903.

Whether you are preparing a lesson or experimenting with a new behaviour, you will find the same design environment and the same tools on every device, ready to turn an idea into a program for NAO.

Build your program, connect to NAO and watch your blocks turn into actions.
sBlocchiTi makes robot programming more accessible, understandable and engaging.