The combination of Digi International's LTE-M/NB-IoT kit (XK3-C-A2-UT-U) with Parallax’s ActivityBot 360° robot kit (32600) creates a cellular SMS educational robot that can be controlled with text messages from any cell phone anywhere in the world. SMS text messages sent to the robot can command it to drive forward, back, left, or right. It has a built-in roaming mode where it becomes self-driving using two whisker sensors to detect obstacles to the right or left. The ActivityBot uses the Digi XBee3 cellular module to report back what it is sensing in real time. For example, any time one of the whisker sensors are triggered, that event is immediately reported back to the cell phone as a text.

Digi XBee3 cellular LTE-M/NB-IoT modems provide 4G connectivity. The kit is great for those getting into the world of embedded cellular. With a full suite of standard Digi XBee API frames and AT commands, existing XBee customers can seamlessly transition to this modem with only minor software adjustments. This modem supports TCP/IP so commands and data can just as easily be exchanged with a web page or cloud server.

The ActivityBot 360° from Parallax is designed for first-time robot-builders and is widely used in technology and engineering education. It is easy to program visually with BlocklyProp or in C with simplified liberties. Feedback 360° high-speed servos built-in encoders make for fast, consistent driving. A variety of sensors and components come in the kit. Its propeller activity board WX features built-in support for audio and wireless upgrades.