The latest articles on DEV Community by Jesús Guzmán (@jesusguzman). https://dev.to/jesusguzman https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3841858%2F4d5472b7-6f18-48d3-bdda-ae47f57d86c6.png https://dev.to/jesusguzman en Jesús Guzmán Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:22:19 +0000 https://dev.to/jesusguzman/i-built-an-open-source-educational-robot-for-rural-kids-in-peru-heres-how-tinibot-works-3g5n https://dev.to/jesusguzman/i-built-an-open-source-educational-robot-for-rural-kids-in-peru-heres-how-tinibot-works-3g5n <p>I'm a systems engineer from Coracora, Ayacucho — one of the most <br> remote provinces in Peru. For years I watched kids struggle with <br> Arduino syntax before they understood what a variable was.</p> <p>So I built something different: <strong>TiniBot</strong>.</p> <h2> What is TiniBot? </h2> <p>TiniBot is a low-cost educational robot built around the <strong>ESP32-WROOM-32</strong>, <br> designed to teach computational thinking to kids aged 6–14 without <br> requiring screens, internet, or expensive kits.</p> <p>Cost per unit: ~$20–30 USD.<br> Commercial alternatives: $150–$300 USD.</p> <h2> The software stack </h2> <p>TiniBot runs on <strong>TiniScript</strong> — a minimal command language I designed <br> specifically for kids:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>adelante adelante girar_der adelante pausa </code></pre> </div> <p>That's it. No brackets, no semicolons, no English keywords for <br> Spanish-speaking kids.</p> <h2> The physical programming board (in development) </h2> <p>The most exciting part: a <strong>tangible programming board</strong> where kids <br> place physical cards into slots to build their program — no tablet, <br> no phone, no screen.</p> <p>Each card has a single <strong>SMD resistor</strong> (0603). The board reads <br> resistance values via a <strong>CD74HC4067 multiplexer</strong> (16 slots, 1 ADC pin), <br> builds the TiniScript string, and sends it via Bluetooth to TiniBot.<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>Kid places cards → presses GO → ESP32 reads mux → builds TiniScript → BT serial → TiniBot executes </code></pre> </div> <p>Cards are passive (no battery, no chip) — just cardboard + 2 copper <br> contacts + 1 resistor. Fabrication cost: ~$0.10 per card.</p> <h2> The platform: MindBlock </h2> <p>TiniBot is part of <a href="https://mindblock.io" rel="noopener noreferrer">MindBlock</a> — a free STEM <br> education platform with 16 games, a visual blocks editor, and coding <br> challenges for kids across Peru.</p> <h2> Why this matters </h2> <p>Rural Peru has 0 access to tools like LEGO Mindstorms or Cubetto. <br> MindBlock + TiniBot is our answer: open hardware, offline-first, <br> designed from the ground up for low-connectivity environments.</p> <h2> What's next </h2> <ul> <li>Physical board PCB design (EasyEDA)</li> <li>TiniBot Alfa 3 PCBA via JLCPCB</li> <li>Pilot classrooms in Ayacucho region</li> </ul> <p>Interested in the hardware design or TiniScript spec? Drop a comment <br> — happy to share more technical details.</p> <p>👉 <a href="https://mindblock.io" rel="noopener noreferrer">mindblock.io</a><br> 👉 <a href="https://mindblock.io/tinibot" rel="noopener noreferrer">mindblock.io/tinibot</a></p> iot learning opensource showdev