Do your products require a device with Bluetooth capability?

The original Finch Robot 1.0 and the Hummingbird Duo Robotics Kit do not require a device with Bluetooth capability.

The Hummingbird Bit Robotics Kit and the Finch Robot 2.0 can be programmed in MakeCode without Bluetooth. All other programming languages (FinchBlox, BirdBlox, Snap!, Python, and Java) require a device with Bluetooth capability.

How do I know if my device has built-in Bluetooth?

• Virtually all phones and tablets have Bluetooth.
• All Chromebooks that support Google Play have Bluetooth. This includes all Chromebooks made since 2019 and most Chromebooks manufactured prior to that.
• All Macs made since 2014 and most Macs made since 2012 have Bluetooth.
• Most Windows laptops have Bluetooth, but not all desktops do. To check whether your Windows computer has Bluetooth, open the Device Manager and look for a Bluetooth entry. Expand this entry and look for “Microsoft Bluetooth LE Enumerator.” If you see this entry, your computer has the Bluetooth capability to connect to the Finch Robot 2.0 or Hummingbird Bit.

Can I use your products if my device does not have built-in Bluetooth?

The original Finch Robot and the Hummingbird Duo Robotics Kit do not require a device with built-in Bluetooth. You can program the Hummingbird Bit Robotics Kit or Finch Robot 2.0 in MakeCode on devices that do not have built-in Bluetooth.

If you are using a Windows computer without Bluetooth capability and you want to program the Hummingbird Bit or Finch Robot 2.0 in the languages Java, Python, or Snap!, then you can to purchase an accessory (a dongle) that will give you a Bluetooth connection. A list of Bluetooth dongles that have been tested with our robots is shown below. You will need 1 dongle per computer, and 1 computer per robot/kit.

• Digi-Key Electronics
• Mouser Electronics

Please contact us at sales@birdbraintechnologies.com with further questions.