Buying Guide
Not sure which product or edition you need? Two steps: pick your controller, then choose by what you need. Still unsure? Ask us on LINE and an engineer will confirm.
Important
Every MBC product comes in controller-specific editions (different connectors and protocols), and editions are not interchangeable. Please confirm your controller model before ordering.
Already have a sensor? Find your program
Pick your product and controller to go straight to setup steps, blocks and example downloads (SPIKE includes Robot Inventor; Arduino includes ESP32 and other I2C controllers; mBot includes Ranger and other Makeblock boards):
Tip
Not sure which software? SPIKE hub: the official app's blocks are the easiest for class; for competitions, Pybricks is faster and more consistent. EV3 hub: the EV3 software or EV3 Classroom both work; use Pybricks for Python.
1️⃣ Which controller do you use?
LEGO SPIKE Prime / Robot Inventor
| Product | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pathfinder 8-Way | Line following | Official app blocks, Pybricks |
| Pathfinder 16-Way | Fast lines, intersections | Official app blocks, Pybricks |
| Ranger 2-Way | Left/right ranging | |
| Ranger 8-Way | 180° avoidance, sumo | |
| MBC EXP6 6-Port Motor Expander (for LEGO® SPIKE™) | More ports | SPIKE Prime only; official app requires Python text mode |
| MBC Servo6 6-Port Servo Expander (for LEGO® SPIKE™) (coming soon) | Servos on your robot (gripper, turntable, arm) | SPIKE Prime only; servos powered by the hub, no battery |
| Controller PS4/PS5 | Bluetooth gamepad control | Best for big events |
| Controller PS2 (Taiwan only) | 2.4G gamepad control | Classes, projects |
| SharpShot Vision | Multi-color tracking, color at points, color order, line following | Official app, Pybricks |
| IMU Gyro | Heading, turning | No SPIKE edition |
LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3
| Product | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pathfinder 8-Way | Line following | EV3 software, EV3 Classroom, clev3r, Pybricks |
| Pathfinder 16-Way | Fast lines, intersections | Same as above |
| Ranger 2-Way | Left/right ranging | |
| Ranger 8-Way | 180° avoidance, sumo | |
| Controller PS4/PS5 | Bluetooth gamepad control | |
| Controller PS2 (Taiwan only) | 2.4G gamepad control | |
| SharpShot Vision | Multi-color tracking, color at points, color order, line following | EV3-G, EV3 Classroom, Pybricks |
| IMU Gyro | Heading, turning | Works with the standard gyro blocks |
∿ Arduino / ESP32 / Raspberry Pi (Universal I2C)
The whole family shares one Universal I2C Protocol — learn one, use them all. Every product has beginner examples you can copy and upload right away. Never written code before? Start with 🔰 First time with Arduino.
| Product | Use | I2C address |
|---|---|---|
| Pathfinder 8-Way | Line following | 0x16 |
| Pathfinder 16-Way | Fast lines, intersections | 0x16 |
| Ranger 8-Way | 180° avoidance | 0x29 |
| Controller PS4/PS5 | Bluetooth gamepad control | 0x42 |
| Controller PS2 (Taiwan only) | 2.4G gamepad control | 0x42 |
| IMU Gyro | Heading, 9-axis data | 0x6A |
| SharpShot Vision (Arduino edition not yet hardware-verified) | Multi-color tracking, color at points, line following (micro:bit too) | 0x4C |
MATRIX Mini R4
| Product | Use |
|---|---|
| Pathfinder 8-Way | Line following |
| Pathfinder 16-Way | Fast lines, intersections |
| Ranger 8-Way | 180° avoidance |
| SharpShot Vision (MATRIX edition not yet hardware-verified) | Multi-color tracking, color at points, color order, line following |
| IMU Gyro | Heading, turning |
MakeBlock
Works with mBot, mBot Ranger, Orion and Ultimate 2.0 (MegaPi). Choose the MakeBlock edition with the mBot socket board; block download and usable ports per board are on the MakeBlock block extension page.
| Product | Use |
|---|---|
| Pathfinder 8-Way | Line following |
| Pathfinder 16-Way | Fast lines, intersections |
| Ranger 2-Way | Left/right ranging |
| Ranger 8-Way | 180° avoidance |
| Controller PS4/PS5 | Bluetooth gamepad control |
| Controller PS2 (Taiwan only) | 2.4G gamepad control |
2️⃣ Choose by Need
| You want to… | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Follow lines reliably on typical maps | Pathfinder 8-Way | 8 channels, compact — the most common competition choice |
| Take fast turns and many intersections | Pathfinder 16-Way | 16-channel wide view reads turns and junctions at once |
| Detect obstacles left and right | Ranger 2-Way | Two laser points, small and fast |
| Sumo, all-round avoidance | Ranger 8-Way | 180° in one read, reports the nearest target's direction |
| Get more ports on SPIKE | MBC EXP6 6-Port Motor Expander (for LEGO® SPIKE™) | Six channels from one port, own power |
| Use servos with SPIKE | MBC Servo6 6-Port Servo Expander (for LEGO® SPIKE™) | Six servos from one port, hub-powered (coming soon) |
| Remote control at crowded events | Controller PS4/PS5 | Bonds to your gamepad only, stops on signal loss |
| Remote control for classes on a budget | Controller PS2 (Taiwan only) | 2.4G gamepad, best value |
| Track colors, find objects, sample points, sequences and lines | SharpShot Vision | 5 camera modes switched in its menu (including object detection: color + shape), hardware-verified on SPIKE and EV3 (Arduino, mBlock, MATRIX and micro:bit editions not yet hardware-verified) |
| Drive straight, turn precisely | IMU Gyro | Any mounting angle, compass fusion without drift |
Still not sure?
Tell us your controller and competition, and our engineers will suggest the best combination.