Marty the Robot

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

Dossier ID: stem-toy-105 · Category: 1 — STEM robotics and coding · Researched: 2026-09-21

Overview

Marty is a walking humanoid robot from Scottish company Robotical (Edinburgh) — the characterful biped in this category, with wiggling eyebrows, LED "disco eyes," and a genuine swagger: it walks, turns, sidesteps, dances, and kicks a ball on 9 independently controllable smart servo motors (three per leg, two in the arms, one for the eyebrows — per Robotical's education guide). Conceived by inventor Sandy Enoch for his young niece, crowdfunded on Indiegogo (first 1,000 units), then scaled through seed rounds; Robotical's press pack claims 7,000+ Martys sold across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, in 200+ UK schools. Programming runs a real ladder: screen-free coding cards → MartyBlocks Jr (ScratchJr-based) → MartyBlocks (Scratch-based) → Python/JavaScript → ROS on a Raspberry Pi. This is the premium pick of the category's humanoids.

Social standing

• RobotLAB (US reseller, read): Sells a 5-robot classroom pack at $2,225 with white-glove deployment, teacher training, ongoing support, and 1-year hardware warranty; also offers Robot-as-a-Service from $85/month. Positions Marty as the character-driven engagement alternative to wheeled robots — "keeps younger students engaged where a wheeled or screen-only tool can lose them."
• Robotical (manufacturer, read 2026-09-21): Single robots £360 / $449 ex VAT; class packs from £1,780 / $2,225; free Learning Portal with lesson plans. Build guide recommends adult help for builders under 14; build-time estimates vary — reseller Eduporium says the V2 kit takes approximately one hour, while the original V1 was a 3–4-hour build per THE Journal (2019). Every Marty comes with a 2-year extended warranty per the official product page (spare parts may be charged after two years).
• Press pack (2020): Height 24 cm, 650 g, 2–3 hours runtime per charge; Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/USB/serial/i2c; expandable with Raspberry Pi camera and microphone.
• Independent critical reviews: Thin — coverage skews toward edtech-trade and reseller channels rather than parent reviewers. No major independent teardown or long-term classroom review was located in this pass; treat reseller praise as commercial.
• Main praise: Only true walking humanoid at this price; 9 servos enable genuinely expressive movement; expressive face (eyebrows + disco eyes) hooks young kids; all parts 3D-printable (repairable by design); open-source software.
• Main complaints (expected from specs): Premium price vs. wheeled rivals; 2–3 hour battery; kit assembly is a real project (V2 ~1 hour per reseller Eduporium; build guide advises adult help under 14); small-company support footprint (US support routed through reseller RobotLAB).
• Popularity pulse: Niche but real — a UK/EU classroom staple with genuine crowdfunding roots; far less parent mindshare than LEGO/Sphero in the US, where it's sold mainly through the education channel.

SAFETY

• Material: 3D-printable plastic body parts; metal-geared + plastic-geared servos.
• Certifications: Item-specific CE/FCC/ASTM F963 test reports — UNVERIFIED (no certificates located; sold in UK/EU/US education channels implying conformity, but not documented in this pass).
• Chemical smell/off-gassing: No reports found.
• Battery: Rechargeable pack, 2–3 hours runtime (press pack). No swelling/fire reports found. Charge supervised, as with any Li-based pack.
• Small parts / sharp edges: Kit version has small screws and servo parts — choking hazard for under-3s; manufacturer requires adult supervision for assembly under 14. Pinch points at servo joints are inherent to walking humanoids; supervise young children.
• Recalls: No CPSC recall found for Marty the Robot as of 2026-09-21.
• Counterfeit/clone risk: Low — niche product sold through official/reseller channels; no clone market observed. All parts 3D-printable, so third-party replacement parts are legitimate, not counterfeits.

Key specs table

Pricing

• Cheap now, expensive later: This is a $449 robot — the "expensive later" is mostly upfront. Add-ons (sensors, Raspberry Pi, camera) stack cost, and the kit version demands a real assembly session with adult help for under-14s (reseller Eduporium estimates ~1 hour for the V2 kit). The RaaS $85/month route exists for schools that prefer opex. Buy the single at $449 or less; the value case is strongest for a kid who will actually climb the Python/ROS ladder.

What's included / what's needed

• Included: Marty V2 robot (kit or pre-built), IR obstacle sensor + color sensor, LED disco eyes (standard on V2), sticker sheet for customization, free Learning Portal access.
• Needed: Smartphone/tablet/computer for app and coding environments; Wi-Fi. Raspberry Pi + camera for ROS/autonomy (separate purchase).

Support reality

• Small-company support (Edinburgh-based Robotical); US schools buy through RobotLAB with training and 1-year warranty bundled. Direct purchases from robotical.io carry a 2-year extended warranty per the official product page (read 2026-09-21).
• Structural advantage: all parts are 3D-printable and software is open source — a broken limb is a print away, not a support ticket.

Community verdict

The only walking, eyebrow-wiggling humanoid with a genuine Scratch→Python→ROS ladder at this price — and the one robot here designed from the start to be repaired, not replaced. The price ($449) and the small-company support footprint are the honest trade-offs; it's a classroom/enthusiast pick, not an impulse gift. For a kid obsessed with humanoids, nothing else in this project walks like Marty.

Images

• img-01.jpg — Robotical | Coding, Robotics and STEM Tools for Education
• img-02.jpg — Robotical | Coding, Robotics and STEM Tools for Education
• img-03.jpg — image
• img-04.jpg — marty the robot toy product photo
• img-05.jpg — marty the robot toy product photo
• img-06.jpg — marty the robot toy product photo
• img-07.jpg — Marty the Robot – STEM & Coding Robot for Education | Robotical
• img-08.jpg — Marty the Robot – STEM & Coding Robot for Education | Robotical