Let's Get Started!

The Create 3 Educational Robot is an easy-to-get-started, out-of-the-box, advanced robotics platform. Follow the set-up instructions below to get started with your robot.

Note: During set-up, you will take your computer offline. To avoid losing access to these instructions, allow this video to buffer entirely before continuing.

Phase 1: Power On & Charge

Power On

To power your robot on, plug your charging dock in and place the robot on the dock. It may take your robot several minutes to charge.

Charge

While charging, the Create® 3 light ring will show a spinning, bright white light. When fully charged, the light ring will glow a low white.

Phase 2: Update Robot

Note: These steps will disconnect your computer from the internet.

Step 1

To ensure your robot is up to date, download the latest firmware package.

Download File

Step 2

Press and hold Buttons 1 & 2 to activate your robot's hotspot. When successful, your robot's light ring will show a spinning blue light.

Step 3

Open your computer's wifi manager and connect to your robot listed as Create-[xxx]. Once connected, your robot's light ring will show a solid cyan glow.

Step 4

Once your computer is connected to your robot's Wi-Fi network, open a NEW internet browser window and navigate to: 192.168.10.1

*Note: This page is hosted on the Create 3 robot, so it will not need internet to open.

Step 5

Navigate to the Update tab. Follow the steps on the page to upload the firmware package downloaded in Step 1. The Light Ring will spin white during the update. Your robot's light may also briefly turn red.

Step 6

The light ring will glow solid white and the robot will chime its happy sound when update is complete. You may close the robot's hotspot page. Reconnect your computer to your default Wi-Fi network.

Phase 3: Connect to Wi-Fi (ROS 2 Users)

This step is optional for Bluetooth-exclusive users.

Step 1:

Re-open and connect to your robot's access point by repeating Steps 2-4 in Phase 2: Update Robot (above)

Step 2:

If you plan to connect multiple robots to the same Wi-Fi network, follow the instructions for assigning unique ROS 2 namespaces at https://iroboteducation.github.... If you are not connecting multiple robots, you may skip this step.

Step 3:

Navigate to the Connect page on the access point page and fill in the fields for Wi-Fi network name and password. Click Connect when done.

Step 4:

Your robot's light ring will spin blue when it attempts to connect to Wi-Fi. The light will transition to solid white and chime its happy sound when successful. You may now close the access point page.

Step 5:

If your Wi-Fi connection fails, as indicated by the light ring glowing another color besides solid white, visit our troubleshooting page to de-code your error message: https://iroboteducation.github...

Phase 4: Explore The Create 3 Resources

Power on, update, code and more with the Create 3.

Advanced

Intermediate

Getting Started with Create 3

Use these resources to get started with Create 3, the next generation of iRobot’s affordable, trusted, all-in-one mobile robot development platform. Grasp the fundamentals of robotics, computer science, and engineering by programming the Create® 3 to perform simple behaviors, sounds, and movements, or tap into advanced applications including multi-robot exploration, navigation & mapping, and telepresence capabilities.

Advanced

Intermediate

Create 3 + Web Playground for Python

You can connect to the Create 3 Educational Robot via Bluetooth and run your first program in a browser through the Python Web Playground. Follow the instructions to connect, run and explore!

Advanced

Create 3 Advanced Resource Site

Looking to dive deeper into the Create 3 Educational Robot with Electrical & Mechanical Specs, 3rd Party Hardware, and ROS 2? Visit our Advanced Resources Site to explore more!

Advanced

Connect Create 3 to Raspberry Pi

Use ROS 2 on your Create 3 easily by integrating a Raspberry Pi! Follow the instructions on our Advanced Resource Site for setup and first project.

Coding,

Engineering,

Robotics