This is sooo cool!
Better Brain!
Better Sensors!
Better battery!
Updated Sensors!
Python Support!
USB-C!
New Controller Buttons!
AMAZING STORAGE!!!
and A LOT more!
I didn’t even know those were available. I would have purchased about 40 of them back then if I had known. Oh well. I also was selling peg pullers. The new tool is much better though… so is the storage.
They’ll still be available until Robosource runs out. (which will take a while) I like the uniformity of all our teams (and summer camps) having the same system, so I’ll be saving out a couple dozen myself.
So, is this just updated brain and sensors and stuff? No new motors or anything? At least we are just about to place our season starter order. Just in time, looks pretty cool too.
The FAQ Page and 2nd generation comparison page show some of the new electronic components.
You’re right that there is a new brain, new battery, new optical sensor (to replace the color sensor), and new Distance sensor (2nd gen).
You’re also correct that there has been no change to the IQ Smart Motors.
We’ve also made a number of changes to the kit contents for both the new Education Kit and the Competition kit. We’ve decided to change the contents for a number of reasons:
We’ve made hundreds of new parts since 2013 when the original Super Kit launched. Many of these parts were only available in special add-on packs or VEX Retail (HEXBUG) toys.
We want to enable new, more helpful curriculum for teachers. Along with the new kits and electronics, the STEM labs for VEX IQ are getting a facelift as well. I realize that many people on the forum here probably don’t use these or understand their impact, but this will be HUGE for future roboteers.
Organized Part storage will help uniformity across classrooms/competition teams
The competition kit is specifically designed with a MUCH wider range of parts in order to foster some creativity with the new parts. We can’t wait to see what teams start to come with with the expanded kit.
There are several other smaller changes and reasons as well (adding chain instead of belt and pulley, etc.) but these are some of the big ones. Please feel free to keep asking questions!
Just wondering,Is the controler new as well or its the same? Also I want to know how much are they charging for two gen two battery, new gen two brain, and new gen two sensers?
The official announcement here on the forum explains that the controller has an integrated radio and gyro. It seems conterproductive to have this second thread distracting folk from the main post where everything’s detailed? It’s all here: New Products - August 2021 (VEX IQ Gen 2)
We created a ton of new structural and motion components for various HEXBUG VEX Robotics kits since the current iteration of the IQ 1st generation kit was unveiled in 2014.* Those squishy balloon tires were originally available in various HEXBUG VEX Robotics kits like this one:
The new 2nd generation full IQ Competition Kit contains a large assortment of all of the interesting and useful (for VIQC) parts from these HEXBUG VEX Robotics kits, especially those that were not previously available in IQ add-on packs.
We also created a variety of additional new parts for the 2nd generation IQ Competition Kit to complement these existing parts and fill in any gaps in functionality, such as more linear motion parts, the larger drop cam and follower, the new hybrid (spur+bevel combo) gears, etc. Besides the IQ Competition Spare Parts Kit, we’ll also be offering many of these new structural and motion IQ parts in new add-on packs in the coming months.
*Technically there was an IQ “1/2 generation” kit from 2013 to early 2014, which contained the maroon pins and gears. We improved a lot of those parts and tweaked the kit contents in 2014 when we changed the pins and gears to the standard IQ blue color, which became the standard IQ 1st generation Super Kit from 2014 until 2021.
Personally, I don’t see a lot of value in the new tires versus the old ones, and while I’m not sure that there is any real advantage, it does sound like they are more squishy (although I’m not too sure how that would be useful in a practical sense):
Just a side note, they were introduced as part of a Hexbug kit, so they may not have been originally intended for competitive advantage or anything like that and could have been meant purely for aesthetics.