Should you use Pybricks

Pybricks is an alternative way of coding Lego hubs. You can find out more about it on its website: https://pybricks.com/

There are both advantages and disadvantages to using it, and hopefully this article can help you decide whether it is right for your team to use.

Using Pybricks pros

Superb accuracy. Pybricks is far, far more accurate than Lego’s interface, here is an article where we tested this: https://explodingketchup9.wordpress.com/2024/09/07/which-is-more-accurate-pybricks-or-legos-firmware/ Fun fact: the team that came 1st in the robot game in the Open European Championship (2023/24 season) was Hexadron from Slovakia, and they were using Pybricks too!

It has many built in features that would be extremely difficult to code in the Lego interface. For example, you can accelerate and decelerate when moving without having to code this yourself. Another example is how you can use the gyro sensor when moving for better accuracy (explained here): https://explodingketchup9.wordpress.com/2024/08/19/which-sensors-to-include-in-your-robot/#gyrosensor

Using Pybricks cons

With Pybricks you can code in Python for free, but if you want to use word blocks, you have to pay some money. However, it’s important to note that the block interface is extremely powerful and offers a lot functionality that Lego’s own word blocks interface does not. For example, one great feature is that when you create your own word blocks programs, Pybricks automatically generates the equivalent program in Python. This is an excellent feature and in particular is a great way to learn Python.

It doesn’t come with a ‘Program slot’ feature where you can save programs to up to 16 different ‘slots’. However this is a minor inconvenience, and we will explain how to use Pybricks for FLL in an article soon probably.

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In conclusion, Pybricks offers extremely supreme accuracy. The Lego interface greatly lacks in this regard. The only main disadvantage to using Pybricks is that the word block interface is paid, however, if you do pay for it, it is well worth the money.

If you’re on the fence about using Pybricks, there’s no harm in trying it out. Just remember to back up any programs on the hub before you install it because otherwise they will get erased.