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00:00 Introduction
00:46 Robot Inventor concept vs. SPIKE Prime concept
03:36 Different Firmwares
04:58 51515 vs 45678 electronic parts
06:04 Robot Inventor motors vs. SPIKE Prime motors
06:42 SPIKE Prime sensors vs. Robot Inventor sensors
08:32 A look at the available bricks in Robot Inventor vs. SPIKE bricks
09:54 Wheels
10:24 Baseplates and frames
11:28 Decorating and combining with other sets
13:15 Caster wheels in Robot Inventor vs. the caster wheel in SPIKE Prime
15:09 Conclusion: buying guide

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LEGO has four robotics sets on the market: Boost, SPIKE Prime, EV3, and Robot Inventor. I compared EV3 to Robot Inventor in a previous video. Here, we'll look at SPIKE Prime vs. 51515 Robot Inventor. The comparison is interesting because both sets have very similar hardware, and you can get them for about the same price. I've seen both boxes retail at a price between EUR 340 and EUR 380.

LEGO targeted SPIKE Prime at educators. You can't even get it in official LEGO shops and most retail stores. The only official way to get it is through a LEGO Education supplier, although some online stores sell it to everyone. The idea behind SPIKE Prime is to give teachers a tool for exploring robotics with their class. It is colorful, easy to use, and full of 1-hour activities. The models are small and straightforward. SPIKE Prime aims to teach about concepts like programming, entrepreneurship, robotics, and the environment. In my opinion, SPIKE appeals to ages 8-12. There are exceptions: some adults do crazy stuff like making a trapeze artist swing 360's.

LEGO MINDSTORMS 51515 Robot Inventor is a so-called 'retail' set. With that set, LEGO aims for kids who want to have fun and be creative. There is little to no educational content in the app. It's mostly fun activities. The models are much larger, so the building fun lasts longer.
It's interesting how the MINDSTORMS brand has left the classroom. Seymour Papert - who originally coined the term - was creating material for school kids. He found out that kids will learn and explore if you create inspiring worlds around math, language, or programming. Exploring these worlds gave kids Mindstorms. Adults enjoy their Mindstorms too. Some take up meditation, while others just buy a box of LEGO MINDSTORMS. I'd say Robot Inventor appeals to kids in the age range of 10 to 100 years old.
The LEGO SPIKE box vs. the LEGO 51515 box

As an educator's tool, SPIKE Prime has a solid plastic educator's sorting box. LEGO designed SPIKE Prime to be assembled and taken apart daily. The boxes stack neatly for storage at school. The lid snaps on to prevent the loss of bricks.

To give you more plastic to build with, LEGO Robot Inventor comes in a cheaper cardboard box. It still is a better box than the average LEGO box because it has a lid and you can reclose it. Most other LEGO boxes tear open from the side and end up in the paper bin. It does not feature sorting trays, however, or a large format print of the part list. This style of box is practical at home, but it is a nightmare in the classroom.

LEGO 51515 electronics vs. SPIKE Prime electronics

The electronics inside both sets have a lot of commonalities. They both have the new 6-port hub, albeit in a different color. Both have the new medium motor, light sensor, and ultrasonic sensor. This is where the similarities end.

SPIKE Prime features two particular electronic parts over MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor

SPIKE Prime features a Force Sensor and the Large Motor. The force sensor is an upgrade from the EV3 touch sensor because - as the name suggests - it can sense the gradual force applied. The EV3 touch sensor could only sense pressed or not pressed. Force sensing is excellent in classrooms where you learn about springs, newtons, mass, and weight. When building cool robots, there is less use for such a sensor.
The Large Motor has a larger torque than the medium motor, but also a more inconvenient form factor. Even though it has more pin holes, I find it more complex to build with. So for I never had a lack of torque on the medium motors. Maybe they are useful in large robot arms?
LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor has better robot electronics
What Robot Inventor lacks in variety, it makes up for in quantity. There are no less than four medium motors in the set. They come in a practical shade of grey that is easy to combine with other colors. When I build robots, I will always choose an extra degree of movement over a force sensor. It is the more practical set in the daily life of a Technic robot builder.

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