TurtleBlock Studio

Makeblock Auriga block coding

By Turtleback Robotics Academy ยท Updated 15 October 2026

Free ($0) is the block builder and the Pico W simulator. Standard ($30/month) adds ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Makeblock, USB upload, and .py downloads. Premium ($50/month) adds online project saves.

The Makeblock choice in TurtleBlock Studio is Makeblock (Auriga on Python Host). You snap blocks, and the studio writes Python that uses MeAuriga. You copy that Python and run it on a computer that has the makeblock package and a USB connection to the robot controller. The web page does not drive the robot. A Raspberry Pi is optional.

The board you actually pick

Open the board list and choose Makeblock (Auriga on Python Host). There is no separate mBot row. The generated file connects with MeAuriga. If your robot is a different Makeblock controller, this Python is still the Auriga program the studio knows how to write.

The code panel heading says Python (Host Runtime) for Makeblock (Auriga on Python Host). A DC motor block is rewritten into a drive helper. The helper is named set_drive. It keeps the speed between -100 and 100, turns that into a motor value, and runs two encoder motors. Slot 1 is the right drive. Slot 2 is the left drive, and the left motor is inverted in this mapping. Slot 3 is named ARM_SLOT. Slot 4 is named CLAW_SLOT. A stop motor block becomes stop_drive, which sets both drive motors to 0.

The studio notes on that board say three practical things. You do not always need the Pi. You can run the Python on the same machine as Turtleblock, by saving a .py file and running it with python, not by a direct browser upload like Pico or ESP32. A Pi can still be a bridge, and it is optional.

  1. Press Open Studio. No account is needed. Your blocks stay in this browser.

  2. Choose Makeblock (Auriga on Python Host) in the board list.

  3. Snap a DC motor block, or open Samples and choose Motor Forward & Reverse to see a speed pattern. Then read the Python panel.

  4. Find set_drive and the slot numbers. A speed of 80 becomes a call that drives both sides together. It does not steer the robot left or right.

  5. Press Copy. Save the file on the computer that will run it. That computer needs the makeblock package and USB access to the Auriga.

  6. Run the file with Python on that computer. The browser does not upload it the way Connect Board works for a Pico W.

  7. If you use the copy-only terminal commands in the studio, paste them into a terminal yourself. Do not put a password in a command you share or save in a project.

Python the Auriga drive helper uses

from makeblock import MeAuriga

RIGHT_DRIVE_SLOT = 1
LEFT_DRIVE_SLOT = 2
ARM_SLOT = 3
CLAW_SLOT = 4

board = MeAuriga.connect()

def set_drive(speed):
    speed = max(-100, min(100, int(speed)))
    mapped = int(speed * 255 / 100)
    # Left motor is inverted on this robot mapping.
    board.EncoderMotor(RIGHT_DRIVE_SLOT).run(mapped)
    board.EncoderMotor(LEFT_DRIVE_SLOT).run(-mapped)

What the file adds around that helper

The full panel also inserts a path to a Raspberry Pi virtualenv, from makeblock import MeAuriga, and board = MeAuriga.connect(). The path insert is skipped safely when that folder is not there, which is why the same file can be copied to a computer that is not a Pi. At the end, a try calls stop_drive so the drive motors are asked to stop. Read those lines before you run the file. The comment above set_drive tells you the left motor is inverted on this robot mapping.

A motor block in the blocks also leaves a short comment in the Python: it names the IN1 and IN2 pins you picked and says they map to slots RIGHT=1 and LEFT=2. Then it sets _motor_speed and calls set_drive. Both wheels get that one speed. To go backward, use a negative speed. Zero stops. This mapping does not turn the robot. A servo block is not rewritten into an Auriga steer command.

The Pico W simulator is the picture practice tool. It does not stand in for the Auriga on your desk. You can still learn the block shapes on Pico W, then switch the board to Makeblock and read the new Python. The robot car guide is the Pico W motor and servo page. This page is the Auriga copy-and-run page.

Keep the run predictable

Start with a low speed and a short wait. Stay next to the robot. The website cannot see the wheels. Firefox and Safari can open the studio so you can read and copy the Python. USB connect for a Pico W or ESP32 is a different button and uses Chrome or Edge. Makeblock does not use that upload button.

There is no class roster and no cloud save. The Python you need is the text in the panel. Copy it before you load a different sample, because a sample replaces the blocks in the workspace.

Common questions

Is this an mBot page?

The board list says Makeblock (Auriga on Python Host). The Python imports MeAuriga. There is not a separate mBot choice. Use this board only when an Auriga program is the one you mean to run.

Do I need a Raspberry Pi?

No. The Pi is optional. You can run the Python on the same computer as the studio if that computer has the makeblock package and USB access to the controller.

Will the robot move when I press Run in the browser?

No. Copy the Python and run it with Python on the host computer. The page can copy a terminal command. It does not open the connection for you.

How do the wheels turn left and right?

set_drive sends one speed to the right slot and the left slot together. It drives forward or backward. It does not steer. Read the Python before you expect a turn.

More guides

Start Here: Open Studio