Got a budding computer engineer or robotic enthusiast interested in solar power on your list this year? If you’re not afraid of robots with autonomy like in The Matrix or The Terminator, consider a solar-powered robot kit, like JCM InVenture’s solar-powered Cybug kits.

These small robots are powered by photovoltaics and programmed to seek out the brightest spots in a room, aka to seek energy to sustain themselves. They have infrared sensors and feelers that allow them to find and move toward the brightest areas while avoiding obstacles.

The robots also have some onboard memory, allowing them to remember some of the obstacles in a room.

Cybugs require some assembly, including soldering, so they’re not a great gift idea for a two-year-old, but for a talented middle-schooler or an ever-young adult, they are definitely cool.

Image courtesy of JCM InVenture.