Comparison

Atmospheric Model vs PicoBricks GO

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Atmospheric Model

Explore planetary atmospheres with a radiative transfer model. Calculate emission temperatures and flux densities, then modify parameters like albedo and solar constant to simulate atmospheric changes and their effects on climate.

Highlights
  • Radiative transfer model for planetary atmospheres
  • Calculates emission temperature and flux densities
  • Adjustable parameters: albedo, distance from sun, extinction coefficients
  • Supports 9 solar system planets or custom planets
  • Generates flux diagrams of incoming and outgoing radiation
  • Saves and compares two model run results
  • Exports data to CSV for spreadsheet analysis
Features
Read full description

The app uses a simple radiative transfer model for a planet with two leaky* atmospheric layers. It begins by calculating Te, the emission temperature of the planet by using the Solar constant and planetary Albedo. Te is called the Blackbody temperature because it is inferred by fitting a Blackbody curve to the observed outbound LWIR radiation. You can choose any of the 9 planets in our solar system, or choose one of your own making. The app then uses 5 parameters for the chosen “base” planet: the Albedo (alpha), distance from the sun (r), extinction coefficients of two atmospheric layers (epsilon1, 2), and the solar constant S0 to calculate temperatures and radiative flux densities. One can modify these 5 adjustable parameters from their base values, and update the result. A flux diagram is generated showing the incoming short wavelength (SW), and outgoing long wavelength (LW) radiation. Two model run results can be saved and differences displayed. Also, runs can be saved to a .csv file for E-mail export and spreadsheet analysis. Calculate the “natural” 33K greenhouse effect (compare Earth with and without an atmosphere), or change the extinction coefficients to see the effect of adding or reducing absorbing gasses. Predict what Mars might be like with an atmosphere, or see what would happen if the characteristics of our sun, albedo or planetary orbit change. This simple model can create hours of fun. The base parameter values for Earth nicely calculate Ts, Te, and T1 (upper troposphere) values, and the model correctly predicts Te’s for all the planets. INSTRUCTIONS: Load app, choose a “base” planet, segue with Update. Click Update to calculate the temperatures and flux densities. Segue to inspect the flux densities, and/or modify the base parameters to see changes. Save and compare differences in 2 runs. (C/C0) values are in CO2 equivalents. Save runs to .csv file for spreadsheet analysis. USAGE TIPS: Start with a base planet, but realize this simple 2 layer model cannot accurately predict the surface temperatures of the gas giants or Venus. Pressing the Back button allows you to refresh your parameter or base planet choices. Remember a 5 K change in Ts resulted in the Earth’s last Ice Age! For convenience, the Test planet can be used to create your own set of parameters without entering a planet name. Increasing the solar constant increases all temperatures. Increasing epsilon does nothing to Te, which depends only on S0, r, and alpha. Press On/Off & Home takes flux diagram screenshot. It is easy to remove a saved data file run (row) after import to spreadsheet. RADIATIVE FORCING and CLIMATE SENSITIVITY: Radiative forcing (dF) can be used to estimate the change in surface temperature (dTs) arising from that forcing using: dTs = lambda x dF, where lambda is the Climate Sensitivity in K / (W/m2). Forcing due to an atmospheric greenhouse gas such as CO2 can be expressed as: dF (in W/m2) = 5.35 × ln (C/C0), where C is the CO2 concentration [CO2] and C0 is the initial concentration (in ppm). For a single atmospheric layer Earth, changing the base value of epsilon = 0.78 to epsilon = 0.83 (d-epsilon = 0.05) gives an 3K T rise; roughly the equivalent of doubling [CO2] (and a forcing of 3.71 W/m2). There has been a [CO2] increase between the years 1750 (280 ppm) and 2000 (380 ppm). Thus dF = 5.35 x ln (370/280) = 1.5 W/m2. dTs = lambda x dF = 0.8 (K/(W/m2)) x 1.5 (W/m2) = 1.2 K over that timeframe (d-epsilon 0.02 used). * Leaky implies epsilon less than 1.

About

PicoBricks GO

Features
Read full description

PicoBricks Go! PicoBricks Go is a robot control software for smart devices. With this app, you can easily control PicoBricks robots using the official controller. Features: UI Design, User-Friendly Interface: Experience an easy-to-use interface. Enhanced Controllability, Easier STEM Learning: Control your robot effortlessly to perform tasks like operating motors or lighting up LEDs. Create Custom Robot Controllers with Graphical Programming: Unleash your creativity by graphical buttons to control your robot and LEDs. Supports PicoBricks Robots: Control PicoBricks robots including REX 8in1, BerryBot. Generic BLE Device Support: Use the app to control any DIY BLE-supported device you create. Support: Visit our official website for more information: www.picobricks.com Support email: support@picobricks.com Join our community forum for additional support: https://community.robotistan.com/

Screenshots

Atmospheric Model4 screens
PicoBricks GO4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PicoBricks GO at every 4 months against Atmospheric Model's every 36 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Atmospheric Model ships an update every 36 months, PicoBricks GO every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and May 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Atmospheric Model versus PicoBricks GO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAtmospheric ModelPicoBricks GO
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 36 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRichard LodaRobotistan

In-app purchases

None

Atmospheric Model

No in-app purchases

None

PicoBricks GO

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Atmospheric Model free?
Atmospheric Model is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PicoBricks GO free?
PicoBricks GO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Atmospheric Model or PicoBricks GO have ads?
Neither Atmospheric Model nor PicoBricks GO shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Atmospheric Model or PicoBricks GO?
Atmospheric Model ships an update every 36 months, and PicoBricks GO every 4 months. Most recently, Atmospheric Model was updated on June 1, 2026 and PicoBricks GO on May 15, 2026.

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