Is there an analogue of LEGO WeDo 1.0 USB Hub (9581)?

Question

IT education

It is almost impossible to find a Lego switch (multiplexer) for WeDo 1.0 educational kits on sale. There are a couple of pieces on bricklink, but this is now, a couple of months ago there was not a single piece at all.
I work for a public education institution, so there is no way to buy other more modern Lego sets.
You need Lego USB Switches (9581) compatible with the Lego WeDo program and Lego Power Function parts.
Are there any analogues or clones of Lego WeDo 1.0 USB switches? Once upon a time, I seem to have seen that they are, but now I just can’t find them.

Answer 1

If you need to work specifically in WeDo, then there are probably no analogues. It is possible to work with WeDo constructors from third-party programs, but that would work from the Wedo program on a third-party constructor - I have not heard this.
On Ali, you can find crafts on request FBR-5A, but they are also not cheap, and there are big doubts that this will work from under Wedo.
The only thought that comes to mind is to look for used sets.

Answer 2

There are analogues that are more universal and many orders of magnitude higher.
At one time, an incredible number of developers grew up using tools such as the slide rule
. Later, it was replaced by a calculator.
These guys used the results of calculations in many revolutionary developments, thereby freeing themselves from the theoretical trash of imperfect calculations.
At that time, even in a dream, they did not imagine that they were using prototypes of future No Code platforms, which are now gaining momentum among the new generation of No Coders.
Examples of such solutions go into a deep history since the discovery of counting mechanical devices, incl. the Japanese Soroban abacus, which is taught in the elementary grades of many of the world's elite schools.
An example of such a robotic platform.