Robots don’t always have to be just about having a machine serve you everything on a plate. They can be just about having fun too.
Codie seeks to take this to the next level, encouraging children to have a go at coding their own robot to do exactly what they want, whether that’s playing a game, dancing, teaching yoga moves or even completing their homework if they so wish.
The robot itself comes with an iPhone app that teaches children how to write their own programmes for the critter, organising the core code into blocks, so they can build their robot’s brain, bit-by-bit.
“We created our own programming language to teach kids coding, our application bridges the gap between kids’ imagination and the algorithmic thinking,” the company said.
“It’s made possible by using the colourful blocks, and connecting them together with arrows showing the direction of execution. Children can learn the basics of coding using real programming patterns, like if-else structures, variables or loops.”
The app’s interface makes everything super-simple, with drag and drop and customised controls to ensure the kids’ robots do exactly what they envisioned.
This learning is built up in stages, introducing new programming concepts as the child gets to understand what they’re doing, why, and how it will affect the outcome. The elements become more complicated as they start understanding each element better, meaning they will end up with a greater understanding of how to create a robot than most adults.
The robot itself is a wooden unit, embedded with sensors, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, microphone, ultrasound and a light sensor. It connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0 and features a built-in charger to keep it fully-juiced at all times.
Codie is available to pre-order from €199 (£151), or you can buy two for €369 (£281) if you’ve like to make Codie friends.
