Primo Toys’ Cubetto modular robot has gone on sale, following its successful funding campaign on Crowdcube.
The company, which is backed by Randy Zuckerberg managed to hit its target of $1.5 million to make the robot become a reality.
Staying true to its word, Primo Toys has released the robot for sale at a price of $225, set at that amount to attract as many people as possible to buy it and help kids get coding.
The Cubetto kit comprises a wooden, cube-shaped robot on wheels, a wooden game board and blocks that fit onto it, plus the mat on which the robot roams around on. Also included is an activity book, which sets tasks for children to complete as they learn to code the robot.
The blocks, which each represents an action, are placed around the wooden board to make the robot do things.
Cubetto has been in development since 2015, although it first appeared on crowdfunding site Kickstarter in 2013, before Primo Toys started building the robot.
Because Cubetto is controlled by physically moving blocks around, it’s accessible to everyone, whether the child has a smartphone or tablet, or not. And because it’s wooden, it’ll also be more attractive for parents who don’t want their children playing with a digital screen all the time, without leaving them behind in the world of technology.
23/02/2016: Cubetto modular robot looks like wooden toys of old
Primo is funding for its wooden modular robot board Cubetto on Crowdcube, which aims to help children learn digital skills at the same time as playing.
By making the robot fun to use, Primo is hoping to engage children from an early age, while also developing their programming skills, without the need for literacy or a screen device.
The playset comprises a wooden robot and an interface board, which is where you add the elements you want to programme the Cubetto robot.
It works straight out of the box, meaning kids can unbox it, add the modules to the board and press go to get Cubetto moving around the environment they want to explore. The aim of the game is to get the little critter to navigate around, avoiding obstacles and making its way to the end destination.
For those who want to get more hands on when programming the robot, the wooden gadget can be taken apart and re-programmed, giving hackers the chance to experiement with plug and play elements.
“The skills children need in order to thrive, create and produce in the 21st century have changed,” the company said.
“We want to invest in our children’s futures. Starting children early gives them the best chance of learning a skill which sticks with them in life, but current tools make children consumers, and not creators of technology.”
Cubetto has been developed for children aged between three years old and seven, helping them get to know the basics of technology from a very early age.
Primo Toys has raised more than £300,000 on Crowdcube, beating its target of £200,000. The Cubetto playkit will cost £170 and will be available in Spring this year. Any educators interested in buying the robot set can also buy the Cubetto World wooden environment for the robot to explore for £19.99 more.
