MimicArm has surpassed its goal of raising £1475 for its block-based coding creature, which is helping kids as young as five learn about robots.
The robot uses collaborative learning to carry out actions. These can either be pre-programmed or manually coded depending on the age and expertise of the children.
It uses a drag and drop coding interface, or you can opt to use the C coding language to create your own functions from scratch. The MimicArm robot allows you to code however you feel most fits the knowledge of the users and the result you’re trying to achieve.
Unlike other DIY robots, MimicArm has been designed to show children the power of artificial intelligence (AI) rather than just instruct them to make a robot do something. It focuses on human interaction and developing a relationship between the human and the robot.
The robot will learn along the way, using machine learning and making decisions based upon previous operations.
Through its unique design and combinations of sensors mimicArm is able to sense it’s environment in such a way as to understand what a human is asking it to do,” MimicArm’s makers explained. “At the simplest, mimicArm can tell if it has grabbed a block it’s been offered, while at it’s most complex mimicArm is able to detect and reach for blocks, sort by size, communicate it’s status, and receive instructions through a microphone or button.”
The MimicArm’s programming interface, MimicBlock, features a familiar UI for creating commands, used in many classrooms and development environments worldwide. Once users have learnt how to operate the robot using MimicBlock, they can the start coding in the C language, which offers much more freedom.
Fancy commanding your robot to draw something you tell it to? Add the scribbleBot attachment and watch as it creates a masterpiece.
