Archiv der Kategorie: Toys

RoboKind Announces Robots4Autism: Avatar—Tackling COVID-19 Virtual Learning Hardships

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Education Technology Leader Brings the Future to 2021, With New Robotic Technology and Curriculum to Support Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

DALLAS, TX (January 28, 2021) – Today, RoboKind, an education technology company that builds robotic technology and curriculum for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), announced the release of robots4autism: Avatar, a remote learning software built specifically to help educators support students during remote and blended learning.

“Students with autism are one of the most at-risk student populations to be left behind during COVID-related virtual and blended learning,” said Richard Margolin, RoboKind’s Founder and CTO. “This new software provides the consistency these students need in order to progress toward their Individual Education Program (IEP) goals, regardless of the student’s location.”

Avatar is a version of RoboKind’s social-emotional learning program, robots4autism®, that was recently endorsed by the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE). Based on development theory and the principles of applied behavioral analysis (ABA), the program includes a modular, evidence-based curriculum, combining facially expressive avatar robots with social narratives, visual aids, video, and natural modeling to help students learn and, eventually, master basic social-emotional skills.

To Learn More About Remote Social-Emotional Learning and Educators FAQ’s, Visit: https://www.robokind.com/robots4autism-avatar

Richard added, “We as a team and company have invested heavily in bringing virtual, digital options to educators knowing that, now more than ever, schools and districts need the support and innovation companies like RoboKind can provide. For us, it’s about improving student outcomes and we have already begun seeing students across North America make tangible progress toward their IEP goals.”

The program was developed as part of an expanded platform the company says will allow for educators to help students, regardless of background or abilities, in a variety of implementations and learning models.

About RoboKind
Founded in 2011 by Richard Margolin, RoboKind (www.robokind.com) is an education technology and robotics company based in Dallas, Texas. The company developed the world’s most Advanced Social Robots™ and an award-winning, evidence-based social-emotional instructional curriculum for students in grades K-12. Milo, one of RoboKind’s facially expressive robots, was named as Tech & Learning’s Most Inspiring Game Changer in 2019, the first non-human ever to win the award. Recently endorsed by the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE), RoboKind is committed to working with PK-12 institutions in delivering and developing solutions that allow students to build the confidence and master the lifelong skills they need.

Cody Block, a new Montessori inspired coding toy

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Cody Block is centered on a little wooden car called Cody that has to find its way home through 16 Building Blocks which act as commands. The task for children is to lay out a path that leads Cody back to his house by positioning the Building Blocks in the correct order.


Children put Cody at the starting point and watch as the electronic car moves through the Building Blocks. Each of the Blocks gives a unique directional command to the car through
RFID tags.

Cody will follow the sequence of instructions provided by the Blocks and – if the blocks are arranged correctly – make it to his goal. If not, children have to figure out how to rearrange the blocks in order to fix the sequence and help Cody get home.

The patented RFID technology embedded in every wooden block allows children to play with
Cody for hours without the need of any smartphone, laptop or screen. The design of Cody Block takes its inspiration from classic wooden toys and the Montessori philosophy in its material and shape: solid beech wood and intuitive design.
Cody Block provides gender-neutral play that stimulates a child’s critical thinking, creativity, problem solving abilities and resilience.

QUBS and Cody Block was started by Hayri Bulman, a Swiss IT entrepreneur and father of 2 children. In 2016, Hayri started exploring how to bring technology and classic wooden toys together to help his children learn the basics of coding through play. After prototyping a number of concepts at home which incorporated RFID technology inside of wooden blocks he brought together a team of designers, engineers and illustrators to launch Cody Block.

Hayri wanted to bring Cody Block to the market because he is convinced that by enabling kids to gather new skills through play, we encourage the next generation of innovators, tinkerers, creators and makers of the future.
“My aim is to create a toy that blends classic wooden toys with electronics and helps kids navigate this increasingly digital world. There are thousands of wooden toys and there are thousands of electric toys but with Cody we can bridge these two very far worlds together, and close the gap between them,” said Hayri Bulman, founder of QUBS.

“I want to bring children closer to coding, a very essential skill for the future. I hope Cody Block will help them understand how to think and problem solve, all of this while having fun. I believe children will play with Cody Block in many different ways, more than we can ever imagine.”

Cody Block is being launched at a time when coding and STEM subjects are getting more attention both from the education system and from parents.

“The ability to solve problems is a skill that is useful in life in general, we all want our children to become excellent problem solvers, so that they can overcome any adversity they face. Learning code gives children the possibility to learn this type of skills while they’re young, and this will give them advantage in life. Cody Block is the perfect way for them to play and learn at the same time,” said Bruce Lamont, a primary school teacher and Lead Teacher with 32 years of experience in the field.


“Cody Block helps children develop a way of thinking and how to find creative and logical solutions to problems, skills that are really looked for in education nowadays.”

The basic pack includes Cody (the car), 16 Building Blocks, and a City Guide with exercises.
Additional educational discounts will be available for classroom packs of 5 and 10 sets.

About QUBS
QUBS AG is a Swiss company based in Zurich and founded by Hayri Bulman, a father of 2 children and with a passion for wooden toys and new technologies. QUBS is the only toy maker that merges classic designs and screen-free technology in early years learning.
QUBS’ mission is to empower children to explore the learning world in a fun and accessible way. The company makes wooden toys that are loved by children and trusted by parents & educators. By enabling kids to gather new skills through play, QUBS aims to encourage the next generation of innovators, tinkerers, creators and makers of the future.

www.qubs.toys

DrawBo introduces innovative personalized robotic drawing tutor for kids

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DrawBo is a compact AI-backed personalized robot drawing tutor that assures a safe, comfortable, and highly engaging drawing class for kids.

How about a drawing teacher for your kid that can teach your kids tirelessly and endlessly for hours? How about a drawing class at the comfort of your home yet without the harmful radiation of virtual classes- while maintaining social distancing? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, a California-based dynamic tech firm, DrawBo, has recently launched an innovative personalized robotic drawing tutor for kids that will help them learn at the safety of home, without the radiation effects of on-screen classes. Titled „DrawBo,“ the AI-backed robot is strategically designed to inspire creativity in little ones and enhance their focus.

The FIRST of its kind, DrawBo is a palm-sized intelligent robot developed based on state-of-the-art technologies and insights derived from educational psychologists and child art teachers from all over the world. It is strategically shaped like a cute bright butterfly to attract the attention of little ones. The robot works in tandem with the DrawBo smartphone app.


„Kids today spend most of their waking hours before the screens, which exposes them to severe harmful radiation from screens. The current pandemic has made matters even worse by limited children’s movement to indoors and on-screen classes only. In such a gloomy scenario, our robotic drawing tutor DrawBo arrives to create a creative and refreshing educational experience for kids of all ages- from the comfort of home and far away from radiation of online classes“, stated Somnath Singh from DrawBo.


„With our intelligent palm-sized drawing tutor robot, your kids will find a teacher who is never tired of teaching them. Moreover, DrawBo assures a comfortable drawing class for kids without worries of commute-time to art classes, peer pressure in drawing schools, and radiation from on-screen virtual classes.“

Operating DrawBo is as simple as 1-2-3:

  • The DrawBo mobile app is bustling with thousands of images to choose from, including figures of famous kid movies and cartoon characters.                                                
  • Once the user chooses one image, it gets uploaded into DrawBo’s memory through Bluetooth.
  • Next, DrawBo deploys AI technology to split the image into simpler curves and lines to make learning easier for kids through multi-step education.
  • As the robot starts drawing, the child needs to follow every step the robot takes to learn the drawing.

DrawBo would stop at every step, offering sufficient time for the kid to copy the step and learn the pattern before marching to the next step. Being an intuitive tutor, DrawBo considers the complexity of each step and determines the pause time accordingly. Users can even set their preferred pause-time settings through both manual and automatic settings.

„DrawBo is designed with care to awaken the artist in your child and give wings to their imagination. The images given are categorized into different levels to choose one as per their kids‘ skill level and age.  But such a high-tech product needs robust financial backup and hence this Kickstarter campaign. Your generous support will enable us to bring DrawBo to life and assure safer, comfortable, and more engaging drawing classes for kids.“

Backers will be rewarded with handy discounts on DrawBo. To show your support for the campaign, please visit Kickstarter.

Furby „inside view“

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Ever wondered what one of my favorite robot looks like from the inside? Here are some pictures of the first generation Furby with his fur taken off, exposing his electronics and internal components.

Sparklekits

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Kids learn coding with the new Sparklekits, unleashing their creativity through a great building experience.

What is Sparklekits? 

Sparklekits is a STEM kit with a set of modular magnetic blocks & puzzles that promotes educational discovery through open-ended play and hands-on experience using advanced technology. It is extremely easy to assemble and super intuitive to use. It is a better and more fun STEM education tool that integrates building, learning, coding and play.

Advanced Design

Sparklekits breaks down complicated engineering into easy-to-assemble, functional magnetic modular blocks that children can use without using any cables, screws or tools. Kids can’t get it wrong, creating an environment that invites experimentation and creativity while building confidence.

These building blocks are infused with magical, seamless technology that allows kids to code, build, and explore at their own pace. Built-in games and challenges let kids between 5-12 learn through play, and it’s fully LEGO-compatible!

Launching on Kickstarter on 10th Nov 2020

Funding Goal: USD $5,000

Funding Amounts: USD $129.95 to receive one of the first 50 Sparklekits set (shipping APR 2021)

First LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor #51515 Timelapse Video „Tricky“

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As one of the RobotMak3rs (http://www.robotmak3rs.com/Sebastian-Trella/) and with support by LEGO, I had the opportunity to get my hands on the new LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor Set #51515 early. Thank you to the RobotMak3rs RLOC and LEGO for making this possible!

In this first video featuring the new MINDSTORMS Set, you will see me doing a timelapse of the build of „Tricky“. Tricky is one of the 5 robots that come with the 5in1 Set #51515. The other robots will for sure also be shown on this website in the short future. But for now, enjoy the build of „Tricky“. The build of the first two stages took me about 20 minutes. So, after 20 minutes you have a driving base which can be extended with some „tools“ to make Tricky the amazing robot he is. More information about this amazing new LEGO MINDSTORMS set can be found here: https://robots-blog.com/2020/06/12/new-lego-mindstorms-robot-inventor-lets-creators-build-and-bring-to-life-anything-they-can-imagine/
There you will also find pictures and videos of the other robots, like Gelo, Blast, M.V.P. and Charlie.

Spin Master’s Latest Toy Innovation, Present Pets™ Puppies, Unbox Themselves in the Most Heartwarming Way this Holiday Season

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With Only Limited Quantities in North America, Presents Pets Puppies Are Already Topping Toy Wish Lists

TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2020 /CNW/ – Spin Master Corp. (TSX: TOY; www.spinmaster.com), a leading global children’s entertainment company, revealed today its newest, imaginative toy packed with innovation, love and excitement – introducing Present Pets puppies, the interactive pets so excited to meet their new owners they unbox themselves.

Inspired by the childhood dream of being gifted an adorable puppy in a bow-topped box, these soft interactive puppies are wrapped in a truly magical unboxing experience the whole family will love. Anticipation for these furry friends is already building with Amazon naming Present Pets puppies one of the top 25 toys this holiday, earning the 8th spot on its „Toys We Love List“ and landing a coveted spot on The Toy Insider’s Hot 20 list.

The magic of Presents Pets puppies is revealed when the child pulls the oversized gift tag, sparking the pup inside to bark and paw its way out of the box and into their heart. After about two minutes of box shaking anticipation and heart bursting excitement the front of the box will topple down revealing a new pup and forever best friend. Early toy testers were blown away by the experience declaring that, „the unboxing is genius!“

With two themes to choose from, Fancy Pups and Glitter Pups, there are one of two possible pups in every box, an additional layer of surprise and delight to this must-have toy. Quantities for the North American market are limited, igniting pre-sale orders on numerous online retailer sites including Amazon, Walmart and Target.

„We cannot wait to surprise the whole family with the magical experience of unboxing their very own Present Pet puppy,“ said Jean Gomez, Spin Master’s VP Marketing & Global Business Unit Lead. „It’s a dream come true for children to unwrap a surprise puppy, and we are delighted to bring that joy to families this holiday season. We hope to see lots of exciting reactions when children open their Present Pets toys.“

Present Pets puppies are available now at major retailers for a suggested retail price of $49.99, recommended for children ages 4+. For more information on Present Pets toys visit http://www.presentpetstoy.com/en_us.

The Robo Wunderkind Explorer Kits are finally available for pre-order

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The wait is over! The Robo Wunderkind Explorer Kits are finally available for pre-order  In this blog post, find out what makes our newest robotics kits lineup so special, and why it is bound to become a highlight of this Christmas for your child.

Redesigned building blocks, extended functionally, and even more room for fun and learning – all you can think of in STEM represented in the Robo Wunderkind Explorer Kits. Besides the awesome perks you get by pre-ordering early, you and your child will benefit from the unique play and learning experiences these kits bring along. Ready to find out about the coolest features?

LED Display

This new, cube-shaped block offers so many possibilities for kids to be creative! Draw pictures and emotions, display them on the 16*16 resolution screen, and add some artistry to your coding creations. This building block supports animations, so your kid can create projects with short cartoons or text scroll.

Line Follower

Another new feature that our community has been looking forward to: the Line Follower block is our newest addition to the array of building pieces! With this block, your child’s robots can detect and follow lines drawn on the floor. Besides providing many ideas for super fun activities and games, this block is also an essential element of robotics – plenty of learning outcomes guaranteed!

Accelerometer

This sensor will help Robo to find its way around: it can recognize which way is up, down, left, and right! You can measure gravitational forces with an accelerometer, just like an astronaut in space. Programmed with our Python API, this sensor will also allow you to calculate your robot’s orientation in 3D space. 

Smart Motors

Each Robo Wunderkind Explorer Kit is now equipped with our new Smart Motors! Besides driving to a precise distance and turning, they now support relative angular positioning of anything you place on top of them.

Project Sharing

The coolest feature is coming to Robo Wunderkind apps: they will be even more fun to play with having our brand new project sharing functionality. Soon, you’ll be able to not only create your own code but also share it with friends and send them to other devices you have at home. Sharing is caring!

Excited for your little inventor to have fun and learn coding with these cool features? Pre-order Robo Wunderkind today, and get a 15% discount on any kit, a free t-shirt for your child, a possibility to upgrade your purchase, and even win an iPad mini! Delivery: end of September 2020.
Pre-order now!