The Avenger Action figures and Barbie Dolls may be on their way out, as kids start getting educated with coding and programming by robots created with them in mind.
At the recent 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas companies like Lego put on display their Mini Milo bot. Created with STEM subjects in mind, meaning science, technology, engineering and math, Milo was created for the classroom. In using the bot students are educated in those areas.
Milo is controlled with a tablet or smartphone, and comes with a very small motor and motion sensor. The bot can be programmed for a variety of science projects and has a price tag of $160.
http://www.hometrainingtools.com/technology-physics/robotics
Rather than reading in a book, students learn to interact with Milo, and have to become proficient with not just the robot, but using the tablet or smartphone as well. Science, communication and programming are the educational benefits.
Fisher-Price is in the game with what they have named Code-a-Pillar. Here’s one the kids can put together as it is made up of individual electronic segments that all do something different. So they can be mixed up to do whatever the kids want.
Once more it is the interactive participation where students learn how the various segments communicate. Some pieces make the Pillar turn, while other can create music. This bot is scheduled to be out summer 2016 and retail for $50.
The there is the Makeblock robot kit. Here is a build it yourself kit that is possible to assemble in just 10 minutes. Really!
Kid engineers can program the bot, and control the movements, using Arduino or Raspberry Pi software and Bluetooth. So it can all be done through an app, teaching programming and software skills. This retails for $75.
So when you can engage at the kid level with these bots, where learning is both interactive, educational AND fun, who wants dolls or action figures? Bring on the robots!