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Ozobot's Evo is a smarter, more social coding robot
Ozobot's Bit impressed us a few years ago with its simple take on programming education: kids just need to draw lines on a piece of paper or mobile device to program the tiny robot. As they get more comfortable, they can start to program on mobile devices and computers. Now Ozobot is taking a major step forward with the $100 Evo, a new robot that has sensors to interact with its environment, lights, a speaker and social capabilities. Basically, it's like a tiny Star Wars droid that you can program on your own.
This popular Japanese snack can teach you how to code
Glico, that Japanese company that makes a bunch of popular snacks like Pocky, has created what's probably the most delicious way to learn basic coding. It has launched a new app called Glicode, which features a character you can control by taking photos of your noms. Seriously. You know how Pocky's basically a biscuit stick covered in chocolate, strawberry and all sorts of yummy flavors? Well, you have to position and arrange them in a way that the app can translate into digital commands, and then take a photo. If you do things right, your character can move through obstacles.
Apple's kid-friendly Swift Playgrounds taught me to code
In 2014, Apple introduced a new programming language called Swift. Though that might not seem like much to everyday users like you and me, this announcement was actually a pretty big deal for the developer community. One of the reasons for that is that it's a lot simpler than Objective C, the lingo that Apple had been using for over 20 years. So simple, in fact, that Apple believes that Swift could be anyone's first programming language. That's why at this year's WWDC, the company introduced Swift Playgrounds, an iPad app designed to teach kids how to code. After a few days playing around with it, I can safely say that it also managed to teach me -- a clueless grownup -- a few Swift programming basics as well.
Kids' bot breaks into a dance to teach them how to code
DIY robots are becoming the gateway to coding. Over the last couple of years, a new wave of cute-faced bots has taken shape to make programming languages fun for kids. Instead of dense textbooks and complex online tutorials that are designed for a more mature audience, programmable toys are built to introduce young kids to the world of code. The latest entrant on the educational bot scene is the JIMU robot, a build-your-own-bot kit from UBTECH Robotics that snaps together to form a little dancing humanoid called MeeBot, or a more elaborate elephant that flips forward on its trunk for some awkward yoga asanas.
Cozmo the tabletop robot will be user-programmable
Cozmo, a diminutive robot companion, packs some impressive technology and will be far more customizable than originally expected when it's released this fall. Anki announced on Monday that Cozmo will launch with an SDK, enabling users to leverage it as a programming platform as well as an adorable sidekick.
Google's Project Bloks tinker toys teach coding to kids
There has been a big push in computer-science education in the last few years. The UK has made it part of its national curriculum, President Obama has pledged $4 billion toward a national computer-science initiative and a slew of toys and games designed to teach kids how to code have come to market. Even Apple got into the spirit with the introduction of Swift Playgrounds, an iPad app that instructs kids on the basics of the company's Swift programming language. Today, Google detailed its own big investment in computer-science education. It's called Project Bloks, an open hardware platform that anyone can use to create physical coding experiences for kids.
Osmo's blocks are like Lego for coding
There's a growing sense among educators and parents that learning to code is a valuable life skill. The UK has implemented programming in its computing curriculum, and several companies have cropped up with toys and games designed to teach young 'uns how to code. Today a startup called Osmo has come up with its own solution: an iPad game that teaches kids to code with physical blocks. Think of it as Lego for coding.
Harvard-made robot can teach kids how to code
If you want to get kids' full undivided attention, you'll have to think of a fun way to do things. That's why a group of roboticists from Harvard's Wyss Institute created Root: a small hexagonal robot designed to ignite their interest in coding. Root was designed to crawl on a white board, using the markers and erasers it carries on command. Kids can control it by moving icons around in its accompanying app called Square (get it?). They simply have to make if-then statements using the icons, so even very young children can make the robot draw doodles and erase them afterwards. Older kids (and adults), however, can easily switch to the app's more advanced, text-based interface.
Fisher-Price's caterpillar bot will teach kids how to code
A grinning caterpillar zooms around the table with blinking lights. Its bright purple eyes light up as it takes a moment to process the commands attached as various segments behind its head. Designed for preschoolers, Fisher-Price's Code-a-Pillar is a caterpillar-shaped toy that comes with a motorized head and eight segments that can be strung in a sequence like a line of code to form the rest of its body. Each segment is code for the toy to go straight, turn left or right and stop to play a song for your child.
