Skip to main content

Sony’s New toio Wants to Inspire a Future Generation of Robotics Engineers

Build, play, inspire. That’s the idea behind Sony’s new toy for kids, designed to inspire a future generation of robotics engineers. Toio is the result of 5 years of research into developing a toy that’s simple enough for kids to use, but also sophisticated enough to create a figurative sandbox where kids can explore the inner-workings of robotics engineering.

the core of toio are miniature cubic robots that move on wheels

Toio, at first glance, is stunningly simple: the core of the toy is just 2 white cubes with wheels. But don’t be fooled by their appearance. The tiny cubes pack a whole lot of tech. They respond to motion, are able to detect the exact location of the other, and can be programmed but also remote controlled.

It would seem that the possibilities for toio are endless, which is why the developers teamed up with various creatives and designers to come up with various craft sets that help kids explore what robots can do. You can create your own robotic beast and battle others, you can play board games with them and you can make obstacle courses for them to go through. Sony has even teamed up with Lego for this project, allowing kids to build Lego structures on top of their robots.

But one of the most attractive features is a craft set designed by the folks behind the lovable PythagoraSwitch TV segment. It’s a simple paper set that encourages kids to join the two white cubes using paper. The cubes then interact with each other and come alive, resulting in different movements.

Check out the videos to get a better sense of what toio can do. Sony has released a limited quantity of toio sets that start at 21,557 yen (about $200 USD) and go up to 33,415 (about $300 USD) depending on how many craft sets you want to add on.

the toio console and rings where you charge the robotic cubes. The rings serve as remote controllers.

Powered by WPeMatico

The post Sony’s New toio Wants to Inspire a Future Generation of Robotics Engineers appeared first on onArt magazine.



from onartmag http://ift.tt/2rsaeg8
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Artist Shows That Putting Googly Eyes on Inanimate Objects Never Gets Old

Ah yes, eyebombing, the street art equivalent of drawing a funny mustache on Mona Lisa. So ubiquitous it’s impossible to credit anyone for inventing it… and yet for some reason it never quite stops being hilarious? Or maybe it’s just me. Probably just me. Vanyu Krastev of Eyebombing Bulgaria helps keep it alive. (via Tastefully Offensive , Quipsologies ) Update: Did you know there’s a Googly Eyes Foundation ? Supposedly they will even send you free googly eyes . Powered by WPeMatico The post Artist Shows That Putting Googly Eyes on Inanimate Objects Never Gets Old appeared first on onArt magazine . from onartmag http://ift.tt/2rgaEHL via IFTTT

Giants: A Black and White Series Captures the Complexity of the Humpback Whale

Over the last three years photographer  Jem Cresswell  has photographed humpback whales during their annual migration to Vava’u,  Tonga , swimming with the great creatures in the vast waters of the southern Pacific Ocean. Cresswell’s series Giants captures the individual personality of the great whales, each of which seem to pose specifically for his underwater camera. “I was initially drawn to the whales’ gentle nature, sheer size and the feeling of insignificance in their presence,” said Cresswell. “Over the past 3 years returning to Tonga, I have sought to capture intimate portraits of these complex and conscious animals, bringing the viewer into the world of these mystical giants.” In addition to being intrigued by the animals’ size, the Australian-based artist is also fascinated by their brains. In 2006, spindle cells, which were only thought to be present in humans and great apes, were also found to exist within the brains of humpback whales. These cells, ...