Teach Your Tot To Program With Play-i Bots

Soon, toddlers may know more about computer programming than many adults. This is thanks to a company known as Play-i, which is made up of certain individuals with companies such as Amazon, Google, and Apple appearing on their resumes. Their goal is to get low-cost robots into the hands of children between the ages of 5 and 8. The children will then be able to program the robots to do most anything – bring them a flower, kick a ball, or even carry an object.

The specific bots pictured are Bo and Yana. Bo is pulling Yana. According to Play-i’s website, Bo is more of the adventurous bot, while Yana is more of an imaginative storyteller. Bo can go pretty much anywhere and do most anything you want him to do, while Yana helps children expand their imagination. When the two are together, there are all kinds of unique ways they can interact. Since they can detect each other, one of the neatest activities for them to do is to play hide-and-seek with each other, or even with another bot. There seems to be almost no limit for the interactive possibilities.

So, How Do They Work?

Good question. In order to be able to use Bo and Yana out of the box, you will need access to the Play-I app. Whether you have iOS or Android, you will be able to download the app on your tablet. Your children will then be able to use the app to program Bo and Yana to their heart’s content. The programming begins at a basic level and then is able to be advanced as the children grow older.

How Much Does It Cost?

Since using Bo and Yana requires that you already own a tablet, the designers really wanted to make sure that they kept the price point as low as possible. Parents can pre-order both bots currently for just under $200, and they are expected to ship in the summer of 2014.

Check out the video below, courtesy of Play-i.

[Image via play-i]