Bo and Yana bots can teach programming concepts to five year olds

I sure do love my technology; not only does it let me watch my favorite TV shows free from the oppression of network television and commercials, but it also lets me teach my children fundamental programming concepts from a ripe young age of five, or it will at least when those children exist. But the best part is: the kids will be too busy having fun with “toys” to have any idea they’re being incepted with their parent’s appreciation of technology. Bo and Yana are those toys; they are a set of interactive robots specifically designed to teach children programing basics using a graphical interface that translates selected sequences into code, and thereby, direct actions. Best of all, they are fun and accessible.

Spawned as the brainchild of the startup Play-I, Bo and Yana embrace the established notion that children can understand programming concepts from an early age even if their bodies haven’t developed the necessary motor skills to type, so why not use tablets to bridge that gap in development? After all, programming is nothing but a sequence of instructions organized in the most logical manner. 
  
Bo and Yana are designed to mutually appealing to both genders.

How do they work?
Commands are wirelessly sent to Bo and Yanna via Bluetooth 4.0 from iPads, and soon to include Android devices. The bots can be programmed to move to the left, to the right, and turn in a sharp or smooth curve; they can record and play back audio and even respond to direct feedback such as clapping, touching, and singing to name but a few.

The unique ability of the two robots to detect the presence of nearby obstructions like walls or others Bos and Yanas, permit children to create clever programming sequences to initiate games of hide and seek, soccer, or the playing of miniature xylophones. After mastering the basic, curious children can transition from the proprietary interface into the programming interface Scratch & Blocky, a drag-and-drop style interface designed for slightly older children. This will ensure the child is appropriately challenged without compromising the actual fun factor.

The underlying code
For the more technically advanced children, an upcoming update will permit users to peer directly at the written code underlying their selected sequence, similar to viewing a webpage’s html using the “view source,” feature on most browsers. This code can easily be uploaded on to the Internet with a single tap, in the event that users want to engage in mutual learning by sharing and editing each other’s projects. 

Learning programming concepts is as easy as arranging sequences in a specific order

Making the robot accessible to as many kids as possible is central to company’s mission. For this reason, the company chose to engage in slightly different crowd sourcing tactic than the norm. Instead of offering low tier rewards for those who do not contribute enough to actually purchase a unit, $49 for Yana and $149 for Bo, anything contributed below these sums will be donated to organizations that bring robots to schools. Either way, the concept is designed to put robots in the hands of kids.