My son might not get to fly a car to work like George Jetson, but he is growing up in a pretty amazing time. As I walked by his room tonight, I heard him talking to his iPad, asking Siri to search the web for tips on how to play Minecraft. Something like that would have been science fiction when I was a kid.
One big difference is that my generation had to be more hands on with technology. I had to use a command prompt to get a computer to do things, which was cumbersome but it made me think more critically about how a computer worked. Instead of just clicking (out touching) buttons, I had to treat the computer like a puzzle and enter the right pieces of information to get the computer to function properly.
My perspective is a little skewed because I work in tech, but I see a lot of benefits for children who learn the basics of computer science. It doesn’t take much to understand the basics of coding and the process helps children build critical thinking and problem solving skills. It is the kind of thing that can benefit any child.
A fun way to introduce your child to robotics and coding is with Ozobot Bit, a tiny robot that your child can program to do some pretty amazing things.
Ozobot Bit is about an inch square in size but has a lot of tech packed inside. The tiny robot can “see” the colors of the lines you draw (either on paper or using the iPad app) and then interprets this as code to perform specific functions. One line color could make Ozobot Bit change its indicator light to match and then a signal on the line could make Ozobot move twice as fast and then perform a U-turn.
My son and I started off small by having Ozobot Bit perform a simple maze pattern. We eventually worked up to more complex patterns that made Ozobot dance and spin while doing a little light show. My son liked the challenge of programming the motions, but also enjoyed being able to control every aspect of how the robot operated. You can do a lot using the OzoBlockly editor to manage the code. You can even drag and drop blocks of code that others have shared on the web.
Ozobot is powered by two tiny motors that drive its wheels. It can spin on a dime, moves surprisingly fast, and the LED can change to any number of colors. The built in LiPo battery charges quickly and can last about an hour on a single charge.
In the box, you get an Ozobot Bit, a custom skin (which gives Ozobot’s body a color), a carrying case (about the size of a ping pong ball) to keep your robot safe, a USB charging cable, a starter playground (map/maze), and an instruction booklet. You can download the related Ozobot apps for free.
A single Ozobot Bit is around $60 on Amazon, but you should also take a look at the packs of multiple robots. It is fun to program one, but you can do a lot more when you can program a small army of robot minions.
Ozobot Bit won “Best Robot” at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show and it is easy to see why. Ozobot is a toy that makes learning fun and helps your child build critical thinking skills that will put them a step ahead in the classroom.
