Dec 31 2014
Who's that tiny dancer in the aisles of the Consumer Electronics Show? It's Ozobot, the world's smallest programmable robot with the intuitive color-based language. Ozobot's capacity for fun and learning are endless.
Bridging the physical and digital divide, the smart game piece glides seamlessly from paper to digital tablet. It's pure edu-tainment. Playing with this robot introduces kids and young adults to simple coding basics, expands their imaginations and encourages life skills. Watch it groove to the music at the International Consumer Electronics Show Booth 72437 and up on stage as Ozobot accepts a 2015 Kids at Play Interactive (KAPi) award for Best Robot! Attendees can also discover two new robots arriving in 2015, Ozobot Bit ($49.99) and Ozobot Jot ($79.99).
Now, Ozobot really has something to celebrate as it heads to its second CES: The KAPi Awards are given at the start of each year during Kids @ Play Summit at CES. They honor children's technology products that raise the bar for innovation and excellence and make the world a better place for children. Winners are selected by a panel of jurors, consisting of respected publishers, editors and analysts from various media outlets. It's no wonder the Ozobot was selected for the Best Robot recognition, as the award-winning Ozobot stands just one-inch tall, making it highly portable. It learns its smooth moves from OzoGroove, one of four IOS and Android compatible free Apps, created for this amazing robot that's already a hit with kids, educators and tech lovers.
Expanding the Ozobot collection is Ozobot Bit, complete with enhanced programming and educational features - coming in 2nd Quarter 2015. In Las Vegas, visit the world of Ozobot in Booth 72437, home of parent company Evollve. The booth can be found in Tech West, Sands Expo, Level 2.
Meet Ozobot Bit
Ozobot Bit will become the collection's entry robot, with enhanced educational capabilities, all in the same tiny size. Look for it in 2nd Quarter 2015.
Ozobot Bit - Ages 8+ - $49.99 or $99.99 for dual pac
This 1" robot can sense colored lines, detect patterns such as intersections, read flashing light codes and play back up to 500 commands. It's mostly based on the hardware design of the original Ozobot but Bit is programmable via both color-based code language and a block-based programming editor based on Blockly. It can move at speeds up to 3.5 inches/sec (8.5 cm/sec) and it operates on physical surfaces such as paper and game boards and digital screens such as tablets and mobile phones.
Learning + Playing = Fun!
"We are establishing Ozobot as a platform built around programmable robots that fuse together learning and playing," explains Evollve's CTO, Armen Kroyan, PhD. "Ozobot's small size, intelligence and versatility make it into the ultimate smart game piece that plays in both physical and digital worlds."
Kroyan continues, "On the STEM learning and programming side, children at a young age get an introduction to basic programming concepts, logic and deductive reasoning using Ozobot's intuitive and easy-to-grasp color-based code language. Older kids and adults can learn programming and access Ozobot's more advanced capabilities using our block-based programming editor based on Google's Blockly."
As consumers embrace the programmable bot, the Ozobot team will expand with smart games, fun lessons, DIY projects and active social media content. After all, as STEM curriculum becomes commonplace in school, fun products like Ozobot and its entertaining Apps will play a key role in teaching youngsters and those technically-challenged how to code.
"Simply put, we want to engage today's digital generation with products like Ozobot," explains Evollve VP, Marketing Anouk Zisa. "Through smart interactive games that entertain and educate, we can encourage girls and boys to excel in math, science, engineering and computer programming."
Zisa recently announced partnerships to introduce Ozobot to the Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts National STEM initiative and SAS Curriculum Pathways.