Sony Releases New Robot Programming Kit

Category: Technology/Innovations

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. customize / ˈkʌs təˌmaɪz / (v) – to create something according to personal preference
    Example:

    They customized my car since I wanted white seat covers.


  2. assemble / əˈsɛm bəl / (v) – to put the parts of something together
    Example:

    They assembled the pieces of the puzzle.


  3. user-friendly / ˈyu zərˈfrɛnd li / (adj) – not difficult to operate
    Example:

    The new smartphone is user-friendly.


  4. incorporation / ɪnˌkɔr pəˈreɪ ʃən / (n) – the act of including something to make it part of a whole
    Example:

    The incorporation of games into classroom teaching is effective for students.


  5. stimulate / ˈstɪm yəˌleɪt / (v) – to promote the development of something
    Example:

    Crossword puzzles stimulate an individual’s critical thinking.


Article

Read the text below.

Sony has partnered with Japanese educational material manufacturer Artec Co. to produce a set of educational building blocks.


KOOV, a robot programming kit that uses building blocks, was released in Japan last February by Japanese electronics company Sony. Artec Co. manufactures the blocks, while Sony handles software production, technology, and marketing.


The seven-colored set can be customized in two ways. First, the blocks’ colors can be changed by stacking them on top of each other. Second, the blocks’ movement can be programmed by assembling the blocks into a chosen form and coding their motion using a desktop application. To make it user-friendly, the app relies on an “if-then-else” programming language, which allows users to set conditions and executes a program based on whether the conditions are met or not.


The KOOV set is part of Sony Global Education’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) 101 independent study curriculum. STEM 101 is divided into the three categories of “think,” “make,” and “feel,” which refer to math, robots, and science, respectively. Although the KOOV set falls under the “make” category, its educational value goes beyond assembling pieces together.


Through the invention of the KOOV set, Sony promotes the concept of “tinkering”, which is the incorporation of playing into learning. Users either play around with the shape, color, and motion of the blocks to explore possible outcomes or experiment until a desired result is achieved. In addition, the KOOV set stimulates individuality and creativity among users by allowing them to assemble the blocks into a figure of their choice, match the pieces to produce a color scheme, or program the parts to move in a specific way.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• What other values can children learn from using KOOV?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning through educational toys instead of through traditional classroom instruction?

Discussion B

• What toy can benefit from being made high-tech? Discuss.
• Which is better: a regular toy or a high-tech toy? Explain.