Kano’s first coding kits aimed at kids were basically some-assembly-required computers based on the Raspberry Pi line of devices. Then the company branched out into other product categories including speakers, displays, and cameras.
For Kano’s next trick, you’ll need a magic wand. In fact, the company has one up for pre-order for $100.
The Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit is expected to ship in October.
Like Kano’s other kits, the Harry Potter-themed offering is designed to help kids learn the basics of hardware assembly and software programming. In this case, you assemble a battery-powered, motion-sensing wand that can be paired with a Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, or Amazon Fire device via Bluetooth.
Once the hardware is set up, you can follow instructions for more than 70 different coding projects so that waving the wand can create music, float a feather, create fire, or perform other actions (which will be displayed on your phone, tablet, or computer screen).
The wand features a 9-axis motion sensor, RGB LED lighting, a rumble motor and a physical button. The kit comes with a poster showing motions for Harry Potter-style spells including Wingardium Leviosa, Lumos, and Incendio, and the wand runs on two AAA batteries (which provide up to 6 hours of battery life if you wave the wand non-stop).
I’m trying to figure out what the 9 axes are. Up-down, left-right, in-out, roll, pitch, yaw… strange, charm, and blue raspberry? Their site doesn’t seem to explain any further.
6 years ago this would have been the bomb. Now it is meh.
I like the idea of using an existing screen (tablet/phone/monitor) for kits like this, since (a) it keeps the cost down and (b) most families who can afford to buy their kids something like this will almost certainly have an old phone or tablet lying around they can use.