Ohbot is a robot head that’s constructed and programmed by children.
It has seven motors to provide a range of realistic movement.
Ohbot is provided as a kit and comes with full instructions so that it can be built by children aged 7 and older.
Once the kit is completed Ohbot is connected to a Windows PC running Ohbot software so that it can be programmed.
A block programming environment is used based on the Scratch language which was developed at MIT. This allows children to generate programs quickly and encourages them to experiment and use their imagination.
Ohbot includes text to speech technology so that children can program it to say whatever they like.
Ohbot also includes face recognition so that it can be programmed to reactwhen it sees a child and follow their movement Film of face recognition and tracking Ohbot uses an Arduino interface board which allows for additional sensors to be used.
Ohbot has been created by Mat Walker, a roboticist who created the Inkha robot receptionist at King’s College, London
And Dan Warner, a primary teacher and information and communications technology specialist who advises schools and local authorities on educational technology for learning.
Ohbot is already being used by over 300 schools and individuals in the UK and around the world and was a finalist in the awards for Information and Communications Technology Innovator of the year at the British Education and Training show in London in 2016.
