Paul Ridden Hackaball teaches kids to code through creative play

Kids can control the behavior of the Hackaball through a companion iPad app

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We've seen a number of clever learning tools aimed at future generations of roboticists and programmers recently. The latest educational plaything to join the likes of DynePods, the Kibo and the Wigl bot is Hackaball. It's a computer in a ball that kids can program using an iPad, and then throw it around, bounce it off walls and kick it about in completely made up games.

Developed by Map (the design minds behind Kano) and Made by Many, the Hackaball computer in a ball is aimed at encouraging creative play and physical activity in 6-10 year olds. The ball is made up of two translucent plastic halves, which snap together around a silicone membrane. A perforated stretchy silicone outer skin is then placed over the orb for something a little more tactile and eye-catching.

Kids get their programming hands dirty by creating games using a free iPad app. The app has a number of games already loaded and ready for wireless transfer to the Hackaball, but also includes locked features and "broken" games that children will need to unlock or fix before they can play, teaching them the basic principles of game design and programming in the process. Pint-sized programmers can choose to get creative on their own, too, and use a building block interface to create entirely new games.

The Hackaball includes a rechargeable battery, onboard memory and built-in motion sensors that can detect when the ball is being dropped, bounced, kicked, and shaken. The device responds to such abuse by changing the color of the nine LEDs, playing sounds through the built-in speaker or creating a buzz with the help of the included vibration motor. Youngsters can control such behavior through the app.

Once a game has been loaded onto the Hackaball, it can be played without needing to carry the app-packing iPad to the park with you. And though weatherproof, the designers say that it's not waterproof, so games outside in a little rain should be OK, but bath time is off limits.

Each of the project's seven prototype iterations have undergone testing with children, parents and schools, and the team has found the Hackaball breaking free from its intended use when exposed to the creative minds of youngsters – finding use as props in plays, imitating an alarm clock, getting questions thrown at it like a magic 8 ball, and even being used as a robotic fart machine

The Hackaball project has launched on Kickstarter to get the little hackable ball into the playful hands of kids. An early bird package of one Hackaball and the free app is pitched at US$65, rising to $69 when those have been snapped up. The campaign is due to end on April 2 and, if all goes to plan, the first devices are expected to start shipping in December.

Have a look at the pitch video below for a little more on the Hackaball.

Sources: Hackaball, Kickstarter

自動(dòng)翻譯僅供參考

Hackaball能夠通過創(chuàng)造性游戲教孩子編碼技巧 hackaball教孩子代碼通過創(chuàng)造性的play

孩子可以通過同伴的iPad應(yīng)用

圖片庫控制的hackaball行為（12幅）
我們看過許多聰明的學(xué)習(xí)工具，針對機(jī)器人專家和程序員的后代最近。最新的教育玩具加盟dynepods喜歡，Kibo和wigl BOT是hackaball。這是一個(gè)球，孩子們可以使用電腦iPad程序，然后把它周圍，反彈了墻壁和踢它完全彌補(bǔ)了游戲。

開發(fā)的地圖（卡諾背后的設(shè)計(jì)思想）和由很多，一個(gè)球計(jì)算機(jī)的hackaball旨在鼓勵(lì)在6-10歲兒童創(chuàng)造性游戲和體育活動(dòng)。這個(gè)球是由2個(gè)半透明的塑料制成的，在一個(gè)硅橡膠膜上有一個(gè)單元。多孔彈性硅膠外殼，然后放上一些觸覺和醒目的ORB。

孩子得到他們的手臟通過創(chuàng)建游戲編程使用一個(gè)免費(fèi)的iPad應(yīng)用程序。該應(yīng)用程序有一些游戲已經(jīng)加載好的無線傳輸?shù)絟ackaball，還包括鎖定功能和“破”的游戲，孩子們需要解鎖或修復(fù)才可以玩，教他們的游戲設(shè)計(jì)和編程過程中的基本原則。小型的程序員可以選擇去創(chuàng)造自己，也用積木接口來創(chuàng)建全新的游戲。

的hackaball包括可充電電池，板載內(nèi)存，內(nèi)置的運(yùn)動(dòng)傳感器，可以檢測當(dāng)球正在下降，反彈，踢，動(dòng)搖了。該設(shè)備通過改變九個(gè)LED的顏色，播放聲音通過內(nèi)置的揚(yáng)聲器或創(chuàng)建一個(gè)嗡嗡聲與振動(dòng)電機(jī)的幫助。青少年可以通過App控制這種行為。

一旦游戲已經(jīng)加載到hackaball，它可以在無需攜帶iPad應(yīng)用程序包裝公園與你。雖然防水，設(shè)計(jì)師說它是不防水的，所以游戲之外一點(diǎn)雨應(yīng)該是好的，但洗澡時(shí)間限制。

每個(gè)項(xiàng)目七的原型迭代，經(jīng)歷了試驗(yàn)與孩子、家長和學(xué)校，和團(tuán)隊(duì)找到了hackaball打破其使用時(shí)暴露的年輕人–發(fā)現(xiàn)使用道具發(fā)揮創(chuàng)造性思維，模仿一個(gè)鬧鐘，被扔在它像一個(gè)魔術(shù)8球的問題，甚至作為一個(gè)機(jī)器人放屁機(jī)

黑客一個(gè)大球項(xiàng)目已經(jīng)在Kickstarter上發(fā)起讓小XX球到孩子頑皮的手。一hackaball早包和免費(fèi)的應(yīng)用程序是定在65美元，上漲到69美元時(shí)，那些已被搶購一空?；顒?dòng)將在4月2日結(jié)束，如果一切按計(jì)劃進(jìn)行，第一設(shè)備預(yù)計(jì)在十二月開始出貨。

看看球場視頻下面一點(diǎn)的hackaball。