Sphero, a robotic toy that lets you learn programming while having fun

Key points of this product

A robot with a spherical design born in the United States, a leading country in programming education
Sphero BOLT, an educational robot that expands the range of learning and expression
Sphero mini" lets you learn programming while playing games

Programming will become a compulsory subject in elementary schools from the 2020 school year. Many parents may be interested in this subject, but are not sure what kind of educational materials to give their children. Sphero, which had a booth in the Baby Tech area at CES, offers products that can be enjoyed by children from infancy. Sphero, which also had a booth in the Baby Tech area at CES, offers products that are fun for young children.
We talked to Ms. Kieko Suzuki of SB C&S Corporation, who is also the exclusive distributor of Sphero products in Japan.

(Interviewed by.)
IoT Business Promotion Division, New Business Headquarters, SB C&S Co.
IoT & Robot Planning Department 1, IoT Division 1, New Business Headquarters, SB C&S Corporation

A cute robot that rolls around in a country with advanced programming education

Editor: What kind of product is Sphero, and what are its concepts and features?

Suzuki: Sphero was established in the United States in 2010, and has been producing robots that specialize in education. Sphero robots have been used in educational settings in about 80 countries to date, and in the United States, Sphero is the number one name in this field. With the educational robot "Sphero BOLT" (priced at 19,668 yen including tax) and the home-use robot "Sphero mini" (priced at 6,468 yen including tax) introduced here, even children who are beginners in programming can learn programming while having fun. Both robots are suitable for children from 8 years old. The target age range for both is 8 years old and up. (Editor's Note: Children can start learning programming at around age 8, while toddlers can start playing with remote controls and become familiar with robots.

Editor: It's impressive that it has an adorable design that's different from the "robots" of the world.

Suzuki: Yes. The way it rolls around is cute, and it's popular among girls. Another great feature of Sphero is that it's easy to use and intuitive. You can play with it right away by connecting it to the free programming app Sphero Edu, and it doesn't even come with a manual.