Teaching our kids to code is vital for our tech-packed present and future, and there are many different tools available to the programming student – from crawling bots to play dough circuits to build-it-yourself kits. Entertaining and educational as such things can be, few can claim to be magical. Now Kano has teamed up with the Warner Brothers Consumer Products wing to launch the first Harry Potter STEM product, a wireless wand that's assembled by a would-be wizard and used to cast spells on a tablet.
Students using the Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit are required to create a wireless wand with the help of a step-by-step manual, while also learning about the sensors in use, how to code and so on. The wand houses a gyro, accelerometer and magnetometer to keep track of its location in three-dimensional space and speed of movement. The wand's light and rumble pack can also be programmed by the user.
A connected Kano app running on an iOS/Android tablet wirelessly registers sensor data, positioning a cursor onscreen and translating hand movements into actions needed to perform signature spells and allow students to "make serpents slither, toads transfigure, fires flow, feathers float, goblets duplicate, Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans enlarge, and more." The software is also available for Windows/Mac computer systems.
A block-based interface and a JavaScript inspector have been designed to teach students the basics of coding, and help develop real world programming skills, and there are over 70 themed challenges to flick and swish through, including action from Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and The Forbidden Forest.
The Harry Potter Kano Kit includes an illustrative poster and stickers, and is up for pre-order now for US$99.99, with availability pegged for October. As a reward for getting in early, pre-orders will also get a free Motion Sensor Kit from Kano and existing Computer Kit owners will be able to access 10 unique Wizarding World challenges. Everyone will also get access to Kano's free online community, where members from 86 countries make and share art, music and games content.
You can see what's on offer in the promo video below.
Source: Kano
