What Are Digimals?

Digimals are robot learning kits that capture imagination, provides open-ended interactions, and free play for young children to adults. Digimals provide endless possibilities for STEM learning. Users apply foundational science, engineering design, technology, and mathematics principles by using computational thinking. Computational thinking is a capstone of STEM learning. Digimal robot designs created from modular building blocks (connectors, actuators) and a central processing unit module provided in the kits are unique to the innovator, with endless possibilities for users to identify problems and solve those problems with multiple solutions in robotic designs.

Digimals put the tools in user’s hands to solve realistic problems specific to their personal interests and to simulate real-life robotic solutions. For example, users may choose to design Digimals to solve problems such as efficiently transporting items or sorting and manipulating various objects.

Furthermore, Digimals are featured to interface with intuitive and visual programming using devices to wirelessly program actions such as moving in various sequences and emitting sounds. This is achieved by applying logic, science concepts (force and motion), and mathematics concepts (geometry, algorithms and measurements). Users apply and further develop valuable STEM knowledge by using the kit materials to design various robotic Digimals.

Digimals teach the process of engineering design as users engage in the process of planning, creating, testing, and redesigning to create electrical and mechanical robotic systems. Designing Digimals develops problem solving as users engage in the iterative design process of trying, failing, and redesigning until they successfully create functional Digimal robots. Users explore and think creatively to achieve solutions; this is the basis of innovation.

“Educational robotics is a transformational tool for learning, computational thinking, coding, and engineering, all increasingly being viewed as critical ingredients of STEM learning in K-12 education as children identify problems to solve multiple solutions” (Eguchi, 2014, p. 1). Digimals is the bridge between these STEM practices and the physical application of the learning process.