This article was first published in the August 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
This is the Hackaball: a tough, throwable computer designed by London-based studio Made By Many to help kids invent games -- and teach them how to code in the process. "We took one of the oldest play objects and looked how else it could be played with," says the company's founder William Owen, 57.
Youngsters use an iPad app to instruct the Hackaball, made of translucent plastic with a tough silicone skin, to respond to various stimuli. It can also be programmed through an easy-to-use interface. The sensors inside can differentiate between taps, drops, bounces, kicks, shakes and passes. "We'd also like children to be able to record their own sounds -- shout a friend's name as the next person to throw it to, for example," says Owen. The goal, he says, is to introduce kids to programming. "We see the most important use for Hackaball as teaching young children the basic principles of coding through creative play." Young testers built familiar games such as Hot Potato, but also used it to tell stories where it became a shield or a flaming asteroid.
Kickstarter backers have funded Hackaball to the tune of $240,000 (£160,000), with the finished produced expected to ship by Christmas and cost about £75. "The potential is huge," says Owen. "We see the core components that live at the heart of the ball as a platform for a range of future educational products."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
