LEGO Education, The LEGO Group’s educational division announced a new robot product, WeDo, that redefines classroom robotics, making it possible for primary school students 7 to 11 years of age to build and program their own solutions. Bridging the physical world, represented by LEGO models, and the virtual world, represented by computers and programming software, WeDo provides a hands-on, minds-on learning experience that actively involves young students in their own learning process and promotes children’s creative thinking, teamwork and problem solving skills – skills that are essential in the workplace of the 21st century. The new product will be available in the United States and Brazil beginning January 1, 2009.
The complete LEGO WeDo package includes:
- 158 brightly colored LEGO elements, including gears, and levers
- One LEGO USB Hub connects directly to a Mac/PC laptop, desktop, OLPC XO or Intel Classmate computer to allow control of hardware input (tilt and motion sensors) and output (motor), thereby bringing models to life
- One motor, one motion sensor and one tilt sensor
- Drag-and-drop icon-based software that provides an intuitive and easy-to-use programming environment suitable for beginners and experienced users alike, developed by a leading provider of engineering hardware and software, National Instruments
- Activity pack CD-Rom provides up to 24 hours of instruction and includes 12 activities based on four themes: Amazing Mechanisms, Wild Animals, Play Soccer and Adventure Stories. Running alongside programming software, activities are introduced via animations. Teacher notes and glossary are also included.
