This Robot Makes Learning to Code Fun for Kids

Kids learn how cool it is to code with mimicArm.
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Photograph courtesy Ryan Kurtz

The robots are here. Brett Pipitone knows this, and thinks it’s important for kids to be exposed to the technology of tomorrow today, so he developed mimicArm—an innovative robot with compatible, downloadable programming software that can teach young kids how to code and interact with robots.

The colorful (and, dare we say, adorable) mimicArm is easy to build, perfect for beginners. It also has big googly eyes, which are so much fun. The user can learn to control the robot through C code with downloadable programming software. There’s also a manual mode for kids who aren’t quite ready to code.

“The mimicArm is designed around human interaction,” says Pipitone, who has two kids of his own. “The robot, an arm, sits on a desk and is able to grab things from humans. It can detect humans and colors and react to its environment.”

Pipitone has taken mimicArm to the Cincinnati Mini Maker Faire at Cincinnati Museum Center and MakerX in Columbus, and has teamed up with schools across the United States to put his technology in the classroom.

mimicArm is available as a novice kit, which is best for young kids or first-time coders, or as an intermediate or advanced kit for those who are experienced. “Ultimately, the robots are designed to help kids learn about the direction the robotics industry is moving in, rather than just being an opportunity to learn programming,” Pipitone says. “In factories today, robots are working side by side with humans. This robot, more than any other that’s on the market, does that.”

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