Kano is a DIY computing kit developer and its latest product is a wireless wand that's made in partnership with Warners Bro. It is essentially a new coding set that allows children to build their own wireless wands to then be paired up with a Harry Potter coding app available on iMacs, PC computers, iPads, and Android tablets as well. It features an instruction manual on how to make the wand with the given pieces of an accelerator, gyroscope, and magnetometer for children to assemble on their own. Once the wand is fully complete, it can track hand movements for users to control any on-screen action.
The coding app has up to 70 challenges to unlock all across Harry Potter's wizarding world -- each one is designed to teach the basics of code programming. There are fun familiar locations such as the Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley. Some challenges include throwing Bertie Bott's every-flavored jelly beans up in the air or immobilizing the Cornish pixies using javascript.
The wireless wand connects to Kano world, which is an online platform that allows users to share their craft and view the work of others. It also enables users to download, explore, and edit communal spells. The new Kano x Warner Bros Coding Kit is the first-ever Harry Potter-themed STEM product and will be available this year in October in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
Coding Interactive Wands
Kano and Warner Bros Build a Wireless Wand to Teach Kids How to Code
Trend Themes
1. DIY Coding Kits - The trend of providing DIY coding kits for kids that incorporate interactive, physical elements like wands provides opportunities for companies to develop additional products that allow children to experiment with coding in fun and engaging ways.
2. Gamification of Coding Education - The gamification of coding education, as demonstrated in the Harry Potter coding app, provides opportunities for companies to develop similar apps or games that combine coding with popular movie or video game franchises.
3. Online Platforms for Sharing Creations - The online platform offered by Kano for sharing and exploring user-created content provides opportunities for companies to develop similar platforms for creators to share their work and collaborate with others in a coding context.
Industry Implications
1. Education - The DIY coding kits and gamified coding education app developed by Kano and Warner Bros demonstrate opportunities for education companies to incorporate physical and interactive elements into coding education.
2. Children's Toys - The development of a wireless wand coding kit aimed at children shows the potential for toy companies to develop similar interactive products that incorporate coding into playtime activities.
3. Gaming - The gamification of coding education, as demonstrated in the Harry Potter coding app, presents opportunities for gaming companies to explore similar mash-ups of popular movie or video game franchises with coding education and interactive elements.