The invention relates to fastening elements of a toy construction kit and can be used for creating toy construction kit elements which are connected by means of connecting elements. A connecting element of a toy construction kit consists of two parts, a receiving part and a removable part, which, when brought together, fasten together under the effect of magnetic forces such as to be disconnectable and rotatable about the coupling point by 360. The receiving part consists of a disc, a collar, and a neodymium magnet in the form of a truncated cone-shaped collar, which have different diameters and are fastened to one another. The removable part consists of a disc with a through opening, a collar, and a neodymium magnet, which have different diameters, and a metal rod, which are fastened to one another.

Connector element includes an enclosure made of a generally non-magnetic material having an open face; an insulating plate with a plate aperture; a permanent magnet placed inside the enclosure, the magnet dimensions preventing egress from the enclosure through the plate aperture; a washer made of a conductive soft ferromagnetic material with a washer aperture being larger than dimensions of said permanent magnet, placed inside the enclosure. Also disclosed are transformable electronic devices, optionally including displays, toys and educational kits built using the self-actuating connector elements.

Connector element includes an enclosure made of a generally non-magnetic material having an open face; an insulating plate with a plate aperture; a permanent magnet placed inside the enclosure, the magnet dimensions preventing egress from the enclosure through the plate aperture; a washer made of a conductive soft ferromagnetic material with a washer aperture being larger than dimensions of said permanent magnet, placed inside the enclosure. Also disclosed are transformable electronic devices, optionally including displays, toys and educational kits built using the self-actuating connector elements.

A magnetic toy construction block has an interior configured to house a radially magnetized ring magnet, which is rotatably supported within the block by a pair of pedestals extending into the interior of the block from opposite ends thereof. The positions of the poles of the ring magnet are variable relative to the sides of the block in response to the rotation of the ring magnet.

A robotic system is integrated with one or more mobile computing devices. Physical configurations of individual components of the system in physical space, or agents, under control of a user or users, are duplicated in a representation in virtual space. Some degree of real-time parity is maintained between the physical and virtual spaces, so as to implement a virtual environment that mirrors the physical one. Events occurring within one environment can directly influence and bear consequence on the course of events occurring within the other environment. Elements of virtual space thereby become truly interdependent and unified on a peer footing with elements in physical space. In at least one embodiment, the system is implemented as an application in entertainment, such as the manifestation of a video game in physical space.

An educational apparatus is disclosed. The educational apparatus has one or more first sheet members including a first side and a second side, the first side and the second side each having first markings indicating the same first surface area, and one or more first attachment portions disposed along some or substantially all of a perimeter of the one or more first sheet members. The educational apparatus also has one or more second sheet members including a first side and a second side, the first side and the second side each having second markings indicating the same second surface area, and one or more second attachment portions disposed along some or substantially all of a perimeter of the one or more second sheet members.

A magnetic toy construction block includes an inner shell and an outer shell which are arranged to form a module having a shell-within-a-shell construction. Disc-shaped magnets are rotatably received and maintained in pockets formed in the inner shell of the module. The inner shell is permanently housed within the outer shell such that the magnets lie in close proximity to its sidewalls and hence sidewalls of the module itself.

Connector element includes an enclosure made of a generally non-magnetic material having an open face; an insulating plate with a plate aperture; a permanent magnet placed inside the enclosure, the magnet dimensions preventing egress from the enclosure through the plate aperture; a washer made of a conductive soft ferromagnetic material with a washer aperture being larger than dimensions of said permanent magnet , placed inside the enclosure. Also disclosed are transformable electronic devices, optionally including displays, toys and educational kits built using the self-actuating connector elements.

A modular robotic system that includes a plurality of self-configuring robots. Each self-configuring robot includes a frame structure having a plurality of cylindrical bonding magnets positioned along the edges of the frame structure. The frame structure includes magnetic, non-gendered, hinges on any of the edges of the frame. The hinges provide enough force to maintain a pivot axis through various motions. The cylindrical bonding magnets are free to rotate allowing for multiple self-configurations with other like self-configuring robots. A movement generator is positioned within the frame structure that pivots to generate multi-axis movement allowing both robust self-reconfiguration with the other self-configuring robots and independent locomotion.

A modular robotic system that includes a plurality of self-configuring robots. Each self-configuring robot includes a frame structure having a plurality of cylindrical bonding magnets positioned along the edges of the frame structure. The frame structure includes magnetic, non-gendered, hinges on any of the edges of the frame. The hinges provide enough force to maintain a pivot axis through various motions. The cylindrical bonding magnets are free to rotate allowing for multiple self-configurations with other like self-configuring robots. A movement generator is positioned within the frame structure that pivots to generate multi-axis movement allowing both robust self-reconfiguration with the other self-configuring robots and independent locomotion.