A language learning assembly includes a body having at least one first recess and at least one second recess arranged parallel to the at least one first recess. A plurality of blocks are color-coded by syntax category or “parts of speech” and have a plurality of words displayed on each block. The blocks are sized to fit side-by-side within one of the at least one first recess and the at least one second recess to form grammatically correct sentences. Each block can have a different word on at least two faces thereof. Some of the blocks can be configured to display words in a fixed fashion. Some of the blocks can have electronic displays configured to display words electronically.

An example play device for teaching software concepts is provided. The play device includes a sensor and a computing device. The play device performs a set of functions. The functions include providing an instruction to place one or more physical objects in an area of the play device. The instruction includes an indication of a source code operator. The functions include determining that a physical object has been placed in the area of the play device. The functions include executing an operation corresponding to the source code operator. The functions include determining, based on executing the operation, whether the instruction is successfully followed in accordance with the source code operator. The functions include providing an indication of (i) a result of executing the operation corresponding to the source code operator, and (ii) whether the instruction is successfully followed in accordance with the source code operator.

A screenless smart toy device may be a block made of natural or wooden material and may include a transparent or semi-transparent panel allowing one or more LEDs, from within the smart toy device, to be visible when illuminated. The smart toy device may read RFID values from various objects, such as tiles having objects depicted thereupon and RFID tags embedded within, and play different sounds and/or illuminate its LEDs with different colors based on the RFID tag that was read. The smart toy device may operate in a variety of modes, such as in a play/explore mode, quiz mode, definition mode, etc. The smart toy device may be configured into different modes and/or language settings by use of a mode card or separate application.

A programmable robot (1) for educational purposes comprising a body (2) comprising a drive system (21) for causing the robot to move, an information acquisition device (22) configured to acquire information from an external information carrying element (101), and a first connection element (23), and a head (3) comprising a control system (31) with a data storage element (32) and a processor element (34) being configured to receive a data signal transmitted from the at least one information acquisition device, the data signal comprising the acquired information from the external information carrying element, to process the data signal to interpret the information and achieve instructions, and to cause the drive system (21) to move the robot (1) in accordance with the instructions, and a second connection element (33), where the body (2) and the head (3) are adapted to be detachably coupled to one another by connecting the first connection element (23) and the second connection element (33) to one another.

A device implementing dynamic library access based on proximate programmable item detection includes a sensor and a processor configured to detect, using the sensor, a programmable physical item in a proximate area. The processor is further configured to, responsive to detecting the programmable physical item, provide an indication of available functions for programming the programmable physical item. The processor is further configured to receive input of code that comprises at least one of the available functions for programming the programmable physical item. The processor is further configured to program the programmable physical item based at least in part on the code. In one or more implementations, the processor may be further configured to translate the code into a set of commands for programming the programmable physical item and to transmit the set of commands to the programmable physical item.

A programming device including a planar shape indication section which receives at least one first user operation for indicating a planar shape by specifying two or more portions among a plurality of portions arranged at different positions in a planar direction; a height reception section which receives at least one second user operation for indicating a height that is a position in a direction intersecting with the plane or a displacement amount of the height in association with a portion of any of the two or more portions; and a control section which generates a command list for moving a control target section along a three-dimensional shape indicated by the planar shape indication section and the height reception section.

The present invention relates to a hand-manipulating coding block. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a hand-manipulating coding block including: at least one real coding block configured to have a unique ID, to have at least one connector, and to generate an actual code; at least one numbering block configured to have a unique ID, to be connected to the real coding block, and to input a numerical value; at least one variable block configured to have a unique ID, to be connected to the real coding block, and to input a variable value; and a main block configured to be connected to the real coding block to sequentially execute codes corresponding to IDs received from the real coding blocks. According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to improve linking with actual coding statements as well as to induce interests and learn coding concepts, by providing a block having structure similar to that of the actual coding statements (control statements, variables, events, debugging, etc.).

A system for coding without compilation includes: a module assembly connected to a user terminal and a function information providing server through a network and including a plurality of modules; and a function information providing server including a function information reception unit receiving function information from the plurality of modules, a function action order generation unit generating a total sequence for a function action order based on the function information, and a function action information transmission unit transferring a command word to the module based on the function action order, in which the command word includes at least one of unique information of a next module relayed next to the module which operates based on the function action order and function number type function information to be executed in the next module, and the command word is sequentially transferred to the module relayed based on the function action order.

Systems and methods for virtualized tangible programing are described. In an example implementation, a method includes detecting an object in image data, performing a comparison between the object and a predefined set of object definitions, recognizing the object as a visually quantified object or a visually unquantified object based on the comparison, processing a command region and a quantifier region for the visually quantified object and identifying a corresponding command, and executing a set of commands for the object.

A programming device including a planar shape indication section which receives at least one first user operation for indicating a planar shape by specifying two or more portions among a plurality of portions arranged at different positions in a planar direction; a height reception section which receives at least one second user operation for indicating a height that is a position in a direction intersecting with the plane or a displacement amount of the height in association with a portion of any of the two or more portions; and a control section which generates a command list for moving a control target section along a three-dimensional shape indicated by the planar shape indication section and the height reception section.