AI toys for kids can be a tricky proposition. Give the technology too much control, and it risks doing the fun and potentially the learning for them. Luka Kids is taking a different approach with its new Drawing Projector, which uses AI to get children started but still expects them to pick up a pencil and do the rest.
Unveiled at IFA 2026, the Luka Kids Drawing Projector lets a child describe a character, story, or idea out loud. AI then turns that prompt into a simple outline and projects it onto a sheet of paper, ready to be traced, colored, changed, or expanded however they like. There are also 384 templates available at launch for kids who don’t know where to start. Importantly, these aren’t meant to be finished pieces of artwork. The outlines deliberately leave space for children to add their own details and ideas.
AI starts the drawing, but kids have to finish it
That distinction is what makes the Drawing Projector interesting. Instead of asking AI for a picture and getting a polished image seconds later, the technology effectively acts as a creative prompt. Once a child starts drawing, they can introduce more ideas or have the projector suggest another outline based on what they’ve made. Luka is also building interactive stories around the same concept. A story might ask a child to draw a character, object, or next scene, and the AI can then adjust what happens next based on their creation.
It creates a loop where the story inspires the drawing and the drawing can, in turn, change the story. Luka is starting with its own INKO characters and plans to expand the selection over time. The Drawing Projector is expected to become available later this year, although Luka hasn’t announced pricing yet.
Luka is putting AI into reading and exploring, too
The projector isn’t Luka’s only AI-focused device at IFA. The company’s existing Luka Kids Reading Robot is also getting a substantial upgrade with large language models. The screen-free robot can already read picture books aloud, but the update lets it recognize and read books it hasn’t encountered before. Children can also ask questions about what’s happening on a page, with the robot using visual recognition to understand the image and respond with relevant explanations. It supports English, Spanish, German, and Chinese.
There’s also the Luka AI Cube, first unveiled at CES 2026 and now available in APAC markets. It’s designed more around exploration, using cameras and multimodal AI to identify objects around a child and answer questions about them. Together, the three devices show an interesting direction for AI aimed at children. Instead of putting another chatbot on a screen, Luka is trying to use AI as a nudge toward drawing, reading, asking questions, and exploring the real world. For parents wary of adding yet another screen to the household, that could be the more interesting part of the pitch.
