A bestselling, cute educational robot has been hanging out in Asia for the last four years, and now it’s coming to North America, just in time for the holiday season. Miko 2 offers play-based learning using stories, quizzes, fun facts, interaction, and communication in a type of smart hub for kids.
The robot itself learns, too. It can identify the moods of others, learn how to socialize with those around them, remember names, identify faces, and more. Parents can get in on the fun as well. With the Miko 2 encrypted teleconnect feature, parents can interact through voice and face chat with their children through the robot instead of a phone. Parents also have full control over what the robot teaches. It can also initiate conversations with your child, such as, “Hi Beth, how was your day?” This can give kids a nonjudgmental sounding board.
“We have four children in our family who range in age from 6 to 12, and Miko teaches each of them something new and age-appropriate. Miko makes it fun for them to learn and play while I’m reassured that they’re not spending idle time in front of the TV or on their phones,” said Pooja Jain, a mother of four based in India, in the company’s press release.
Miko 2 was created by an advanced consumer robotics innovation lab that encompasses global educators, engineers, and psychologists. “As a father, Miko’s mission is close to my heart. We hope to see children learn and grow with our product and are thrilled to bring it to North American families, especially after the interest and support that we’ve received in Asia,” said CEO and co-founder Sneh Vaswani in a press release.
For those concerned with security, the robot has “super-advanced” end-to-end data encryption and no personal information is shared or stored in Miko 2, according to the company.
Miko 2 is intended for children ages 5 through 10. It will be available for at a limited time at a discounted price of $299, and you have the choice of three different colors: Tomato, Beep Sky Blue, and Spring Green. It can be pre-ordered at the company’s website Miko.ai. Orders are projected to ship in December, with guaranteed arrival for the holidays.
Need some gift ideas for the holiday season? Here’s our 2019 list of the top tech toys for kids.
