Launch of Wise Integration’s Educational IT Project “Sovigo”! – Programming Experiences that Shape the Future Through Playfulness

Nice to meet you! I am Sakamoto from Wise Integration, a SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP company!

Last month, in May, Wise Integration launched a business to sell “Sovigo,” an original programming educational material for children, under the slogan “Shape the future through playfulness! Programming experiences.” (*Jointly developed with Natural Style Co., Ltd.)

On April 19, the government announced a policy to make programming education compulsory in primary and secondary education, leading to a surge in interest in “programming education.” From now on, children will learn programming just like arithmetic and science! However, it is also true that many people are wondering, “What exactly is programming?” or “How do we teach it?”

Therefore, we have created experiential educational materials that allow children who are about to start learning programming to understand the essence of it naturally while having fun! The feature of these materials is that they stimulate children’s free imagination—thinking “I wish I could do that” or “What if I try this?”—and encourage them to learn proactively.

As the first public unveiling of “Sovigo,” we exhibited at the “Educational IT Solutions Expo (EDIX) ~Learning NEXT~” held at the Tokyo Fashion Town Building for three days from May 18 to 20. Today, I would like to introduce “Sovigo” along with a report on the results.Here is the Sovigo booth. The theme was “Playground”! We laid artificial turf on the floor to create a fun space where a “playful spirit” could sprout.

Ten minutes after the doors opened, the Sovigo booth was already crowded with people!

Responding to the enthusiasm of those interested in programming, our staff members were equally passionate in explaining the materials. Visitors to this exhibition were diverse, including members of boards of education and school teachers interested in the future of programming education, university professors, IT industry professionals, and cram school owners. Elementary and junior high school teachers, in particular, came in large numbers to see what kind of educational materials are available for future programming classes.

“Sovigo RP1”: Robot Programming Educational Material for Ages 8 and Up

The robot’s legs use tracks and wheels manufactured by Tamiya. Equipped with four motors, both its arms and legs move. It is designed so that the robot moves by inputting programming into a small computer for children called “Ichigojam.” The programming language is based on BASIC, and since it only requires typing simple commands like “RUN” or “WAIT,” even lower elementary school students can use it. (Recommended for ages 8 and up.)

By combining commands to program it, Sovigo can run, turn, and more! It is an educational tool that makes learning fun because children can see how the code they wrote actually moves in real life.

Furthermore, the plain cardboard robot can be designed however they like, allowing children to create their very own unique robot.
Children also assemble it with their own hands. By applying stickers or colored paper and coloring it with crayons, a one-of-a-kind item that reflects their personality is created. They can also conduct lessons while communicating joyfully in the classroom, such as by racing their robots against friends or holding dance competitions.

“Sovigo BP1”: Enjoyable even for preschoolers from age 5

This is a set consisting of an app and blocks manufactured by Kawada, featuring illustrations of animals like elephants, rabbits, and turtles, as well as arrows. Each illustration on the blocks has a meaning; for example, the rabbit means “move fast” and the turtle means “move slowly.” By assembling these blocks, children can change the character’s movements in the app, which is essentially “programming.”
The app provides stages such as the ocean or a meadow. Children can naturally learn what programming is in a fun and easy way by clearing stages, such as “Let’s cross obstacles to reach the treasure chest!” or “Let’s go to the castle to save the princess!” The number of available commands increases with each stage, eventually allowing them to handle complex commands such as loops, branches, and functions!The key point of this material is that it is not contained solely within the app; it uses physical blocks! By moving their hands and fingers to assemble the blocks and replicating the same block combinations on the screen, children can learn various things while playing.

Sovigo received a greater response than expected at this exhibition, and we were able to receive strong enthusiasm, valuable opinions, and feedback regarding “next-generation learning” from those in the field of education.

Unlike traditional subjects like Japanese or arithmetic, programming does not have just one path to reach an answer. I believe it is a tool that allows children to learn the concepts of “innovation” and “trial and error” by trying out various methods and approaches.

The creative ingenuity—the “playful spirit”—of each child leads to the birth of great innovations that move the world. Please look forward to the future of Sovigo as it continues to be an educational tool that expands the potential of children’s playful spirits!

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◆ Update: June 10 ◆
The Sovigo brand site is now open!
Please check here for detailed information on the materials and future schedules!
Official Site: http://www.wise-int.co.jp/sovigo/

[Future Schedule]

◆ June 11 (Sat) and 12 (Sun): Exhibiting at “International Tokyo Toy Show 2016”
We will hold mini-workshops for children’s block programming materials.
(*Inside the Kawada Co., Ltd. booth)
http://www.toys.or.jp/toyshow/

◆ July 10–15: Demonstration Classes
・”Children’s Block Programming” (Location: Venue in Tokyo planned)
・”Children’s Robot Programming” (Location: PCN Flagship Akihabara by ASSEMBLAGE planned)

◆ Scheduled for release in late July