TROBO: The Storytelling Robot
“We’ve been watching the growing push in the education industry for more products that encourage girls to learn about Engineering and STEM topics in general,” said Jeremy Scheinberg, Co-Creator of TROBO The Storytelling Robot. In the past year, products such as GoldieBlox have reminded families of the importance of early childhood exposure to science and engineering and more importantly that STEM topics aren’t boring or geeky. Jeremy and his partner, Chris Harden, are Engineers and fathers, who strive to engage their children in weekly educational topics around STEM. Jeremy regularly takes his daughter & son, Sophia (6yrs) & Jake (2), to the Orlando Science Center (OSC), Kennedy Space Center, and they play with Snap Circuits and books on science topics. Chris regularly builds Lego buildings Marble Run tracks with his son Asher (2), takes him to the OSC, and reads books on science topics.
“If there is anything we can impress upon companies marketing educational toys to just girls or boys, it’s that educational tools can be built to be cross-gender, while still being engaging, and inspiring,” said Chris.
“If there is anything we can impress upon companies marketing educational toys to just girls or boys, it’s that educational tools can be built to be cross-gender, while still being engaging, and inspiring,” said Chris.
Early in their development of TROBO, some of the 60 parents in their focus group said, “Only boys will want robots”. Jeremy and Chris took exception to this. “With both our wives having successful careers in the Healthcare industry, we know the importance of early education in a child’s career,” said Chris Harden From the inception of TROBO’s first sketches, they designed TROBOs as a race similar to Smurfs, but with more than one Smurfette. They’ve created characters that appeal to both boys and girls, because they know that learning has no gender bias. “We’re out to build relationships between children and education, as early as possible. TROBO is a companion first, and a teacher second,” said Jeremy. With that in mind, the duo is building characters that child identify with emotionally, and then teaching the children through those relationships. Their first two TROBOs are Edison and Curie, named after Thomas Edison and Marie Curie. The team also strives to create stories that are gender neutral. Their first story is “How Honey is Made”, one that was voted as the one most appealing to girls and boys in their February Story Writing Contest.
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