Pika wants to help kids explore the world with a smartphone camera

Apps and tech that encourages children to get out into the real world, rather than just slouch on the sofa, are increasingly appealing to me as a parent. Pika looks like it could be the next example.

Currently it’s a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign that’s trying to raise £18,000 to launch an iPhone app. But Pika itself is also the name of the character that sits at the centre of the project.

“Pika is a robot friend that runs on your smartphone. It wants to learn from your child by exploring the world together using the camera. Pika learns through a series of games where your child teaches it a particular skill. As Pika learns, it grows and evolves to open up further creative play.”

The first game that Pika will launch is called ‘Colours’. It’ll get children to look for certain colours in the real world using the camera, starting with the primary colours of red, yellow and blue. The company says it has tested the idea with more than 100 children since coming up with Pika in late 2015.

If they hit their Kickstarter target in the next month, the final app will launch in May 2018 if all goes to plan. Pledging £10 will get you a copy when it’s available, although higher tiers include £35 for the app plus an activities pack of stickers, stories and a poster; £45 for that plus a parental guide; and £145 to become a ‘Pika Ambassador’ and get all the future skills that the app gets after Colours.

If you’re really keen, there’s also a £2,500 tier where you can meet the developers, play with their prototypes, and get an iPod touch loaded with the app to take home. I’d love to see this app out in the wild, so hopefully Pika will reach its goal. Check the Kickstarter campaign out here.