Yes, I know that we all love our kids very much, so much so that we’re willing to sacrifice our own lives for them. You love to see their curiosity drive them to learn new things, but somehow your heart drops when they manhandle your brand new dSLR camera and suffer from a case of acute butter fingers. While they are able to figure out how to use electronic devices in the quickest time possible, it would be best to help them get started with their own toys instead of your new laptop or Sony PSP. Enter OUiP! (Optimized Universal Interface Platform!, pronounced as “(h)wip”), an intuitive, interactive technology interface for children.

What is the OUiP! exactly? It is in essence, a handheld electronic device powered by any motion from swinging to shaking. Any sort of movement will cause the images on the button-less device to change, emitting vibrations and sounds. For example, if there is an image of a cow displayed, that will be accompanied by the sound of mooing to cue your child in his/her learning. In addition, it is kinetically powered so each time the device is moved or shaken, the battery power will be supplemented by electro-magnetic generators to keep it going, saving you the headache of rummaging through the cupboard for fresh batteries and ultimately, helping keep the environment clean.

Constructed from polycarbonate screen bezel and a cork base, it is built on a biodegradable corn plastic chassis to make it more sustainable and durable, being shatter resistant - an important point when faced with a frustrated kid. At its core, the OUiP! runs on Linux, allowing a virtually unlimited number of games and applications to be installed, making it suitable for a wide range of ages and cognitive ability. The OUiP! will be able to respond to the amount and type of force exerted, enabling it to ‘learn’ one’s behavior. The main aim of OUiP! is to create a “multi-purpose companion rather than a single-purpose toy”, making it worth every penny. Unfortunately, it is still in the prototype stage, but hopefully OUiP! will be released commercially soon.

Source: Gizmag