Pedatronics: robotic toys as a source to evoke young girls´ technological interest

This paper presents some results within Pedatronics; a fusion between pedagogics and mechatronics. The authors´ research interest is to study what emerges in the play with robotic toys. Field-experimental studies of 6-7 year old children´s purposeless play with robotic toys created a self-developmental sphere, as well as evoked young girls´ technological interest. Both girls and boys prolonged and intensified their interest according to the amount of gadgets involved. The results disclose a learning potential, indicating the importance to develop strategies at an early stage in order to encourage girls to choose technological and engineering educations. The study recommend engineers and toy designers, in cooperation with children, to move towards ´Integrated Play Systems´. Due to an ethological method, the results differ from other studies of children´s play with technological advanced artefacts.