Herokins, from Little Heroes Technologies, is a line of wearable smart toys that foster shared experiences between parents and children. Herokins celebrates the adventure of learning through engaging StoryQuests that intrinsically motivate children to gain their independence while staying safe. The line features a mobile app, as well as two Bluetooth-enabled action figures, Axel McRed and Dr. Rose, which guide users on adventures that strengthen family bonds and facilitate learning.
The characters will each have a built-in speaker and LED lights that bring them to life. In addition, each Herokin will be equipped with a sensor to detect proximity and movement, enabling real-time push notifications to a parent’s device. The free Herokins app for Android and iOS will initially contain X StoryQuests, and the StoryQuests library will be updated to include one new adventure each month.
According to Little Heroes, Herokins are built to harness the power of intrinsic motivation and turn teachable moments into fun, joint parent-child adventures. The goal is for children to unconsciously learn to exercise desirable behaviors, as parents help them to learn important life skills during each StoryQuest. Little Heroes’ pre-sale goal for its Indiegogo campaign is $15,000.
The Indiegogo campaign is for pre-sales only; to date, Little Heroes has received $1.8 million through a single angel investor, Carlo De Benedetti. The Herokins product development team includes Anne Cunningham, the associate dean and professor of cognition and development at the University of California at Berkeley, as well as a founding member of LeapFrog; and Gabriel Galluccio, an Emmy Award-winning creative director.
Herokins will be available to the public during the holiday season through Amazon.
Tatyana Bellamy-Walker contributed to this article.
