Pillar Learning was founded by product developers Dayu Yang and Chris Oslebo in 2017. William Mock, a former kindergarten teacher, joined the company in early 2018. Together, the team had a dream to make the most kid friendly educational robot on the market. Their vision: Codi.
Codi is a cute little big eyed robot that tells kids stories and helps them get going on simple tasks like getting dressed or brushing their teeth. It does this with artificial intelligence and voice enabled learning algorithms that deliver content parents curate for it through the accompanying app. To make it more kid friendly, each Codi comes with plush “pajamas” that make him more cuddly.
Codi tells stories without a screen, something parents who want to limit screen time will like. He’s a wifi enabled robot, so he needs to be connected to the internet to download content, but the content can be played back offline. In addition to stories, Codi plays music. He costs $125 and comes with a charger, adapter and a plush “snowsuit.” The Pillar Learning guys want Codi to be a household name, they’re hoping a Shark will help with that.
My Take on Pillar Learning and Codi
When my kids were little, I read to them every night (I can still recite Curious George Takes a Job and Go Dog Go by memory). While we had music and stories on tape for them, there in no substitute for reading to your child one on one. It creates a bond and makes them better readers as they grow.
I’m a bit of a luddite when it comes to gadgetry for little ones. I don’t think little kids should get phones or be introduced to technology too soon. But that ship has sailed for many parents and companies like Pillar Learning are thriving because of it. It’s a sure bet I am not in the market for Codi, but a lot of parents will be.
Will Sharks Like This Robot?
Codi is a clever invention and the Pillar Learning guys are smart, but I don’t think the Sharks are going to join them on their journey. For one thing, educational robots is a crowded field in the toy/education fields. A simple search for educational robots on Amazon yields dozens of results. That kind of competition often keeps the Sharks from investing.
No robotic toy has ever done a deal in the Tank and I am afraid Codi will not be the exception.
About Rob Merlino
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