Avakai are a new breed of children’s toys combining the tactility of handcrafted wood with technological connectivity. The brainchild of designers Justyna Zubrycka and Matas Petrikas from Berlin-based startup Vai Kai, the wooden figurines speak in musical notes, share emotions and sense the proximity of their “friends”. Ultimately, they encourage screen-free play and emotional communication.
Avakai are made by Polish craftsmen using traditional hand-turning techniques and wood from ecologically managed forests. The technology is hidden inside the toy’s wooden body, allowing them to seem magical to children.
The Avakai toys interact with one another automatically and can be linked through a free app to mobile devices. They use Bluetooth technology to sense movement, touch and proximity and react with sounds, lights or haptic feedback.
Tap the Avakais head once for a musical note, tap it a few times for a musical melody that will be sent to a linked Avakai to repeat. Stroke the head to change the colour of the light and then “hug” the Avakai between your hands to send the hug to its companion.
The toys work best in pairs but a single Avakai can be linked to a mobile device and messages can be sent between the figurine and the phone. The proximity sensor can be used for fun games of hide and seek – as you get closer, the haptic feedback and sound and light increase.
Avakai are aimed at children between the ages of five and nine. The hardware is maker-friendly, keeping it open to other possible features and interactions in the future.
Zubrycka and Petrikas began prototyping Avakai in October 2014 but hope to begin manufacturing once they have reached their fundraising goal on Kickstarter.
