How It All Started#
Cozmo Academy wasn’t born in a lab — it began as a spark of curiosity.
We were just students experimenting, trying to make technology feel human. At first, we approached it like a game design project: playful, creative, even a bit chaotic. We drew inspiration from Participatory Design patterns, brainstorming how learning could feel more like playing Monopoly than attending a class.
That’s how the idea of a “learning journey” was born — a game-like world where each lesson is a level, every child a player, and Cozmo the small robot who leads them through challenges.
From Game to Learning Experience#
Each session began with a short animated presentation — our teachers prepared 5–10 minutes of stories and cartoons to set the mood.
After that, kids would spend almost an hour programming and interacting with Cozmo. It was pure joy to watch them code, laugh, and celebrate small wins. You could literally see engagement: eyes bright, hands moving, questions flying.
We realized that fast feedback loops — small “wins” and visual progress — are what keep children deeply involved. That’s what made Cozmo Academy special: it wasn’t just education with a robot; it was co-play and co-creation.
Visual Identity and Gamification#
The next challenge was design.
We created what we called “Cozmo Village” — a large A3 map representing the child’s learning path.
Cozmo “travels” through different stations, each one symbolizing a new skill or lesson. Children collect stickers — not just decorative ones, but achievement badges marking completed levels.
In the center of the map sits the Cozmo Certificate — a tangible piece of progress the child builds toward.
We considered other formats — like a Hogwarts-style passport — but chose the A3 map because it felt emotional, visible, and alive. Kids could hold it, decorate it, and take pride in how full it became.
To make it even more personal, we gave out “Cozmo Stickers” — small rewards with playful names and milestones. Each week, children couldn’t wait to earn new ones.
Research & Recognition#
All this work culminated in something tangible:
Cozmo Academy became recognized as intellectual property of the lab.
We’re now preparing our first conference paper, led by our senior research assistant — the one who truly “gets” research and helped us turn experience into evidence.
Reflections#
Looking back, the Cozmo Academy project taught us that education design is empathy design.
When a child lights up seeing Cozmo smile back, you realize you’re not just teaching code or therapy skills — you’re building connection.
Huge thanks to the whole team — to Nurziya and Zhannur, who led the EnergyEd lessons, and to our professor for creating an environment where both children and researchers could learn together.
We even found a way to make stickers meaningful.
We don’t know where Cozmo Academy will go next.
But one thing’s certain — it has legs, heart, and a map of its own.
Written by the APRIL Cozmo Team — Fall 2025