Sensor-based doll teaches kids about safety

Samskar Toy uses interactive tech to educate about good touch and bad touch.

Hyderabad: In the world of childhood play, dolls have always been cherished companions. But now, they’re taking on a new role, becoming ‘Smart Dolls’ that blend traditional play with modern technology.

At the forefront of this innovation is the Samskar Toy, designed to educate and safeguard children, offering more than just fun – it empowers kids with life skills, fostering curiosity, creativity, and knowledge like never before.

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Amidst a reported 16.2 per cent surge in crimes against children with 1,49,404 cases registered in India during 2021, Yakara Ganesh innovated the Samskar Toy to empower children with essential knowledge about personal boundaries and safe touches.

“The Samskar Toy is an interactive sensor-based mascot designed to educate students about safety measures against sexual abuse. The toy is devised with a sensor mechanism and sends alerts before touching the body parts subject to sexual abuse, making it an easy yet interactive method to help parents and educators to educate children,” said Ganesh, founder, Samskar Toys.

The toy is a versatile educational companion that stands out with its multilingual capabilities, fluent in Telugu, English, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam. The interactive toy offers several features designed to enhance the learning experience. With a simple press of a button, children can engage with an educational poem that teaches them about good and bad touch.

Furthermore, the toy simplifies language selection, enabling kids to engage in their preferred language effortlessly. It also provides a volume control feature, allowing children to adjust the audio to their comfort level, ensuring an engaging and personalised educational journey

“This sensor and microcontroller-driven toy has been designed to respond to touch in a unique way. When touched in inappropriate areas, the sensors detect the action and provide verbal feedback. However, when touched in the appropriate places, the toy remains silent,” he explains.

The cost of the toy is Rs. 5,500, inclusive of GST charges. They are leveraging cutting-edge technologies in the development of the toy. Looking ahead, they aim to make this innovative product even more accessible and affordable to the citizens.

The initial toy model was distributed to schools in Telangana, and after carefully collecting feedback from both students and teachers. Utilising this input, they made essential improvements to develop the pilot model.

Highlighting the key features of the toy, a website has also been designed is to be launched shortly and enable customers to conveniently place their orders online.