Avakai is the name of smart wooden dolls that brings a physical element to digital play experiences. Born out of the desire to give children the best of two worlds, Avakai encourages interaction with the real world and other children while incorporating the technology that surrounds them as soon as they are out of the womb.
Designed by Matas Petrikas, one of the first Soundcloud employees, and Justyna Zubrycka, an industrial designer, Avakai is crafted in the style of Russian Matryoshka dolls. Yet it comes complete with Bluetooth enabled tech that allows it to respond to touches and communicate with other dolls. Vai Kai describes Avakai as "a tin-can phone with a 20,000 meter long wire."
What's Driving This Trend
- Smart Wooden Dolls
- Combining traditional toys with technology for interactive play experiences.
- Physical-digital Integration
- Incorporating technology into physical toys to enhance engagement and interactivity.
- Connected Toys
- Utilizing Bluetooth technology to create interactive communication between toys.
Who This Affects Most
- Toy Manufacturing
- Opportunity to create innovative toys that blend physical and digital elements to appeal to tech-savvy children.
- Bluetooth Technology
- Development of communication technologies to enable seamless connectivity between toys and other devices.
- Childhood Development
- Exploring how interactive toys can enhance cognitive and social development in children.
