KOOV is the first offering in Sony Global Education's "STEM101" curriculum that it announced last autumn. STEM101 was developed as an innovative way of teaching STEM subjects in primary schools across the globe.

It is all but certain that teaching materials for robotics and programming will play a major role in cultivating STEM literacy and nurturing the next generation of creative problem solvers.

STEM101, which rearranges conventional divisions between academic subjects, comprises three program elements: "Think," "Make," and "Feel." Among these, KOOV marks Sony Global Education's first offering in "Make," which focuses on engineering and technology - teaching creative skills, from robotics to programming.

KOOV is a robot building educational kit made up of blocks and a microcontroller. The blocks can be assembled into any shape, with the final figure capable of being controlled as a robot.

The kit encourages learners to "Play" by building with 7 kinds of translucent blocks, "Code" by controlling the assembled figure through the program software, and "Create" by embracing their creative side and imagination. KOOV is slated for release in summer of 2016.

Sony Global Education partnered with Artec Co., Ltd. Japan's top maker of educational materials for schools, in the development process for KOOV.

The two companies, under their joint development agreement, will continue striving to expand the business for robotics and programming education.

Their collaborative efforts will marry the product development expertise of Artec with the software and network-related technological prowess, as well as the global business network, of Sony Global Education.