Pixy - the living robot is the 2019 flagship educational robot of the Clementoni company. The robot includes ten game modes and is equipped with a color screen full of animations, which allows it to communicate and convey emotions. The different games can be selected with small cubes on the robot's back and include: Line following, Sumo, Avoiding obstacles, Follow me and Escape, Dancing and Strike.

The promotional images. All rights belong to Clementoni S.p.A.

A special cube with the Bluetooth symbol connects Pixy to the app, adding four game activities: Coding, Real time, Pixel art and Robot care. In the "Coding" activity, children can learn the principles of programming with the visual block programming. "Real-time" allows the child to remotely control the movements, as well as customize the drawings and animations on the robot screen, which can be created and modified in the "Pixel art" section. Finally, "Robot care" includes several puzzle games to strengthen the relationship between the child and Pixy.

I started the project by studying the robot design. Pixy's body is characterized by soft shapes where the rectangle stands out, especially in the head with the monitor, which reminiscent the old televisions and more generally the design of the sixties. The vintage style is also visible in the white and orange colors and in the plastic materials, with a smooth and shiny surface and few details.

The vintage design and the technological aspect find a meeting point in the pixel element, from which Pixy takes its name. For this reason it is a recurring element in the app, appearing in the background, interface and animations. The green color was chosen to distinguish the pixel and the background, recalling the world of old computers and creating a pleasant contrast with the white and orange colors.