Embodied Blocks
Explore the world through tangible play for creative storytelling. 2026 MIT Media Lab HARD MODE Hackathon Winner.
Modular toys that sense.
Embodied Blocks is a modular toy that deepens a child's engagement with the physical world through sense-based reflection and storytelling. Children have the agency to manipulate building blocks, reconfiguring not just the toy’s form, but its physical intelligence as well. Through the addition of sensor blocks, the child gives the toy eyes, ears, a body that provides knowledge about the scenario being acted out as they interact with it in the real world to create a story.
Tangible play is how children learn about the world. Memory-building is how they make meaning. And storytelling is how humans connect. Our toy orchestrates all three—without inserting screens into the sacred space of childhood.
Adaptive Form
Reconfigure the toy into different shapes: a spaceship, a spyglass, a bear—anything is possible!
Modular Sensing
Optional sensors blocks like a mic, camera, or IMU adapt the toy's perception and storytelling.
Active Play
Narrative generation occurs after analog play, encouraging collaborative reflection rather than distraction.
Physical AI
The child's creativity and tangible interaction with the toy and environment drives the story.
Start Your Build
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