QUBS CODY'S CITY User manual

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www.qubs.toys
CODY’S CITY GUIDE

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CREDITS
Made with love by QUBS.
Designed in Europe,
printed in China
Illustrations by João Fazenda
© QUBS AG
All rights reserved
www.qubs.toys

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It’s a busy city! Go on adventures with Cody
and help him nd his way home by driving through
the cityscape one Block at a time! Learn and
develop the basics of coding, no words or screen
needed. Simply place the City Blocks around
Cody to guide his direction and movements.
It’s hands-on programming!
16× City Blocks
Cody’s commands
Cody!
A little wooden car
with big adventures
USB to USB-C
power cable
to recharge Cody
A City Guide
to help you through
your journey!
IN THE BOX YOU WILL
FIND:
V1-21

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Cody is a little wooden car with big adventures!
After a long day’s exploring, he needs help
nding his way home through his neighbourhood.
Cody is made of two components:
When you connect them together, Cody starts
driving! He will stop only when he reaches
his little red house. All that’s missing are your
instructions to drive him there!
The top of the car,
Cody’s face
The main body of the car,
Cody’s wheels
WHO IS CODY?

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POWERING CODY
To get Cody started you need to refuel him!
In the box you’ll nd a red USB to USB-C
recharging cable. With the help of an adult,
connect the cable to a power source and plug it
into the bottom of Cody. When the LED light
is ON Cody is charging and getting ready for his
next adventure! When the LED light turns OFF
the battery is charged and Cody is full of energy.
You can disconnect the cable and start playing!
Remember to also snap o Cody’s face from its
wheels when you are done playing with him, or
his battery will run out!

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The City Blocks help you to guide Cody home.
They come in many shapes and colours and
each Block gives Cody a dierent instruction.
When Cody reaches a Block, he will magically
follow its direction. Can you guide him home?
These are the Blocks you will nd in the box:
THE CITY BLOCKS
[PINK]
4×TURN LEFT90°
When facing this Block,
Cody will turn left 90°.
[YELLOW]
4×TURN RIGHT90°
When facing this Block,
Cody will turn right 90°.

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[GREEN]
2×TURN180°
When facing this Block,
Cody will turn 180º.
[ORANGE]
1×REPEAT LAST COMMAND
When facing this Block,
Cody will repeat the last
command he was given.
[GREY]
2×FUNCTION PLAY
When facing this Block, Cody
will play the last function recorded
between the Function Record
Blocks.You can use more than one
Play Blocks while you play.
Remember: Cody can store only
one function at a time. If you
place another Play Block in your
sequence, Cody will repeat the
same function again!
[WHITE]
2×FUNCTION RECORD
When facing the rst Function Record
Block, Cody will start recording
the distance and sequence of subsequent
Blocks. Cody will do this until he
encounters the second Function Record
Block. You always need 1× Record Block
to open the function (start recording)
and 1× Record Block to close the function
(stop recording). Cody can only store
one function at atime, so choose wisely!
[RED]
1×STOP
When facing this
Block, Cody will stop
and take a rest until
his next adventure!

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WHAT YOU CAN DO
WITH CODY
Cody introduces basic coding concepts to
inquisitive minds! But what will they learn?
And how? We chose to create a tangible
programming language that kids can actually
touch with their hands, following the Montessori
proposition that kids learn best by experiencing
the environment around them.

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Algorithms are sets of instructions
that dene sequences of tasks.
When children lay out the City
Blocks for Cody to follow they are,
in reality, giving Cody instructions
on how and where to move.
Sequencing is the specic
order in which instructions
are performed in an algorithm.
It is important that the steps
in an algorithm are performed
in the correct order, or the
algorithm will not work as
planned. In the same way Cody
follows the order of the City
Blocks, one missing or misplaced
Block in the sequence will lead
Cody in the wrong direction,
away from his home.
Debugging is the process
of identifying an error (known
as a bug in code) and then
correcting it. The City Blocks
are tangible and placed on
physical surfaces for the little
ones to see, making it easier
for them to spot and correct
bugs in their code.
Functions are self-contained
bits of code that can be dened
and then used within a wider
algorithm. With Cody, kids can
dene a function and then record
it. Cody will remember that
function and perform it again
every time he encounters a Play
Function Block.
Logical thinking is a skill which
empowers children to tackle
complex problems by breaking
them down into sequences
of smaller, more manageable
steps. It is a powerful tool that
can be used in every eld and
all sorts of day-to-day tasks!

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HOW TO WRITE
A SIMPLE PROGRAM
WITH CODY
To write a program, place a Block in front
of Cody. You can place it as near or as far as you
want, your playground is the only limit! Just
make sure Cody will face the front of the Block
once it arrives near to it. Once you’ve written
your program, snap Cody on the main body
of the car and watch him go!

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HOW TO USE THE
FUNCTION BLOCKS
If you want to give the same set of instructions
more than once you can use a function.
To record a function, place a Function Record
Block on the oor. Cody will read it and then
go around it to move forward.
Place the Blocks you want to insert in the function
after the Function Record Block, just as you would
write a normal program.
Remember to close the function by placing another
Function Record Block at the end of it! Note that
it will record both directions and distances.
Now Cody will remember that function until
you record a new one. Every time you want to recall
the last recorded set of instructions, just place
a Play Function Block into your code.

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➀
➁

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ARE YOU
READY
TO PLAY?
LET’S GET
STARTED!

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CODY
MOVES TO
THE CITY
Cody is moving to the city and
is excited to explore his new
neighbourhood! Everything seems
so big and scary at rst but
Cody learns that, as he gets to know
the city, all the buildings become
like friendly faces.

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Today, Cody is moving from his sleepy
countryside home to the buzzing,
bustling Qubs City. He has heard many
stories of big cities from his nana’s
tales, but has never visited one before.
Are there animals in the city?
And is it quiet, or loud?
Will he make new friends?
Cody takes a big gulp of air as
he arrives. Everything looks so large
and strange… He wheels nervously
towards a bright red house up ahead.

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INTRODUCING THE STOP BLOCK × 1
1. FIRST STEPS
Exercise 1:
➀ Place Cody’s house
(the little red Block)
in front of Cody and
face him towards his
new home.
➁ Snap Cody’s head
and wheels together.
➂ Watch what happens…
Does Cody make it
to his new house?
➀
× 1

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➁
➂

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Cody peeks out onto the rustling street.
The yellow tower near his home rises so high
it’s lost in the clouds! Just as Cody goes
to take a closer look…
A ginormous
grey rat scurries out from behind a nearby
dustbin. There are animals in the city! But this
one looks nothing like the little country mice
Cody is used to!
Cody turns in fear and darts home as fast
as he can.
SQUEAAKKK!!