EaRL AR Town Mat from Hope Education

The EaRL AR Town Mat offers an interactive way for pupils to develop coding and problem-solving skills through hands-on activities linked to the computing curriculum. Designed for use with the EaRL coding robot (not included), this mat encourages independent and collaborative learning in both KS1 and KS2 settings.

Developed to achieve the objectives from the computing national curriculum, students can work independently, in pairs or in groups to get EaRL to where each step of the challenges asks. Once the correct grid number is written in the app, the challenge will show the AR or move on to the next step.

EaRL (not included) provides a hands-on coding and programming experience for students, allowing them to apply these computing concepts practically and engagingly. By programming EaRL to navigate environments, solve challenges, and interact with different elements of the AR mat, students can develop their understanding of algorithms, sequencing, and debugging. They also gain experience using logical reasoning to predict and control the robot’s behaviour. This can achieve cross-curricular objectives beyond computing, relating to Maths regarding Place Value and Coordinates and English with instructional writing.

• Measures 1.5m x 1.5m, providing a large, clear grid for programming tasks

• Made from a tough, wipe-clean surface for easy maintenance

• Suitable for classroom, ICT suite, or shared learning spaces

• Lightweight and easily foldable for convenient storage and transport

• Compatible with the free Findel EaRL AR app (iOS 14+, Android 7+ with ARCore, macOS 11+ with M1 chip)

• Includes a variety of curriculum-linked challenges and AR experiences

Please note, you need an EaRL coding robot which isn’t included in order to use the mat and Free AR app.

 Challenges included:

• Guided Tour
• Let’s Buy Ice Cream
• School Day
• Dog Walk
• School Trip
• Time to Fly Home

 AR included:

• Airplane
• Ice cream
• Dinosaur skeleton
• Dog