Robotics rule-based formalism to specify behaviors in a visual programming environment

Microsoft's Kodu is a visual programming environment for children inspired by robotics rule-based formalism to specify behaviors. The reactive nature of this approach means that systems just react to what they are currently sensing, they do not need to have a perfect model of the world, and they can easily respond to external changes in the world. This resilience makes behavior-based systems perfect for real world robotics use. When developers chose this approach for Kodu, the hope was that this resilience would help minimize the potential frustration of young users. This paper introduces the Kodu developers' strategy, results and future plans in developing a user-friendly programming environment that successfully introduces children in a fun and easy way to the fundamental concepts of computer science and computational thinking.