title: TACT glossary: toys.
abstract: Toys denote objects used in playing. From the first examples of toys made of materials available in the environment and manufactured by parents or by children themselves only for recreational purpose, toys have evolved into more sophisticated devices which integrate mechanics, electronics and informatics (mechatronic toys) used in several different application fields. There are two main kinds of mechatronic toys: sensorized toys are passive toys equipped with a set of sensors used to record user/toy interactions; robotic toys are artefacts or computers, usually self-propelled with the help of motors, which collect information from the surrounding environment by sensors, and decode this information into behaviors consistent with them. This entry explores the use of the word "toys" from a technological point of view focussing on mechatronic toys and their applications.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystem Laboratory, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, Rome, Italy. f.taffoni@unicampus.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Taffoni
authors.forename: Hofsten
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Von
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002409:Cathexis; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002668:Child Rearing / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000628:therapy; D004014:Dictionaries as Topic; D004867:Equipment Design; D005062:European Union; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D010989:Play Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology; D012371:Robotics; D013672:Technology / Q000941:ethics