Capsela facts for kids
Capsela is a cool toy building set that lets you create all sorts of moving machines and vehicles! It's made up of clear plastic balls (called capsules) that hold things like gears and electric motors. You can connect these capsules to build toys that work on land or even in water.
Each capsule usually has six empty, eight-sided connectors. You use special sleeve pieces to link two capsules together. Inside these connectors, there can be parts that carry electricity or turn other pieces. You'll find capsules with motors, gears, and switches. There are also special floating capsules called pontoons for water creations. Besides the capsules, the sets come with battery holders, wheels, propellers, lights, wires, and other useful parts.
Capsela toys were first made by the Mitsubishi Pencil Company. Over the years, other companies like Play Jour, VTech, and Kidology also made them. In Japan, Bandai even brought them back with new colors! In the U.S., the Capsela line was owned by Educational Insights, a company that makes learning toys, but they stopped making them.
Today, Capsela has been relaunched as IQ Key. The new capsules are shaped a bit differently (they're not perfectly round), but they still work with the original Capsela parts!
Contents
What Kinds of Capsela Sets Were There?
Capsela toys were sold in different types of sets, each with its own focus.
Building Sets for All Kinds of Creations
These sets were like classic building toys such as Meccano or Lego Technic. They came with many different parts to build a wide range of models. The sets varied in size, from smaller ones with about 30 parts to very large ones with over 100 parts.
Capsela Computer Sets
This was a special line of Capsela that included a "computer" capsule. This computer could control the motors and lights in your creations. Some advanced sets even came with an infrared remote control, letting you steer your models from a distance!
Voice Command Systems
Imagine telling your toy what to do! Some Capsela sets had a small computer that could understand simple voice commands. The biggest voice command set even had a basic wireless remote control.
SpaceLink: Adventure in Space!
A related toy line called SpaceLink focused on science fiction adventures. These sets didn't have motors (except for some spring-powered wheels). Instead, they came with cool accessories like cockpits, small action figures, and rockets. SpaceLink was designed to be more exciting for kids, moving away from the purely educational feel of the original Capsela.
Powertram: Land Vehicles Made Easy
The Powertram series was a mix of Capsela and SpaceLink. It had motor-driven parts and also SpaceLink accessories. The main Powertram unit was a platform with its own batteries and motor. This made it super easy to build land vehicles without needing separate battery boxes or wires.
Robot Set
There was even a special Robot set that included a unique worm gear capsule. This gear had a very high ratio, meaning it could make things move slowly but with a lot of power!
Capsela and Computers: The Robotic Workshop
In 1987, a company called Access Software created something called The Robotic Workshop. This was a kit that combined Capsela parts with home computers. The kit came with over 50 Capsela pieces, including two motors, gears, wheels, and sensors.
It also had an electronic control unit that you could plug into your Commodore 64 computer. The kit included an instruction manual with 50 projects to guide you, plus special software on a floppy disk. Later, versions were released for Apple, Atari, and IBM computers too. This allowed kids to program their Capsela creations using a computer!
Capsela in Schools
Capsela has been used in science and technology classes in schools. It helps students learn about engineering, robotics, and mechatronics (which is a mix of mechanics, electronics, and computing). Sometimes, these programs even specifically encouraged girls to get interested in technical careers.
- for IQ Key
