First results from Kiwikidoo at Expociencia 2026
Kiwikidoo™ conducted its first exploratory test with children and families at Expociencia on 9 May 2026. The activity observed initial reception of an interactive voice adventure and collected assessments of children’s interest, adult-perceived family usefulness and willingness to recommend the experience.
yeshcube presented Find Kiwiki in the Forest of Never-Ending Stories. Approximately 30 demonstrations were conducted during the event and 17 completed forms were collected.
The results describe the immediate responses of participants. The sample size, event setting and questionnaire design limit their application to other audiences and contexts.
Kiwikidoo at Expociencia 2026
The eighteenth edition of Expociencia took place at the University of Valencia Science Park and the School of Engineering.
According to figures reported by the organisers, the 2026 event received close to 3,000 visitors and included more than one hundred activities delivered by over 80 research, academic and business organizations.
The event was open to the public and attracted a substantial number of children, young people and families. Rain, environmental noise, audience movement and simultaneous activities created a demanding setting for an experience based on listening and spoken interaction.
Kiwikidoo’s participation provided an opportunity to observe the concept outside internal testing and collect its first structured data from children and families.
The experience presented
Kiwikidoo is a voice-based interactive adventure platform in which children make decisions within stories designed to support learning through choice, values development and family conversation.
Each story presents situations, options and consequences. Children participate through their voices, and their decisions modify the route within the narrative pathways defined for the adventure. The conversational layer behind that interaction is Somia Within, the framework that applies the hub’s common criteria of conversational safety, privacy and evidence to the product.
The story used during the event was Find Kiwiki in the Forest of Never-Ending Stories. Each child wore headphones and took part individually.
The accompanying adult remained outside the interaction to support independent decision-making. Before completing the questionnaire, adults received an explanation of the project, voice interaction, the screen-free format and the role of choices within the story.
Demonstrations lasted approximately 8 to 13 minutes. The activity was intended for participants aged 4 to 12, although the precise age of each child was not recorded.
The questionnaire was completed immediately after the experience. Participation was voluntary and included responses from children and accompanying adults.
Participation and analyzed sample
Approximately 30 demonstrations took place during the event and 17 completed forms were received.
| Indicator | Result |
|---|---|
| Approximate demonstrations | 30 |
| Completed forms analyzed | 17 |
| Intended age range | 4 to 12 years |
| Girls participating | 8 |
| Boys participating | 9 |
| Stories tested | 1 |
| Setting | Expociencia 2026 |
| Audience | Event attendees |
The recorded distribution was 47.1% girls and 52.9% boys.
The completed forms represent 56.7% of the approximate demonstrations. No individual record was available for every session, so respondents cannot be compared with participants who did not complete the questionnaire.
The sample was drawn from visitors to a public science event through voluntary participation. These conditions must be considered when interpreting the percentages.
Children’s reception
All 17 children included in the completed forms said that they liked the experience.
| Indicator | Result |
|---|---|
| Positive responses | 17 of 17 |
| Observed percentage | 100% |
The result shows positive reception within the analyzed sample. It also indicates that the voice format was able to hold the interest of respondents during an initial exposure.
The question allowed a binary answer and did not include an intensity scale. It did not collect the reasons for the assessment, willingness to repeat or the parts of the story that generated the greatest interest.
The result relates to one adventure and a single session. Acceptance of other stories, ages, durations and settings requires further testing.
Adult-perceived usefulness
The questionnaire asked adults whether the proposition could support values development and family conversation.
| Response | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 16 | 94.1% |
| I do not know | 1 | 5.9% |
| No | 0 | 0% |
Sixteen of the 17 adults responded positively. One person reported that they could not yet determine its usefulness.
The result reflects an initial perception of usefulness. Adults had received an explanation of the project and observed the experience externally.
The accompanying adults did not hear the complete story. Their assessments were based on the initial presentation, observation of the child and the child’s reaction after the session.
The activity did not include later follow-up to establish whether the story generated a family conversation. That possible relationship remains a working hypothesis.
Willingness to recommend
The questionnaire also asked whether adults would recommend Kiwikidoo.
| Response | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 15 | 88.2% |
| I do not know | 2 | 11.8% |
| No | 0 | 0% |
Fifteen of the 17 adults said that they would recommend the experience. Two remained unsure and no negative responses were recorded.
The question provides an initial signal concerning overall assessment of the concept. The questionnaire did not collect the reasons for recommendation or identify the people and situations to which it would apply.
A recommendation reported after a demonstration cannot predict a purchase, later recommendation or recurring use.
Technical conditions
The experience took place amid environmental noise, continuous audience movement and adverse weather. Incidents associated mainly with wifi connectivity and environmental noise were also recorded.
These conditions may have affected voice capture, understanding of instructions, narrative continuity and concentration.
Records from the event indicate that most participants maintained their attention during the experience. No systematic count was made of recognition errors, repetitions, abandonment, interruptions or staff interventions.
Subsequent tests should record these events for each session. This information will help distinguish difficulties arising from content, acoustics, connectivity and the conversational interface.
Scope of the results
The data document the following results, within the analyzed sample:
- All 17 responding children said that they liked the experience.
- Sixteen of the 17 adults perceived potential usefulness for values development and family conversation.
- Fifteen of the 17 adults said that they would recommend the experience.
These results support continued testing of acceptance of the format and understanding of its proposition.
The activity did not measure learning, values acquisition, critical thinking, autonomy or emotional development. It also did not assess an actual reduction in screen exposure or the later generation of family conversations.
These dimensions form part of the project’s objectives and require specific indicators, assessment instruments and follow-up beyond a single demonstration.
The test also cannot estimate demand, retention, frequency of use or actual willingness to pay.
Test limitations
The sample comprises 17 voluntary forms collected during one event. The results do not represent the child population or families as a whole.
The precise age of each participant was not recorded. Differences between developmental stages, levels of understanding or decision-making maturity therefore cannot be analyzed.
Every child tested the same story. The activity cannot assess other subjects, durations, narrative structures or difficulty levels.
The experience was individual and adults remained outside the interaction. A shared format and conversation during the story were not evaluated.
Responses were collected immediately after the demonstration. Later recall, sustained intention to use, repetition and subsequent family conversations were not measured.
The questionnaire did not include open questions. It also lacked a comparison group using a linear story, visual activity or another form of educational entertainment.
Subsequent evaluation
The results identify several requirements for the next tests:
- Record the age of each participant.
- Assess several stories and difficulty levels.
- Include qualitative questions for children and adults.
- Measure understanding, enjoyment and intention to repeat separately.
- Record voice-recognition errors and technical incidents.
- Test the experience in homes, classrooms, libraries and family settings.
- Compare individual, shared and group formats.
- Conduct follow-up after each session.
- Assess whether story choices generate family conversations.
- Test the physical devices planned for Kiwikidoo.
Subsequent evaluation should distinguish initial acceptance, narrative understanding, recurring use and potential educational outcomes. Each dimension requires its own indicators and methods.
Continued development
Participation in Expociencia allowed Kiwikidoo to be presented to children and families, observed in a public setting and assessed through its first structured data collection.
The recorded reception supports continued testing. Development should improve technical stability, broaden the range of stories and apply evaluation designs suited to each objective.
