Kategorie: Linux

  • Creating a space for connection and code: Meet Seung Woo (Tony), Canada

    Creating a space for connection and code: Meet Seung Woo (Tony), Canada

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    We love hearing from members of the community and sharing the stories of amazing young people, volunteers, and educators who are using their passion for technology to create positive change in the world around them.

    Seung Woo, also known as Tony, is a 17-year-old student from Canada and the co-founder of his school’s Code Club, alongside his teacher, Kay. A curious and driven teen with big ambitions in computer science, Tony is not only passionate about technology, but also dedicated to building a safe, welcoming space where others can learn, explore, and grow alongside him.

    Tony working on a programming project using a laptop.

    A spark of inspiration

    Tony’s fascination with computers started early, driven by his love of video games, coding, and, perhaps most memorably, his admiration for Tony Stark, the comic-book and film character who becomes the superhero Iron Man! The idea of building something powerful from scratch stuck with him.

    “My whole life, I have been curious about the inner workings of a computer and my inspiration for coding is Tony Stark or Iron Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe!”

    Tony’s early coding journey wasn’t without its challenges. Finding the right resources was difficult, and staying motivated during tough moments was often hard without a support system.

    “Like many others, I was independently taught, and during this time of independent learning I’d find many different roadblocks and challenges that I had to overcome alone. A big setback for me was finding the right resources in order to learn how to code. Another big obstacle for me was motivation. I would find myself losing interest in a project. I didn’t have the exterior motivation to help me push through the inevitable hardships that come with coding.”

    That’s where the idea for a coding club began to take shape.

    Creating a community of coders

    Tony co-founded the Code Club at Collège Jeanne-Sauvé in December 2024 with that exact vision in mind — he wanted to provide a fun, collaborative, and welcoming environment where students of all skill levels could explore their love of technology together.

    “I created the coding club to help everyone on their journey of computer science, no matter their skill level, and that is exactly what it is turning out to be. Finding resources is easier than ever with a teacher and all of the amazing members.”

    Tony’s teacher and co-founder, Kay, shared why Code Club was the right fit for the school.

    “I thought Code Club was the best way to start our club for a few reasons. The amount of coding language options was varied and appealed to the different learners in our club. It was also important for us to promote our club and let our community know about the presence of a coding club in our school, and Code Club helped us do so via their online presence.”

    What makes Code Club special

    For Tony, the secret ingredient behind his club’s success is simple: teamwork.

    “Without teamwork, our club wouldn’t really be a club, it would simply be an ensemble of people coding in their own little cubicles, much like a stereotypical office job, and to me, that does not sound too enjoyable. Teamwork is our little secret ingredient in problem-solving and building motivation, we embrace it by creating a safe space where everyone can speak their minds without judgement!”

    Members are free to choose their own learning paths. No matter the project, the atmosphere is always filled with laughter, energy, and curiosity.

    “Coding should be something that is fun — not stressful like others may make it seem. Celebrating achievements, making short term goals, and problem solving with friends are all great ways that we make coding fun in our club. A second word would be teamwork. Without teamwork, our club wouldn’t really be a club.”

    Teamwork, he adds, transforms what could be a solitary activity into something social and deeply motivating.

    Looking to the future

    Tony hopes the club will continue to grow, bringing more students into the world of coding and helping them feel at home in it. His story is a great reminder that learning to code isn’t just about computers — it’s about building community, confidence, and creativity.

    “I wanted to create a space where everyone would be accepted and encouraged to learn more about coding and not be ashamed to ‘nerd out’ about this subject like I do very frequently. I’ve dreamed of creating a space that embraces this beautiful passion.”

    If you’d like to explore coding, you can get started at home with over 250 free projects. 

    For a little more support, or if you’re open to mentoring others, you can also join a Code Club. Check our website to find a club near you and become part of a like-minded and welcoming community.

    Website: LINK

  • This robot picks locks using brains instead of brawn

    This robot picks locks using brains instead of brawn

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    A physical lock, like what secures your front door, has a finite and calculable number of combinations, just like a digital keypad does. There are a set number of pins in the lock and each can be one of a set number of lengths. Each of those numbers varies based on manufacturer and model, but that information is easy to find. As a result, it is possible to brute force such a lock by trying all of the combinations. But that’s time-consuming, so this robot built by Sparks and Code works smarter instead of harder.

    In this case, “smarter” meant deducing the pin lengths instead of trying all of the combinations in sequence. The technique used by the robot to perform that deduction is what makes this project so interesting.

    Each pin in the lock has a spring that pushes it down against the key’s edge. Typically, the springs for all of the pins are identical. But because the pins are of different lengths, the force required to push a pin to a specific height (above an imaginary reference line) varies. By measuring that force and comparing it against reference measurements for known pin lengths, the robot can guess the length of the pin and therefore the correct “combination” (the key bittings).

    The robot has an Arduino Nano board that measures the spring force by pushing a wire into the lock with a servo motor. That servo motor mounts onto a load cell, which outputs a signal proportional to the force on the servo motor and therefore the wire and therefore the spring. The robot has such an assembly for each of the five lock pins.

    This idea, while very clever, proved to be difficult to implement in the real world. Sparks and Code struggled to get accurate measurements and had to rely on collecting several measurements to average. Even that didn’t work well on many of the pins. 

    But the concept is still intriguing and we hope to see Sparks and Code continue with the development.

    The post This robot picks locks using brains instead of brawn appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Dive into satellite IoT with the new Arduino-compatible Iridium Certus 9704 Development Kit

    Dive into satellite IoT with the new Arduino-compatible Iridium Certus 9704 Development Kit

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    IoT (Internet of Things) devices can be very useful, but they do, by definition, require internet access. That’s easy enough when Wi-Fi® is available, and it is even possible to rely on LoRa® and cellular data connections to transmit data outside of urban areas. However, deploying an IoT device to a truly remote location has been difficult and expensive in the past. Now, that’s changing thanks to the new 9704 Development Kit, created by Iridium to make satellite-based IoT accessible.

    Iridium’s original incarnation was the first commercial satellite communications provider. Over the course of more than two decades, the company built an impressive constellation of satellites providing data connections from low Earth orbit. The constellation currently consists of 66 active satellites, with coverage across the globe. That coverage is perfect for IoT devices in remote regions and that’s why Iridium teamed up with Device Solutions to help them bring to life their vision for the Arduino-compatible Iridium Certus 9704 Development Kit.

    The Iridium Certus 9704 Launch Pad Developer Board is compact at just 67×77 mm and equipped with an Iridium Certus 9704 satellite transceiver module, capable of two-way data communication through the Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT) service. The kit also includes everything else necessary to get started: a 3,000-mAh lithium-ion battery, a helical Iridium antenna with SMA right-angle adapter, a microSD card, and even a USB-C cable.

    To make this as accessible as possible, Iridium brought in Device Solutions to ensure the hardware for the Iridium Certus 9704 Launch Pad Developer Board was compatible with the Arduino IDE and ecosystem. That board contains a Microchip ATSAMD21J18A microcontroller, which integrates nicely with everything Arduino. 

    The board has UART, SPI, and I2C connections available, as well as 22 digital I/O pins. Of those, 12 are also PWM (pulse-width modulation) pins, 8 are analog input pins, one is an analog output pin, and 14 can act as external interrupts. As with any other Arduino-compatible development board, developers can use those connections and pins to read data from sensors or control components, like LEDs and motors.

    Other onboard hardware includes a u-blox MAX-M10S GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module, a Texas Instruments BQ24195L IC for battery management, a momentary pushbutton, and a piezo buzzer.

    Put that all together and you have a capable Arduino-compatible development board with satellite connectivity via Iridium’s robust service. The Iridium Certus 9704 allows for messages up to 100 kB in size, which is plenty for the vast majority of applications. And it has an 83% reduction in idle power consumption (compared to transceivers of the previous generation), which allows for extended operation on battery power.

    Device Solutions is proud to have supported Iridium in their creation of the Iridium Certus 9704 Development Kit to democratize satellite IoT. Iridium’s Executive Director of Product Engineering, Garrett Chandler, said, “the uptake of this product into the market has exceeded even our own highest expectations – and I strongly believe it is due to the Arduino-centric strategy we employed when designing the product and the user experience.”

    If you’d like to dive into satellite IoT for your next deployment, you can request to order an Iridium Certus 9704 Development Kit on the Iridium website. 

    The post Dive into satellite IoT with the new Arduino-compatible Iridium Certus 9704 Development Kit appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Bentobot

    Bentobot

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    While making fun robots with his online friends, Thomas wanted them to try them out. As is common these days, his friends are scattered around the globe, so his solution was to create a “simple app” so they could control the robots remotely.

    “Word spread quickly, and soon people from around the world wanted to play,” Thomas explains. “What started as a solution for friends became a global community experience.”

    One of the other robots in the battle is armed with a flail

    Crumple zones

    The remote robots are powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, Thomas’s go-to microcomputer, and a popular choice for robots everywhere.

    “I designed the robots for easy repairability – essential given the combative nature of the game,” Thomas says. “Each of the three robots is controlled by a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and features three DC motors: two for movement and one for the signature weapon. I use either TT motors or modified N20 motors, depending on the application.”

    Each robot can operate for about four hours on battery power. “Everything fits compactly within a 4 × 4 × 4-inch chassis,” Thomas says. “Each robot sports googly eyes and a unique weapon – flippers, spinners, or blades – inspired by NHRL (National Havoc Robot League) combat robots. The control application was built in Flutter for true cross-platform compatibility (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and web). It connects to a real-time Firestore database – when players update commands in the app, each robot instantly receives the changes and responds accordingly.”

    Thomas even created a custom programming language for this called comfyScript, which specifically allowed for ultra-low-latency network communications on Raspberry Pi robots.

    The idea came from Thomas building robots with his online friends

    Live entertainment

    The fights are broadcast live on YouTube, with members of the chat being given access to a robot.

    “They log into the application and start battling immediately,” Thomas explains. “The interface is elegantly simple: one joystick controls robot movement, one slider operates the weapon, and a live camera feed provides low-latency visual feedback. Players compete to score five points by immobilising opponents or destroying significant portions of the arena.”

    Bentobot ran for two “intensive months”, and Thomas says that many incredible friendships were forged in an active and welcoming community.

    “Due to time and budget constraints, I’ve retired the active project, but I’ve open-sourced all code and mechanical designs with comprehensive instructions,” Thomas tells us. “By popular demand, I’m now helping former players organise their own Bentobot battles in their local communities. I’m excited to pursue more community-centric projects because the most meaningful building happens when we create with, and for, others.” 

  • Essential tips to integrate computer science into your lessons: Teacher tips from CSTA 2025

    Essential tips to integrate computer science into your lessons: Teacher tips from CSTA 2025

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    In our latest podcast miniseries, we spoke to educators live from the CSTA 2025 annual conference in Cleveland, Ohio, to hear their top tips for integrating computer science (CS) into other subjects.

    Behind the scenes of Meg Wang, editor of the Hello World magazine presenting the latest episodes of the Hello World podcast, from CSTA 2025.

    Hello World editor, Meg Wang and the team met teachers in the exhibit hall for real-time reflections and essential teacher tips on teaching cross-curricular CS. They spoke to some amazing educators from across the United States and had a great time interacting with everyone in attendance.

    “Meeting teachers and hearing first-hand about their experiences, challenges, and triumphs was invaluable. It was amazing to meet Hello World writers in person, and to also meet future writers. Like I said at the conference, Hello World is for educators, by educators, so that means you! Everyone has valuable experience or useful advice to share, and we’re here to help you amplify that.” – Meg Wang, editor of the Hello World magazine

    Who features in the episode, and what are their tips?

    Lisa Wenzel, CS teacher from Maryland, USA

    Lisa Wenzel, CS teacher in Maryland, USA, smiling and holding a physical copy of Hello World, issue 27.

    Lisa’s top tip for integrating computer science into your lessons is to start with topics that you’re passionate about. If you’re not a CS teacher yourself, Lisa suggests finding a colleague who teaches the subject. She advises having a chat with them to explore how you can include CS concepts into subjects you’re particularly interested in.

    “I guarantee you that they’re going to have something […] to teach [another subject], and it’s going to involve computer science.” 

    Through peer discussions and collaboration between educators, you’ll discover engaging ways that you can incorporate CS into your teaching. Give it a try the next time you’re chatting to a CS teacher.

    Tiffany N. Jones, CS and Cybersecurity teacher in Georgia, USA

    Tiffany N. Jones CS & Cybersecurity teacher in Georgia, USA smiling showcasing her article in Hello World Issue 27.

    Tiffany N. Jones, author of ‘Belonging in Tech’ (featured on page 82 of Hello World Issue 27), shares her top tip to seamlessly integrate computer science into other subjects. 

    Using the example of a class studying ocean health and pollution, Tiffany shares how you can introduce students to real-world applications of computer science by exploring how sensors and microcontrollers can be used to collect environmental data. 

    She then suggests exploring how databases and programming languages can be used to analyse and visualise the data that the sensors and microcontrollers have recorded. This not only deepens your learner’s scientific understanding but also demonstrates how computing concepts are used in real-world industry practices.

    Rick Ballew, CS and Engineering teacher in Minnesota, USA

    Rick Ballew CS & Engineering teacher in Minnesota, USA smiling holding a physical copy of Hello World issue 27

    Rick’s top tip for integrating CS is to first think about your favourite lesson and consider ways that you can introduce computational thinking.

    In the podcast, Rick says:

    “chances are, computational thinking is already a part of that lesson you’re doing. Call it out to the students, and that’s going to help them to start understanding how computer science is baked into everything we do.” 

    Rick also offers a great example from his experience as a band teacher. He shares how learning to read a new piece of music is very similar to the steps involved in computational thinking. s

    “[You’ve] got to break it down. There’s abstraction. You’ve got to figure out the sequencing, and you create the way that you’re going to learn it. And that is all part of computational thinking.” 

    This approach shows students that CS isn’t just coding; it’s a way of thinking that can be applied across disciplines.

    Listen now

    To hear more practical teacher tips and discover what else our guest teachers had to say, listen to or watch the full episode here. 

    We hope this episode inspires you and helps you to engage your students in computing. We’d love to hear your thoughts, your feedback, and any of your own tips on how to integrate CS into other subjects. Share your advice in the comments section below.

    We hope you enjoy the episode!

    More to listen to next week

    Next week, we’ll be sharing an interesting conversation between Ben Garside, Senior Learning Manager (AI Literacy) at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Leonida Soi, Learning Manager (Kenya) at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and two of our global Experience AI partners, Monika Katkutė-Gelžinė from Vedliai in Lithuania, and Aimy Lee from Penang Science Cluster in Malaysia.

    Selfie with the Hello World Podcast team

    They’ll be exploring what AI education looks like around the world and what teachers need to feel confident teaching it.

    You can watch or listen to each episode of our podcast on YouTube, or listen via your preferred audio streaming service, whether that’s Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music. 

    Subscribe to Hello World today to ensure you never miss a podcast episode or issue of the magazine.

    Website: LINK

  • Giving back through Code Club: Meet Douglas

    Giving back through Code Club: Meet Douglas

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    We love hearing from members of the community and sharing the stories of amazing young people, volunteers, and educators who are using their passion for technology to create positive change in the world around them.

    Growing up in Mathare, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, Douglas experienced first-hand what it meant to go without access to education and opportunity. His experience sparked a Code Club journey that is already hugely inspiring… and it’s only just getting started.

    Douglas (second from left) with members of the Raspberry Pi Foundation team
    Douglas (second from left) with members of the Raspberry Pi Foundation team

    Driven by a desire to help 

    For Douglas and many of his peers, the limited access to education in Mathare often meant being left with no clear path to earn a livelihood. Douglas saw opportunity in technology — he wanted to increase access in this field for the young people in Mathare and raise their ambitions.

    “Why are we doing technology? Because we believe that tech does not have a boundary. As long as you have access to the internet and you can learn some basic skills… the opportunities are limitless.”

    That belief became the keystone of Oasis Mathare, an organisation co-founded by Douglas and a group of others with similar lived experiences. Like Douglas, most of the founding members haven’t followed a standard path with formal schooling, but all understand the power of technology to transform lives.

    From Photoshop to programming

    Douglas’ own tech journey began humbly, and was sparked by his curiosity.

    “After primary, I didn’t go straight to high school. I spent two years working in a nearby barber shop. Then I think I just fell in love with computers. I learned how to do some basic stuff with design and used to play around with Photoshop.”

    From there, he taught himself web design and programming skills, which began to open new doors. Eventually, he went back to university to study business and information technology to deepen his knowledge, but even before that, Douglas had already started giving back.

    “We used to hold a club providing a space for kids to come and play games on computers. That sort of grew from just Saturdays to a few times a week… and now it’s full time.”

    One of Oasis Mathare’s Code Clubs in action
    One of Oasis Mathare’s Code Clubs in action

    Why Code Clubs?

    Today, Oasis Mathare runs intensive software engineering and robotics programs that last between 9 and 12 months. But back in the early days of the organisation, Douglas quickly realised that many young people were struggling to keep up — not because of ability, but because they’d never used a computer before.

    “So, we started Code Clubs to introduce these principles of programming at an early age… and we actually realised that those who have gone through Code Club take less time to complete our software engineering and robotics classes.”

    Code Clubs now serve as a stepping stone at Oasis Mathare. They help introduce computer literacy and programming concepts to young people early, making it easier for them to thrive in more advanced programs.

    The power of role models

    The impact of the program is already visible. Many graduates of Oasis Mathare programs go on to volunteer and eventually teach, serving as role models for the younger learners.

    “Oasis Mathare has 6 full-time staff. There are 12 Code Club leaders. They are our graduates from the software engineering program. We are plugging them into the Code Clubs to help them gain confidence and help the next generation.”

    The Code Clubs are held both in schools and at the Oasis Mathare centre, creating safe, structured environments for learning, experimenting, and collaborating.

    Douglas supporting a Code Club mentor
    Douglas supporting a Code Club mentor

    Building with what they have

    Before setting up Code Clubs, Oasis Mathare ran STEM clubs that used a variety of resources, but the cost and maintenance became a barrier. When they discovered Code Club’s free-to-access resources, everything changed.

    “We found [the resources] very useful. The good thing about Code Club is you can plan sessions using resources that are freely available, like Scratch. It’s really straightforward.”

    The biggest challenge now? Internet access is limited, so Douglas and his team often work offline. The team have started using the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s offline resources, and look forward to more being available in the future.

    What’s next for Douglas and Oasis Mathare?

    Douglas and the Oasis Mathare team have already achieved so much. This was recognised with a royal seal of approval in 2018, when Douglas was honoured with the Queen’s Young Leaders Award by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. Through the award, he gained access to world-class mentoring and leadership training from the University of Cambridge, helping him to amplify his impact back home.

    So, what’s next? Douglas’ vision for the future is bold and clear.

    “The main idea is to ensure that all kids in Mathare know at least one computer language. Not for the sake of it, but to use the principles of programming to solve their local problems.”

    By learning coding, young people build more than just technical skills. They learn to think critically, work in teams, and solve problems in their communities. For Douglas, that’s the real impact.

    “The overall goal is to ensure that no youth in Mathare are left behind and they all have the opportunity to develop essential skills from an early age.”

    Students at an Oasis Mathare Code Club working together

    Looking further ahead

    Oasis Mathare runs Code Clubs weekly, all year round, and Douglas is always looking for ways to expand the program’s reach, especially through partnerships, sponsorships, and sharing their successes so far.

    With more resources, more local leaders, and a whole community behind him, Douglas is rewriting the narrative for young people in Mathare. You can find out more about Oasis Mathare on their official website.

    If you’d like to support young people in your community to explore coding, why not start a Code Club? The team will support you every step of the way with resources, training, and a collaborative community. Find out more on the Code Club website.

    Website: LINK

  • Alvik Fight Club: A creative twist on coding, competition, and collaboration

    Alvik Fight Club: A creative twist on coding, competition, and collaboration

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    What happens when you hand an educational robot to a group of developers and ask them to build something fun? At Arduino, you get a multiplayer robot showdown that’s part battle, part programming lesson, and entirely Alvik.

    The idea for Alvik Fight Club first came to life during one of our internal Make Tanks, in preparation for Maker Faire Rome 2024. Senior software developer Davide Neri and senior firmware engineer Alexander Entinger started experimenting with ways to turn our educational robot into a game-ready platform. We teased the outcome in this post last December: a sumo-style arena match where players control their robots in real-time, using power-ups like “banana spin,” “reverse slime,” and “freeze blast” to outsmart and outmaneuver their opponents. The last robot standing inside the ring wins.

    Fun to play, but we think even more fun to recreate! That’s why Pedro Lima from our Product Experience team has recently stepped in to expand the project into a complete, step-by-step guide free on Arduino Project Hub.

    From fun idea to ready-to-run project

    The tutorial for Alvik Fight Club includes full code, hardware setup, and game logic for multiplayer battles using up to four Alvik robots.

    Check it out to learn how to:

    • Control Alvik in real time with a custom remote based on Arduino Nano ESP32 and Modulino nodes
    • Add power-up logic with visual feedback using the robot’s onboard RGB LEDs
    • Detect collisions, edge boundaries, and win conditions
    • Build an arena and create your own game rules!

    Because the code is open and modular, there’s plenty of room to remix and extend the concept – whether you want to add voice commands, integrate more sensors, or simply make the game a bit more chaotic.

    Discover our STEM champion! 

    Yes it’s fun, but Alvik Fight Club also highlights what Alvik does best: it gives students and developers a hands-on way to explore real-world robotics and programming using rock-solid sensors and systems.

    Alvik is designed to inspire creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. It’s an educational tool built by people who love to experiment and share. And projects like Fight Club show just how far that mindset can go! Try the project yourself, or share it with your classroom or club. We’d love to see your own take on the robot battle game – and where Alvik takes you next.

    The post Alvik Fight Club: A creative twist on coding, competition, and collaboration appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Code, karaoke, and creativity: Meet Matthew

    Code, karaoke, and creativity: Meet Matthew

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    We love hearing from members of the community and sharing stories of amazing young people, volunteers, and educators who are using their passion for technology to create positive change in the world around them.

    It’s especially inspiring to hear about young people who are not only passionate about technology, but who are also driven to share that passion with others. Meet Matthew, a 15-year-old creator and youth mentor at Code Club, who builds his own projects and inspires peers by organising hackathons.

    Matthew and his team at Cool as Hack at the RPF offices
    Matthew and his team at Cool as Hack at the RPF offices

    Matthew’s early experience with coding 

    Matthew’s journey into the world of coding began at a young age. His initial exposure was through Scratch at school in Singapore. From there, he began exploring self-learn platforms in his own time, getting to grips with HTML and basic web development.

    His enthusiasm for creating led him to participate in a technology week in Year 6, where he took on a BBC micro:bit challenge. He dedicated his summer holiday to developing a token system that encouraged community recycling, using an ultrasonic sensor to award points for good behaviour. This early project showcased his knack for problem-solving and innovation.

    What truly captivated Matthew was the possibility of combining the logical challenges of competitive programming with the joy of project creation.

    Matthew with his device developed in Year 6 to promote recycling behaviour in his residential community
    Matthew with his device developed in Year 6 to promote recycling behaviour in his residential community

    Connecting with the community

    Through Youthhacks, an initiative he co-founded to support teenage hackathon organisers, Matthew aims to expand access to hackathons across the UK (a hackathon is an event where individuals or teams work intensively over a relatively short time period to build software, hardware, or other kinds of technology). Matthew wants to offer advice and support, making it easier for young people to run their own hackathons. He puts a lot of time into ensuring that the content and atmosphere truly resonate with the participants.

    “So, we made Youthhacks basically as an idea to be able to support these teenage organisers, you know, like hackathons for teenagers by teenagers.”

    Matthew’s connection with the Raspberry Pi Foundation came from his keen interest in the hackathon community and a need for a local venue. Having previously toured the Foundation’s offices for a school robotics club, he decided to reach out when organising a satellite hackathon called Counterspell.

    This initial collaboration led to further events at the Foundation, including Scrapyard Cambridge and, more recently, Cool as Hack.

    Coolest Projects hackathon: A new approach to collaborative coding 

    Cool as Hack was Matthew’s third event held at the Raspberry Pi Foundation offices. Unlike traditional hackathons with intense time pressure, this event, inspired by the spirit of Coolest Projects, aimed to be more relaxed and collaborative. 

    “For this, people could bring in their own project scraps and then they could put it together with a team, finalise it, and then enter it to Coolest Projects.” 

    The focus was on showcasing creativity and sharing projects globally, rather than competitive prizes. Everyone then entered their creations into the Coolest Projects online showcase.

    Young coders at Cool as Hack
    Cool as Hack in progress at RPF HQ. Credit: W O Wallace

    Cool as Hack was a huge success. The atmosphere was incredible — there was even a karaoke session and a “swag shop” where participants could exchange tokens earned for innovative ideas or project milestones. This token system, designed by Matthew and harking back to his own recycling project from years ago, created a fun and engaging reward system.

    Inspiring the next generation

    Matthew’s drive to organise these events and encourage other young people to code stems from his enjoyment of project creation and the community aspect of hackathons. 

    “Well, I suppose it links back to me enjoying making projects and when you attend a hackathon, it’s not a competition really. It’s more of a social event. So, you’re making a project and then you’re meeting quite a lot of coders, or even artists and musicians, and so many other people.”

    Young coders at Cool as Hack at the RPF offices
    All of the creators that took part in Cool as Hack. Credit: W O Wallace

    Now a regular volunteer at the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s monthly Code Club in Cambridge, Matthew remains focused on encouraging others into tech. For aspiring young coders, he says that coding is far more diverse and creative than many might initially perceive, encompassing art, storytelling, and problem-solving. Matthew’s advice is simple: 

    “Enjoy the process and as you learn new things you’ll realise that all of this is like super interesting, and that there are so many ways to make what you want. Just enjoy it and continue meeting new people and, yeah, be creative.” 

    Matthew’s journey shows how an intro to computing at a young age can lead to an incredible amount of impact. With his continued dedication, he’s sure to inspire many more young minds to start on their own coding adventures.

    If you would like to explore coding, you can get started at home with over 250 free projects. 

    Looking for a little extra support in your own coding journey or open to mentoring others? Join a Code Club near you to meet a like-minded and supportive community.

    Website: LINK

  • Concept Bytes’ coffee table tracks people and walks itself across a room when called

    Concept Bytes’ coffee table tracks people and walks itself across a room when called

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    The term “mmWave” refers to radio waves with wavelengths on the millimeter scale. When it comes to wireless communications technology, like 5G, mmWave allows for very fast data transfer — though that comes at the expense of range. But mmWave technology also has some very useful sensing and scanning applications, which you may have experienced for yourself while going through airport security. The fellas at Concept Bytes employed mmWave sensing to make their coffee table track people.

    Eight months ago, Concept Bytes posted a video showcasing their walking coffee table. It could move around on strandbeest-inspired legs, which looks pretty amazing. They redesigned that coffee table in their most recent video and made it a lot more sophisticated. Part of that sophistication is the ability to locate people in the room and walk to them when called.

    At first glance, the new table looks similar to the original. But it was engineered to be easier to build using 3D-printed parts, to contain hidden coolers, to operate by remote control, and to come when called.

    The leg mechanisms are based on Giliam de Carpentier’s Carpentopod geometry, which resembles the work of Theo Jansen. But that mechanism was algorithmically optimized for very smooth motion with input from electric motors. 

    The coffee table has two sets of those legs to enable tank-style steering. An Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect board controls their motors through H-bridge drives. Another Nano RP2040 Connect housed in the remote allows for control via Wi-Fi. The coffee table’s Arduino is able to detect the sound of clapping hands through its onboard microphone. That is a command to come to the clapper.

    It finds the clapper using an AI-Thinker RD-03D mmWave sensor that works a bit like radar, but at relatively short distances (0.5 to 8 meters) and with very good precision. It is so precise that, upon hearing a clap, the table will walk directly to the clapper and stop immediately in front of them.

    The post Concept Bytes’ coffee table tracks people and walks itself across a room when called appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Building a Wi-Fi robot controller that accepts voice commands

    Building a Wi-Fi robot controller that accepts voice commands

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    The whole point of a robot is that it can operate without direct control input from an operator. Except there are many exceptions and it isn’t uncommon for roboticists and operators to require direct control. The Tinkering Techie needed to add that capability to his rover robot and built his own Wi-Fi controller that also accepts voice commands.

    Conventional remote control (RC) vehicles communicate through analog radio. But it is becoming increasingly common to use Wi-Fi instead, because it allows for a lot of data transmission and Wi-Fi is now usually available in most indoor locations (ad hoc is common, too). Makers can also take advantage of development boards that have built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. In this case, The Tinkering Techie turned to the Arduino UNO R4 WiFi and a generic ESP8266 dev board acting as a Wi-Fi adapter for an Arduino Nano. 

    The UNO R4 WiFi is in the controller and is the server. The ESP8266 board is on the robot and connects to that server through a router to retrieve commands. Once it finds a command, such as “turn right 90 degrees,” it passes that along to the Nano that controls the robot’s motors and monitors its sensors.

    The controller has a pair of joysticks so The Tinkering Techie can pilot the robot like an RC car. But it also has a DFRobot Gravity Offline Language Learning Voice Recognition Sensor. That has 121 pre-programmed voice commands and also supports 17 custom commands. Using those, The Tinkering Techie was able to make the robot respond to verbal instructions, like “turn right 90 degrees.”

    The post Building a Wi-Fi robot controller that accepts voice commands appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Hello World 27 out now: Integrated computer science

    Hello World 27 out now: Integrated computer science

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    While in some countries, such as England, computing is taught as a standalone subject, in others, like the USA, computing concepts are integrated across the school curriculum. In our brand-new issue of Hello World, out today for free, educators share ways to integrate computer science into your classroom.

    Hello World Issue 27 front cover

    Integrating CS to broaden participation

    The argument for making computing and computer science (CS) standalone has often been about quality. We’ve heard educators say that teaching CS as part of other subjects can be hard, especially if you don’t have a CS background. On the other hand, integrating computer science into other subjects can offer a more accessible entry point for young people, broadening participation in CS education. And the critical thinking and problem-solving skills young people gain through computer science can enhance their learning of any subject. 

    As digital technology increasingly shapes our world, it may be that thoughtful cross-curricular CS education is the most effective way to empower all young people to become confident and critical technology users.

    Issue 27 of Hello World features a range of practical articles with ideas for integrating CS over a variety of subjects at the primary, elementary, and high-school levels.

    For example:

    • James Abela shares how to teach coding across the curriculum using OctoStudio and the concepts of sequence, selection, and repetition
    • Jesualdo Martínez Molina presents hands-on examples of weaving together cross-curricular and modern foreign languages in the primary classroom
    • Jane Waite introduces the Autonomy framework, which explores whether we can effectively teach two things at once

    Also in this issue:

    • Laurie Gale introduces PRIMMDebug, a new way to teach debugging
    • Teresa Harris Boag defines strategies for a whole-school approach to artificial intelligence (AI) to engage parents and school staff in developing an effective AI strategy
    • Tiffany Jones shares how she ensures that students can see themselves in tech

    And much, much more.

    Jake Baskin, Executive Director of the Computer Science Teachers Association, says in this issue of Hello World: “If you’re a teacher who is implementing CS principles in your classroom, you are a computer science teacher.”

    Whether CS is your specialist subject or not, Hello World is full of ideas from your fellow educators on how to inspire your students. 

    New podcast series

    The Hello World podcast is also back, with a miniseries in audio and video focused on integrated CS. If you’re subscribed via a podcast app, the three new episodes will show up in your feed on Tuesdays. Or you can already listen to the new episodes today via the exclusive links inside issue 27.

    Hello World Editor: Meg Wang, presenting an episode of the Hello World Podcast

    Share your thoughts & subscribe to Hello World

    We hope you enjoy this issue of Hello World. Please get in touch with your article ideas or what you would like to see in the magazine.

    • Subscribe to Hello World for free to never miss a magazine issue
    • Subscribe to the Hello World podcast using your podcast app of choice
    • Share your thoughts and ideas about the new Hello World issue and episodes with us via the Raspberry Pi Foundation social media channels
    • Find out how you can write for the magazine

    Website: LINK

  • CNC water cooling and the PiPod

    CNC water cooling and the PiPod

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    The PiPod uses a USB DAC, components that enable the battery to work (including a battery charge module, battery protection circuit, and a battery indicator module),  a Waveshare 4-inch DPI Square Capacitive Screen 720 × 720, and a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. Oh, and a 3D printer and about 500g of filament.

    The 3D-printed case is shaped to fit around the wearer’s arm, like the phones worn by all those people we see out running. What you see here is not the first iteration; the maker has documented a raft of mistakes, iterations, and happy little accidents to get to the finished version.

    CNC water cooling

    If your Raspberry Pi 5 is running hot and you want to bring the temperature down a bit, you could try closing a couple of browser tabs. Or open the window. Or maybe buy the official Active Cooler from Raspberry Pi, which clips on and comprises a blower and an aluminium heatsink. In the unlikely event that this isn’t enough, maybe you could take a leaf out of Michael Clements’s book and mill a custom aluminium block, with a milled acrylic reservoir to hold bright green cooling fluid, pumped through a radiator and cooled by a fan running on a separate 12V power supply. As Michael says, this approach is “obviously a totally over-the-top project – but that’s what made it fun”.

    Michael milled the aluminium out of a pice of 10mm stock on a Carvera Air home CNC machine; this block makes direct contact with the bits of the Raspberry Pi that produce heat: the CPU, the RAM, the USB and Ethernet controllers, and the power circuitry. On top of this there’s the water block, which also houses the pump. The device is mounted on a 3D-printed stand, with the Raspberry Pi 5 attached to the aluminium block via four M2.5 screws, the holes for which Michael tapped himself.

    The sheer ridiculousness of this build (that’s Michael’s own word) is what caught our eye; then when we learned what has gone into it, we were blown away by the variety of different skills he had to use. You’d never know it, but this is the first time he’s had to bend hard-line pipes. It’s incredibly clean, and it works too – so hats off!

  • This automatic emergency braking system protects RC cars

    This automatic emergency braking system protects RC cars

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    It is a story as old as time (or at least the 1960s): kid gets an RC car for Christmas and excitedly takes it for spin, but crashes it into a wall within five minutes and tears ensue. The automotive industry has cut down on accidents by implementing automatic emergency braking safety features, so why can’t RC cars have something similar? They can and Narrow Studios proved it by creating their own DIY emergency braking system to protect their toy vehicle.

    Christmas morning jokes aside, this is practical. Today’s RC cars can accelerate very quickly and reach surprisingly high top speeds, which means they’re easy to crash. These vehicles can easily cost several hundred dollars, so such crashes are a hit to both the ego and the wallet. The system made by Narrow Studios prevents those crashes and is relatively affordable to integrate.

    The hardware necessary to add emergency braking to an RC car consists of two major components: an Arduino Nano board and ultrasonic sensors. A simple version of this system could be built with just one ultrasonic sensor, but Narrow Studios used four: two on the front bumper and one on each side.

    The Arduino constantly monitors the ultrasonic sensors. Under normal circumstances, they won’t report seeing anything — or at least not anything close by. But if something like a wall is nearby, the Arduino will immediately go into action and send a braking command (via a PWM signal) to the RC receiver. That’s a Flysky FS-i6X in this case, but the process should work with most others.

    It isn’t perfect and it isn’t very “smart,” but this system could genuinely prevent expensive crashes and that makes it worth considering if you have a nice RC car.

    The post This automatic emergency braking system protects RC cars appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Begin your Code Club journey: Set up a club today

    Begin your Code Club journey: Set up a club today

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Inspired to set up a Code Club but not sure where to start? In this blog we hear from the amazing network of Code Club leaders and mentors, and we give you practical tips on how to take the first steps to set up your own club. 

    Two young coders at a Code Club.

    About Code Club

    Code Club is a thriving global community of clubs where young people can develop the confidence to create with digital technologies in a fun and supportive space. Code Clubs run in schools, libraries and other community settings. We have already supported 2 million school-aged young people worldwide to make things they care about with code.

    We offer free training and ongoing support for anyone who would like to set up a Code Club — you don’t need to have a background in coding and technology to get involved.

    Two teachers give their tips on setting up a Code Club

    “If you’re thinking of starting a Code Club, do it. The Code Club team has everything created — all the resources are available.” – Peter Hutyan, Code Club mentor, The Mease Spencer Academy, UK. 

    Peter, a primary school teacher, has been running a Code Club for seven years at The Mease Spencer Academy in Derby, UK.

    A man smiling.

    “When I started Code Club, I didn’t know how to do Scratch”, says Peter about the block-based coding tool that lots of young learners start with. “So I made myself learn how to use Scratch and I was two to three lessons ahead of the kids. Basically I’ve done what the kids will do — I’ve read the instructions and created the code. It’s such a phenomenal experience of enriching young people’s lives, and you see the smile and sense of accomplishment on their faces. It’s the best day ever.”

    Rachael Coultart is the Computer Subject Leader at St Nicholas Primary School, Stevenage, UK and has run a Code Club for over ten years.

    A woman laughing.

    “I think the benefits of running a Code Club for our school are that it really develops children’s collaboration skills, really develops their perseverance, their thinking skills, their independence”, Rachael says. 

    “The key ingredients that I think make a Code Club successful is enthusiasm, from the adults who are there, a kind of passion to learn together and make mistakes together. I kind of think that sets the scene for the children to make mistakes as well. And I think having that freedom outside the classroom is what makes a Code Club really successful.” – Rachael Coultart, Computing Subject Leader, St Nicholas Primary School, UK

    Club mentors share why they were inspired to start a club

    Saad Koubeissi runs four Code Clubs in libraries in London, UK.

    A man smiling.

    “Code Club, for me personally, is about providing children with things I didn’t have when I was younger”, says Saad. “I went to youth clubs and stuff but it was never, like, so specific in tech, it was more, like, playing football. So Code Club, I think, by starting off early, it’s introducing children not only to identifying those skills, but also the terminologies, providing that. And being able to be part of that change for those children is welcome for me, to be honest.” 

    Bob Bisland is a mentor who started his first Code Club twelve years ago after a career in technology. He now runs three clubs in Malvern, UK.

    A man smiling.

    “Everyone should set up a Code Club. This is such a rewarding thing to be able to do. I am sharing my passion and my knowledge with another generation of children, and I’m seeing them learn what coding is all about.”

    Ready to start? Three steps to set up a Code Club

    We provide everything you need to make starting a club straightforward, including hundreds of free coding projects to help you tailor your sessions to the interests of your young tech creators. Our projects are available in up to 40 languages.

    1. Choose your venue. Code Clubs are held in lots of different places, such as schools, libraries and community centres.
    2. Register your club. Complete your application to start your club. We’ll ask for a few details, e.g. the address of your club. 
    3. Start running your club. You can access our free training on how to prepare to run a Code Club. Our Code Club leader guide also includes helpful information for running your club. 

    Running a Code Club is a fun and rewarding way to engage young people and help them learn valuable skills for the future. Start your Code Club journey today by finding out more about setting up a club.

    Website: LINK

  • New to coding? Resources to help children learn to code

    New to coding? Resources to help children learn to code

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Here at the Raspberry Pi Foundation we believe ensuring every child knows how to code will equip them with the skills to thrive in the future. 

    But what do we mean by coding and how can you get started?

    Two young coders at a Code Club.

    Coding is how humans give instructions to computers. Machines process and execute these instructions to perform the task you want — whether it’s making an LED light flash, designing your own avatar and making it dance, or creating a website.

    Coding underpins the digital technologies that are ubiquitous in our daily lives: the apps on your phone, the software in your TV, and in life-saving devices in hospitals — even making sure your supermarket is fully stocked.

    By learning to code, young people can develop the skills and knowledge that we need in an increasingly digital world.

    So how can you get started?

    Code Club

    One of the best ways for school-aged young people to get started with coding is to find your local Code Club — a fun and supportive space where young people develop the skills and confidence to create with digital technologies. They might program their first-ever game or animation in Scratch, create their own step counter with a micro:bit, or use Python to control a robot!

    There are around 2,000 Code Clubs across the UK and Ireland and nearly 6,000 more around the world, running in schools and communities – and they are totally free! As well as learning to code, young creators work together, gain confidence and a sense of belonging, and build their skills in problem solving and teamwork. You can read more about the benefits in this independent evaluation of Code Club.

    Two young coders at a Code Club.

    Creators use our free, step-by-step projects to learn different coding languages and skills. We have hundreds of free coding and computing projects for all experience levels and interests. For example, young people can start to code to make a character catch a bus, then move on to building a musical instrument, and even try out creating a project that uses artificial intelligence.

    This handy guide for mentors will help you find which projects are right for you and your creators. Read on to find out more about our free coding resources.

    Scratch 

    Scratch is a good way for young people to begin their journey in coding. Scratch is a block-based language, which allows children to assemble code to produce games, animations, and stories.

    The Raspberry Pi Foundation has hundreds of Scratch projects that young creators can try out, but the best place to start is with our Introduction to Scratch path. This will provide young people with the basic skills they need, and then encourage them to build projects that are relevant to them, culminating in their creation of their own interactive ebook.

    A mentor and a young person at a Code Club.

    Web design

    Websites are integral to many of our lives, and we believe that it is important for young people to learn how the websites and apps they visit are created with code.

    That is why we have an Introduction to web development path that enables young creators to make their own simple webpages and apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and share them with their friends. The path helps them create webpages about subjects that they care about, and they also learn about accessible web design.

    Python

    Once children feel confident using Scratch, Python is a brilliant next step. It’s a real-world programming language used by professionals, but it’s also simple enough for beginners. Python helps young people move from blocks to text-based code, deepening their understanding of how programming works. It’s easy to read, which means learners can focus on thinking logically and building exciting projects. Our Python path for beginners is the perfect place to start, and we have loads more Python projects for them to explore as their skills grow.

    Artificial intelligence

    Our new artificial intelligence (AI) path allows young people to discover the foundational concepts of machine learning through creative and interactive projects using AI applications and technologies. Working with voice recognition, facial recognition, and other AI technologies, young people gain a broader understanding of how AI can be applied in different contexts.

    A mentor helps a young person with a coding task at a Code Club.

    Physical computing with Raspberry Pi

    For young creators interested in interacting with the real world using code, our physical computing projects help them discover how to use electronic components. These projects show how to build things with buttons, switches, buzzers and LEDs using Scratch and a Raspberry Pi computer, or using Python and a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller.  

    Physical computing with micro:bit

    Another fun option for young people who want to explore physical computing is the micro:bit. This is a small programmable device with an LED display, buttons, and sensors, and it can be used to create games, animations, interactive projects, and lots more. A visual programming language called MakeCode can be used to control a micro:bit. Or the micro:bit can be programmed using Scratch or text-based languages such as Python, offering an easy transition for young creators as their coding skills progress. Have a look at our free collection of micro:bit resources to learn more.

    Next steps

    When young people are confident in these areas, they could try creating and exploring 3D worlds with the power of Unity. And what about creating using a Raspberry Pi computer? These beginner projects help you learn to set up and configure your Raspberry Pi and get started.

    A mentor supports young coders at a Code Club.

    Fancy running your code in space or submitting your project to our showcase?

    Once you’re up and running, we have two fun ways kids can get even more out of coding.

    The European Astro Pi Challenge allows kids to run their code in space. We have two levels: 

    • Mission Zero, suitable for beginners, where they code a personalised image for the astronauts on the International Space Station
    • Mission Space Lab, where kids’ code solves a scientific task on board the International Space Station

    And young people can also submit their creations to Coolest Projects. This is a celebration of young digital creators and the amazing things they make with technology. We have a global online showcase, as well as in-person Coolest Projects events in several countries. 

    And if you’ve been inspired to set up a new Code Club, or volunteer at a Code Club near you, find out the next steps here.

    Website: LINK

  • This unique electronic toy helps children learn their shapes

    This unique electronic toy helps children learn their shapes

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    It isn’t a secret that many kids find math to be boring and it is easy for them to develop an attitude of “when am I ever going to use this?” But math is incredibly useful in the real world, from blue-collar machinists using trigonometry to quantum physicists unveiling the secrets of our universe through advanced calculus. By engaging children early on in fun, intuitive ways, we can lay a mathematical foundation to build upon and TIEboard is a unique electronic toy that could help.

    Developed by researchers from the Keio Graduate School of Media Design and University of Auckland, TIEboard is an interactive digital tool aimed at teaching kids geometric concepts. It is a bit like the classic Lite-Brite toy, but for geometric shapes and smart enough to guide learning. It consists of a grid of points, each of which is a hole that can be lit by an LED and accept a “thread.” Those threads are fiber optic and light up. They’re also conductive and make contact with pads around the holes.

    A basic lesson to guide the construction of a square would light up four points. The child could then string threads between those points to form the sides of the square in glowing colors. More complex lessons are possible and kids can progress through them as they grasp the fundamentals of shapes and geometry. 

    An Arduino Nano Every board provides that functionality by setting the colors of the LEDs and monitoring the matrix of copper pads around the holes. Buttons let the pupil move through the different lessons. 

    The lessons created for the TIEboard prototype are limited and the researchers found that some of the test participants struggled to follow along, but the concept is strong and lesson refinement would likely improve the results in the future.

    Read more about TIEbaord in the team’s paper here.

    Image credit: Arooj et al.

    The post This unique electronic toy helps children learn their shapes appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • A Code Club in every school and library

    A Code Club in every school and library

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Today we are starting a campaign to support every school and library in the UK to set up a free Code Club to make sure that all young people can develop the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the age of AI.

    A young person celebrates at a Code Club.

    Over the past decade, Code Club has provided more than 2 million young people with the opportunity to learn how to build their own apps, games, animations, websites, robots, and so much more. 

    We know that getting hands-on, practical experience of building real projects with technology works. Independent evaluations have shown that attending a Code Club not only helps young people develop their programming skills, but also builds wider life skills such as confidence, resilience, problem-solving, and communication. All of which we know are essential if they are going to thrive in a world where AI is ubiquitous. 

    Right now, there are over 2,000 Code Clubs meeting in schools and libraries all over the UK, organised by an amazing community of teachers, educators, and volunteers from all walks of life. We want to see that number grow. 

    A young person and mentor at a Code Club.

    You don’t need technical skills to mentor at a Code Club. The Raspberry Pi Foundation provides free, self-guided projects that help young people learn how to create with different technologies. We have over 200 Code Club Projects on our website, all of which are developed by expert educators, based on evidence of how young people learn, and rigorously tested; so we know that they are effective.

    That includes a set of projects that support the safe exploration of AI technologies, helping young people understand how AI works, its possibilities and limitations.

    A screenshot of the AI projects on our website.

    We also provide training and support to help you set up and run your Code Club, all of which is available at no charge.  

    I can promise you that the hour you spend in a Code Club will be the highlight of your week. I always come away from Code Club inspired and optimistic about what young people can achieve if we give them a sense of agency over technology.

    Three young persons cheer at a Code Club.

    If you have been inspired to set up your own Code Club, you can find all the information you need to run your own club here. 

    You don’t have to take my word for it: here’s Janine, a Computer Science teacher and long-time Code Club mentor from Stoke-on-Trent sharing her experience.

    Janine Kirk is a Computer Science Teacher at The King’s Church of England Academy in Stoke-on-Trent, UK, who has been running a Code Club for over ten years. She has been inspired by the campaign for a Code Club in every school and library in the UK, to set up clubs in six other schools in her multi-academy trust.

    Setting up a Code Club is really easy as a teacher, as you can just tag it onto the end of your school day, or during lunch. The website is clear and easy to use — and once you have signed up, you have access to additional resources to promote your club. Code Club gives time and space to explore coding in a completely different way than in a classroom. For me, it’s about seeing what programs really inspire students: it gives an insight into how students like to code, ideas of preferred coding language, and tasks they keep coming back to. Running a Code Club has also allowed me to build relationships with students outside of the classroom environment, and all of this spills into my lessons and improves my teaching practice.

    A young person connects a Raspberry Pi computer at a Code Club.

    For students, Code Club is a great space where they can collaborate and work on their chosen tasks. Students often comment on how they look forward to Code Club and how they have continued their projects at home. It also allows students much more variety in enrichment activity, as Code Club is often popular with students who are neurodivergent. It’s amazing to see the children grow in confidence and friendship as they find likeminded students to support each other. 

    My students really love the certificates they can earn. We have been inspired by the excellent activities that revamp the old ways of teaching programming and give them a really nice spin. In fact, I have used the resources in computer science lessons too, as they are often much more visual and fun for the students to create. 

    A young person and mentor at a Code Club.

    Since joining Code Club I have felt part of a community. I receive regular updates, and attending events such as the Clubs Conference really helps inspire creative ways to teach coding. As a computing teacher in a secondary school, you are often part of a very small team — but Code Club has allowed me to feel part of something bigger, and I know that should I need support, they are always there with friendly advice. It really is the best thing that I have done in my career.

    Are you inspired to set up your own Code Club? Then find more information on how to get started running a club today.

    Website: LINK

  • Coolest Projects 2025: Where 11,980 young tech creators shared their ideas

    Coolest Projects 2025: Where 11,980 young tech creators shared their ideas

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    From AI-powered inventions to eco-friendly gadgets, young creators from around the world have once again amazed us at this year’s Coolest Projects online showcase. An incredible 11,980 participants from 41 countries shared 5,952 tech projects in our online gallery, and every single one showed creativity and commitment to learning something new.

    A young creator playing a game made in Scatch

    Coolest Projects is an annual global showcase for young people who love to make things with technology, whether it’s a clever Scratch game, a hardware hack, or an app that solves a real-world problem. 

    In 2025, we introduced a brand new AI category, supported by Amazon Future Engineer and Allianz, which drew over 100 impressive entries, covering everything from mood-sensing AI tools to jellyfish vs plastic bag image classifiers.

    Last week, we celebrated all of these brilliant makers in a special livestream event. As always, a panel of VIP judges selected a few standout creations to highlight this year. You can catch up on the livestream here.

    Meet our 2025 judges below and find out which projects inspired them the most.

    Judges’ favourite projects 2025

    Kelly Shiohira | Director, Global Science of Learning Education Network

    Kelly is the director of the Global Science of Learning Education Network, a global group of scientists, researchers, and educationalists working to improve learning experiences for all. With a strong background in AI and education technology, Kelly was awarded the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy.

    Check out Kelly’s favourites:

    The AI favourites

    Matt Gascoyne | Engineer at British Antarctic Survey

    Matt is a software and electronics engineer at the British Antarctic Survey, developing innovative digital projects in some of the world’s most remote environments. From testing code in the freezing Antarctic to debugging with penguins nearby, Matt brings creativity and resilience to his tech work.

    Check out Matt’s favourites:

    The Games favourites

    Ebona Eastmond-Henry | Augmented Reality Partnerships at Niantic

    Ebona leads product marketing in EMEA at Niantic, the creators of Pokémon GO. With a background in fashion and television, she brings a flair for storytelling to the world of augmented reality and mixed reality.

    Check out Ebona’s favourites:

    The Scratch favourites

    Amar Kedare | Programs Lead, WPP Foundation

    Amar leads digital education initiatives at the WPP Foundation, enabling underserved youth to explore tech through coding, robotics, and design. Recognised as the Young CSR Leader in 2023, Amar combines creativity, technology, and social impact to empower the next generation.

    Check out Amar’s favourite projects:

    The Advanced favourites

    Discover more projects and get inspired

    Now that you’ve met the judges and seen some of the standout projects they picked, why not explore the full Coolest Projects 2025 online showcase? Dive into thousands of brilliant ideas from young creators around the world — and let their creativity spark your next big tech project!

    In-person events still to come in 2025

    For some creators, there’s still time to get involved this year, with in-person events coming up in India, South Africa, Ghana, and more. Head to our website to see if there’s an in-person event happening near you.

    2 young creators speaking to a judge at Coolest Projects UK

    Want to know more about the next online showcase?

    Coolest Projects will be back online and with in-person events around the globe in 2026. Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to hear about dates, deadlines, and exciting updates.

    Thank you to our sponsors

    Support from our Coolest Projects sponsors means we can make the online showcase and celebration livestream an inspiring experience for the young people taking part. We want to say a big thank you to Broadcom Foundation, Allianz, Amazon Future Engineer, Qube-RT, Avnet and GoTo.

    Website: LINK

  • This machine automatically scans books from cover to cover

    This machine automatically scans books from cover to cover

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Hard data is hard to find, but roughly 100 million books were published prior to the 21st century. Of those, a significant portion were never available in a digital format and haven’t yet been digitized, which means their content is effectively inaccessible to most people today. To bring that content into the digital world, Redditor bradmattson built this machine that automatically scans books from cover to cover.

    There are, of course, already machines on the market for scanning books. But the inexpensive models require manual page-turning and the more feature-packed models are very expensive. Bradmattson’s book scanner is fully automatic and can scan a whole stack of books without the assistance of a human operator. And the machine is relatively affordable to build, which makes it easier to justify the digitization of books that might otherwise be overlooked.

    Oh, and it is portable. The whole thing folds up into a briefcase, so the operator can take it from location to location, digitizing books along the way.

    As you’d expect, this machine is fairly complex. But the basic gist is that a stack of books rests on one side and gravity drops each one down onto a feed mechanism, which carries the book to the scanning area. There, a suction gripper lifts the cover. Next, a plexiglass press holds down the pages while a camera snaps a photo. To flip to the next page, a PC fan creates negative pressure to gently grip the paper and then the whole process repeats. When the whole book has been scanned, it slides over to the output area and the next book enters the scanning area.

    A computer running Python oversees the process and catalogs the images. It controls the various motors through an Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi board paired with a CNC shield, as well as additional relays and a servo driver board.

    Automated Book Scanner
    byu/bradmattson inarduino

    The post This machine automatically scans books from cover to cover appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • The PlatypusBot is a TurtleBot3-inspired robot built from vacuum cleaner parts

    The PlatypusBot is a TurtleBot3-inspired robot built from vacuum cleaner parts

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    We all love the immense convenience provided by robot vacuum cleaners, but what happens when they get too old to function? Rather than throwing it away, Milos Rasic from element14 Presents wanted to extract the often-expensive components and repurpose them into an entirely new robot, inspired by the TurtleBot3: the PlatypusBot.

    Rasic quickly got to work by disassembling the bot into its drive motors, pump, and several other small parts. Luckily, the main drive motors already had integrated encoders which made it very easy to connect them to an Arduino UNO R4 WiFi and an L298N motor driver for precise positional data/control. Further improving the granularity, Rasic added a 360-degree lidar module and enough space for a Raspberry Pi in order to run SLAM algorithms in the future.

    For now, this 3D-printed robot assembled from reclaimed robot parts is controlled via a joystick over UDP and Wi-Fi. The host PC converts the joystick’s locations into a vector for the motors to follow, after which the values are sent to the UNO R4 WiFi for processing.

    For more details on this project, you can read Rasic’s element14 blog post. 

    The post The PlatypusBot is a TurtleBot3-inspired robot built from vacuum cleaner parts appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • Experience CS: A free integrated curriculum for computer science

    Experience CS: A free integrated curriculum for computer science

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Experience CS is a brand-new, free, integrated computer science curriculum for elementary and middle school educators and anyone working with students aged 8 to 14. A key design principle for Experience CS is that any educator can use it. You don’t need a computer science qualification or previous experience in teaching computer science classes to deliver engaging and creative learning experiences for your students. That’s why, as US Executive Director, I’m especially pleased to announce the launch of the first six units in the curriculum today.

    A vibrant yellow background with the text "Introducing Experience CS" centered. Four colorful, abstract shapes resembling coding blocks in purple, yellow, orange, and blue are placed around the text.

    Read on to explore the new learning materials available and how you can start using them in your school.  

    Six integrated computer science units 

    Experience CS enables educators to teach computer science through a curriculum that integrates CS concepts and knowledge into core subjects such as math, science, and social studies. Ashly Tritch, computer science immersion specialist at Olson Middle School in Bloomington, MN, USA, said, “Cross-curricular computer science is important because it shows students how coding and tech skills can be used in other subjects like math, science, or even art. It helps make learning more interesting and helps kids understand how computer science connects to real life. The lessons that the Raspberry Pi Foundation is creating will be super engaging, with fun and creative activities that keep students curious and excited to learn.”

    Six integrated computer science units are available to access, with more on the way. The units have been released in beta, and we would love to hear your feedback as we continue to make updates to the lesson materials. Each of the units includes an overview with a summary of the topics covered and a series of six to eight lessons, including lesson plans, slide decks, student-facing materials, and starter projects within our Code Editor for Education. 

    We have designed the units to be cross-curricular, so students can learn about computer science concepts while deepening their understanding of related subject area content. For example, in “The me project,” grade 4 students (ages 9–10) explore the basics of Scratch, personalise sprites, and develop programs to create an animation that tells a story all about them. The project could be integrated into language arts lessons, enabling young learners to explore visual representation and write their own unique stories. In the “Smart communities” unit, students in grade 6 (ages 11–12) explore ways in which computing and technology can be used to create environments that are responsive to the needs of community members; this could be included within science or technology lessons.

    Three educational unit cards are displayed: "Weather watchers", "The me project" and "Take a tour”.

    Initially, the curriculum and resources have been mapped to national and local standards in the US and Canada, including the K–12 Computer Science Teachers Association Standards for Students, but they are available for teachers and students anywhere in the world to use.

    You can register for a free Raspberry Pi Foundation account to start downloading the learning materials, including lesson plans, slide decks, student activity sheets and assessment criteria. 

    A version of Scratch built especially for schools 

    Experience CS has been built from the ground up to support safe, confident computing lessons in real classrooms. It includes self-directed creative projects using the popular programming language Scratch. We have built a version of Scratch that is especially for schools. That means it doesn’t have the community and sharing features that are central to the full Scratch platform. Instead, everything runs in a closed, classroom-ready environment that supports safeguarding policies and fits with school filtering systems. Simple and intuitive learning management features enable teachers to create accounts, set assignments, and review progress.

    How to get started 

    On the “Getting Started” page, teachers will find everything they need, including helpful videos and tutorials. The next webinar takes place on 16th July, where we will walk you through all six units available at launch and show you how easy it is to get started with the learning materials. Whether you’re a CS teacher, general education teacher, administrator, or someone who works with school-aged young people, this session will give you the practical tools and guidance you need to bring Experience CS to life in your classroom or program.

    Professional development 

    No matter your experience or skill level, the Experience CS content has been designed to be easy to use. However, we also provide professional development (PD) opportunities to help build confidence in teaching computer science. 

    Teachers anywhere in the world can access free online courses offering flexible, self-paced learning to help you confidently teach block-based programming with effective, inclusive computing pedagogy. Our new course will develop your understanding of semantic waves while highlighting research-backed activities and examples directly from Experience CS units. 

    Help shape Experience CS

    Experience CS is supported by Google and builds on the fantastic work they have done to support educators and students through CS First. The team behind Experience CS includes educators with significant experience in teaching CS in elementary and middle school settings, and it is based on extensive classroom testing and research. We will continue to develop and improve the curriculum and resources in response to feedback from teachers and students. If you would like to help shape the future of Experience CS by testing new features and providing valuable feedback to improve the programme, sign up for the mailing list. 

    What next? 

    We can’t wait for you to explore Experience CS. We will continue to release more curriculum units as well as make the materials available in French and Spanish. Get a head start ready for the next school year by registering for a free Raspberry Pi Foundation account, which will allow you immediate access to all the lesson materials, and then create your school account to begin creating classes, add a scratch project to a class, manage student accounts and view student work.

    Website: LINK

  • Why we chose Claude for the Arduino Cloud AI Assistant

    Why we chose Claude for the Arduino Cloud AI Assistant

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    We know that introducing AI into your coding environment comes with questions – about safety, accuracy, privacy, and trust. That’s why we want to be transparent about how we built the recently-announced Arduino AI Assistant in the Cloud IDE, and why we chose to power it with Claude by Anthropic, available via Amazon Web Services (AWS) Bedrock. This feature is not a shortcut. It’s a tool to help you learn faster, test smarter, and stay focused on the creative side of building. Here’s how, and why, we made it.

    Arduino AI Assistant: Your smart coding companion

    Claude was designed from the ground up to be a collaborator – not just a chatbot. It’s one of the top-performing large language models (LLMs) when it comes to writing, explaining, and editing code. It is available through Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed service that makes foundation models accessible via API.  We integrated Claude via AWS because it allowed us to easily access a secure and scalable model directly within the infrastructure we already trust and use. 

    We tested multiple models, and Claude stood out for its ability to understand context, generate cleaner code, and explain concepts clearly. It was also a good match for our goals: not just delivering answers, but helping you learn, debug, and iterate.

    Context-aware with less hallucination

    In developing the Arduino Cloud AI Assistant, we’ve implemented Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) – a technique that gives the AI more relevant context before it answers your question. Basically, when you ask the assistant something, we don’t just send your prompt to Claude directly. Instead, we first provide it with hand-picked, structured documentation based on your sketch, board, and use case.

    This means you’re more likely to get reliable, Arduino-specific answers, and less likely to see hallucinated or misleading code. We regularly update these documents based on product releases and user feedback – so the system continues to improve over time.

    Privacy comes first

    We’ve built clear guardrails into the AI Assistant’s behavior – both our own and the ones provided by AWS Bedrock. These include:

    • No personal or identifiable data (like private sketches or account info) is ever shared with the LLM.
    • Every response stays within the Arduino context – the assistant won’t answer or suggest anything unrelated to our platform.
    • Guardrails help prevent suggestions for harmful or inappropriate projects, reinforcing our community guidelines.

    We’ve also taken a minimal-data approach. The assistant only sees what it needs to generate a useful reply – no more, no less.

    Community-led AI Assistant

    This assistant wasn’t designed in a vacuum. Before launch, we worked closely with users through interviews and beta testing to identify the most common questions and pain points. The feedback we received shaped everything from prompt engineering to UI design.

    We’re continuing to build this tool with you. That’s why every answer includes a thumbs up/down feedback option, and why we monitor the results closely.  Some of the most useful improvements – like support for more libraries, better error messages, and undo/redo functionality – came directly from user suggestions.

    Your input helps us tune the assistant – and the documents it draws from – to serve the real needs of real developers.

    Supporting learning, not replacing it

    We’ve heard the concerns about generative AI – from hallucinated code to worries that AI tools could erode developer skills or take over human jobs. We share some of these concerns, and we’ve taken a careful approach. 

    We designed the Arduino AI Assistant to be just that: an assistant, not a replacement. It’s not there to write your entire project. It’s there to help you fix bugs, understand syntax, explore ideas, and stay in flow while you build. For example, you can ask the assistant: “Explain this sketch”, and it will walk you through the code step by step, helping you understand a project written by someone else or clarify syntax you’re unfamiliar with.

    We’ve added lightweight signals – like “experimental” tags and a friendly reminder not to blindly trust code to encourage self-learning.

    Have you tried the Arduino Cloud AI Assistant yet?

    The Arduino Cloud AI Assistant is available to everyone – even on the free plan.
    You can try it today with up to 30 free interactions per month, right inside the Cloud Editor.

    If you need more, our Maker and School plans include 1,500 monthly interactions, and Team or Enterprise plans unlock unlimited usage.

    Get started now at cloud.arduino.cc/features and let the assistant help you code smarter, debug faster, and stay in flow.

    The post Why we chose Claude for the Arduino Cloud AI Assistant appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK