Group Actions
Engagement
  • Author Author: jlucas
  • Date Created: Date Created
  • Views 6619 views
  • Likes 13 likes
  • Comments 47 comments
Related
Recommended

BBC micro:bit - Submit your Big Ideas

jlucas

image

 

Introduction

 

Our 10 BBC micro:bit Projects in 10 Days series introduced the incredible creative potential of this unique pocket sized computer system. But we've really only scratched the surface. Now we want to hear your ideas.

 

The BBC micro:bit is currently only available for sale in the UK through Farnell element14, CPC and our approved re-sellers, but we've managed to secure ten devices to give away to members of our global community.

How to Enter

 

For your chance to get hold of one of these sought-after devices, simply read our 10 BBC micro:bit Projects in 10 Days series and 'like' your two favourite projects to earn the BBC micro:bit badge. Then, leave a comment under this blog telling us about a project you'd like to try out using the BBC micro:bit.

 

The ten participants who submit the best, most creative project ideas will each receive a BBC micro:bit and will be invited to write about their project here on element14.

 

Submissions are open until 23:59 (BST) on Sunday 31st July 2016. Full terms and conditions can be in the attached PDF.

 

To find out more about the BBC micro:bit initiative and the unique functionality of the device, visit the official BBC micro:bit website or read our exclusive interview with Premier Farnell's Strategic Alliance Director Richard Curtin.

Attachments:
image10 BBC microbit projects in 10 days Terms Conditions.pdf

  • I'd make a Micro:bit controlled, musical, solid state Tesla Coil.  The idea is to modulate the power to the primary with a midi file via software on the Micro:Bit.  I would develop the software for this using Python tools for the Micro:Bit on my Raspberry Pi. 

  • in reply to dougw

    That sounds like it could be an enabler for a whole range of interesting projects and activities.

     

    Not sure if it exists or not yet for the micro:bit but what might be quite good is something along the lines of the Pico Technology list of educational science projects/ideas

    https://www.picotech.com/library/experiments

    to try and get young people to start interacting with their wider environment. Project ideas from a wide range of subject areas that both can be done in the classroom as well as at home.

     

    Perhaps one of the interesting things about the micro:bit is that for once there is a captive audience that all have access to the same platform.

  •  

    I've lately been working on the NPK sensor,which stands for the Nitrogen , Phosphorus and potassium sensor . This is of atmost importance when we want to move our agricultural methods to be more scientific and have lesser wastage of resouces yet get the best output.
    After through studies with the behaviour and requirements of plants, it felt important to have a Low-cost sensor network with the sensor to generate data for the user to make them understand the requirment by the plant.
    By coupling the sensor network technology with the mobile app that we have been working on would actually help a lot in terms of presice farming and automation of farms which has been neglected for some time.

    Also the data of the temperature and humidity could be used to suggest the farmer the type of plants that could be incorporated.

     

     

     

    We belive that this Low-cost , small yet powerful device would surely help us in accieving our goals.

  • I'm not sure how "young" the projects need to go, and to be honest I don't know for sure if this is even possible, but I want to give it a try anyway.

     

    What I'd like to do is use the Micro:bit as a "first alert" type emergency-alert system whereby pushing a button on the Micro:bit will signal a Raspberry Pi to send an SMS message via AWS SNS.

     

    I have already set up a simple REST API for a separate project that can be used to create an AWS SNS topic, add subscriptions, and send SMS messages. And I know the Micro:bit and Raspberry Pi 3 have Bluetooth and in theory can communicate. What I need to figure out is if a button pushed on the Micro:bit can (via Python, perhaps?) result in a JSON object literal sent from the Raspberry Pi 3 to the REST API with a message, and then a confirmation of some kind (LED message?) be displayed on the Micro:bit indicating that the Raspberry Pi 3 sent the message. This system could be utilized to notify a relative that the person with the Micro:bit needs help. And I assume two buttons on the Micro:bit means two messages could be set up.

     

    Again, this is all theoretical, but it sounds like an interesting and useful project.

  • I have a younger brother who is 8 years old and is intrigued with robots and block programming, and wants to go deeper with this learning. The micro:bit is a unique piece of hardware in the fact is geared towards just that, helping younger kids, who may have no real programming experience (or their only experience is with block programming such as Scratch) have a stepping stone where they can learn to program, and see how their program interacts with hardware.

       

    With that being said I also see a fad where everyone has become obsessed with activity tracking watches. My project would be to implement something similar to a Fitbit with the micro:bit (or the micro:(Fit)bit if you will). Using the accelerometer and "on shake" command you can increase a counter to see how many steps a user has taken throughout the day. I would also use the buttons to toggle through different modes. You can view the step count, temperature, time, and direction by pressing the buttons. The fact that the micro:bit is also roughly the size of a wrist works out perfectly.