https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/STEM Academy, our dedicated area for anyone who wishes to explore learning concepts and classroom-based design projects within the electronic and digital space. en-USTelligent Community 12https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/m/managed-videos/151686Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:42:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:a30c7cf9-767a-40a3-822d-e85bc4a6bf32MikeNZRetore control of your Hasbro Smart R2D2! Hasbro's Smart R2-D2 was sold in 2016 with an Android app that controlled it over Bluetooth. Modern phones will not install it, so the toy lost a lot of functionality and playability. Nothing is wrong with...esp32Homemade sensorsHasbro R2D2webserverCasio graphing calculatorCasio FX-9860keypadremote controlhmiHasbro Smart R2D2DroidXRIGELMaker Sciencehands-on mathshuman machine interfaceScience toolsCasio FX-9750low cost scienceR2D2 apphttps://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/b/blog/posts/open-source-casio-fx-9750-and-web-broswer-app-to-restore-hasbro-smart-r2d2-functionalityMon, 31 Aug 2026 11:41:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:7cc226f4-11a2-4f33-999c-7a4547cc2930MikeNZThe droid that outlived its app A graphing calculator, an ESP32, and a toy nobody can play with - until now... Hasbro's Smart R2-D2 was sold in 2016 with an Android app that controlled it over Bluetooth. Modern phones will not install it, so the toy has lost a lot of its playability - until now! Nothing is wrong with the robot. It still advertises itself over Bluetooth LE to anything that knows how to ask. What died was the software, and with it every one of these toys still sitting in a cupboard. This project puts a Casio FX-9750 graphing calculator in charge of it, through the same 2.5 mm serial port and the same four-component interface circuit as every other build in this family of projects by the author. It then adds DroidX , a block-coding web page served by the ESP32 itself, so a phone or tablet can drive the droid with no app, no install, and no internet connection. Not just a phone app Restore phone control of your Hasbro Smart R2D2 The Casio remains a teaching tool connecting to R2D2 AT THE SAME TIME as the ESP32 serves an app to your phone, tablet or laptop webbrowser. The calculator sends the commands. The ESP32 translates them into Bluetooth. The droid moves. And the calculator screen shows what the droid is actually doing, read back from the robot rather than assumed. The calculator is the interesting control surface, but it is not the only one. Because the ESP32 has WiFi, it can run as its own access point and serve a page. A phone will not find the Hasbro R2D2 droid in its Bluetooth list, but it will find the ESP32 in its WiFi list. Join it, open a browser, and the controller appears. DroidX is that page: snap blocks together into a sequence, press Run, and watch the droid execute it while the calculator mirrors each step. There is no app to install, no store, no account, and no internet connection anywhere in the chain. [ Phone / tablet browser ] --WiFi WebSocket--> [ ESP32 ] --serial--> [ Casio screen ] DroidX block UI | +--Bluetooth LE--> [ droid ] Not just a toy controller This is an extension of my 2008 research, which carried classroom validation and student feedback, now with a modern facelift and cross-platform compatibility. Learners can record heart rate, temperature, sound level, and other readings using sensors they build themselves, for cents or a few dollars. The simplest build is a Casio FX-9750 or FX-9860 graphing calculator, a microcontroller costing a few dollars, and a cross-over cable. Sensor readings arrive at a set interval and land in the calculator's own lists, where the graphing and statistics tools students already know are waiting for them. For a few dollars more, the Casio can log data from remote sensors wirelessly and serve a web page with data to smart devices including phones, tablets, and laptops. The calculator needs no modification or firmware change. It does not need to know what is on the other end of the cross-over cable. https://mikefentonnz.github.io/projects/casio-calculator-r2d2-droidx.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bs8HlcWaaY All open source, low cost, for educational purposes only. And fun!codingHasbro R2D2michael fentonstemCasio FX-9860educationremote controlHasbro Smart R2D2robotprogrammingMaker ScienceCasio calculatorwirelessstar warsCasio FX-9750funhttps://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/microbit/b/blog/posts/use-a-casio-caclulator-as-a-microbit-display-and-keypad---data-logging-remote-control-and-moreSat, 29 Aug 2026 09:27:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:60125b43-f53d-4583-b496-de67e5b14936MikeNZA discovery from 2007 fully exploited in 2026 - hacking the Casio calculator serial protocol The Microbit is the board most schools already own for jumior classes. Using these as cross-curricula sensor units requires adding a display, a keypad, SD module to save data. But what if you could build something greater than the sum of the parts? And cheaper? Greatly extend the capabilities of a calculator many students already own. You can even upcycle old Casio FX-9750 G Plus calculators - and transform both the Microbit and Casio calculator into a general purpose tool for physical education, health, science, mathematics, Internet-of-things (IoT), and robotics / instrumentation. Reduce electronic waste at the same time! What is that port for again? The forgotten feature in the 2.5 mm port of a Casio FX-9750 and FX-9860 is now available on my GitHub, open-source and free. It takes the burden off the teacher, because the learners become the experts - constructing, coding and repairing their own smart data logger that also acts as a remote control and automation control interface. This is an extension of my 2008 research, which carried classroom validation and student feedback, now with a modern facelift and cross-platform compatibility. Full serial communication between the Casio and Microbit Full bidirectional communication using the Casio serial protocol works with Arduino, Picaxe, Microbit, ESP8266, and ESP32. Learners can record heart rate, temperature, sound level, and other readings using sensors they build themselves, for cents or a few dollars. Use an old Casio G Plus (I got one very a few dollars from a second-hand shop) to give a alphanumeric display and a keypad to the Microbit. There low-cost universal serial interface is simple and connects with 5V and 3V microcontroller and Casio models safely. Instructions, C++ code, teacher and student manual are here: https://mikefentonnz.github.io/projects/casio-calculator-data-logger-hack.html So, what do you want to build using a keypad and display most students already have access to at senior level? A historical heart rate monitor? A NASA Mars orbital surveyor simulator? A colorimeter to monitor a chemical change that logs every 2 seconds or every 2 minutes? A remote control for a robot? A PIN pad to open a secure system? All these ideas are demonstrated and work - and the calculator still does maths!tutorialmakerspacestemteaching programmingmicrobit v1microbit v2microbit projectsdiyfitnessbbc microbitcodebig ideassensorlesson planshttps://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/52707/green-envy-finally-gets-to-make-its-debut-at-lake-gairdner/237955Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:21:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:5951ed82-30f9-41c5-87c0-4f69ed66b277beacon_daveWell, I did try... https://community.element14.com/members-area/f/forum/55579/top-tech-voices-podcast-episode-5-evs-the-race-to-electrify-power-management/227213https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/52707/green-envy-finally-gets-to-make-its-debut-at-lake-gairdner/237951Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:20:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:e05dc997-62fd-4bcf-a5cd-7a1006aa858fbeacon_daveFinal run for this event, finishing with a good result. The weather held out, which is a factor when you have to ship your machinery and mobile workshop halfway around the world for an event window typically lasting just a few days. The next outing should be even more interesting now that a lot of the initial gremlins appear to have been evicted. (Co-pilot Dolly looks pleased with this week's result.) ('Top Time of The Meet!' award)https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/52707/green-envy-finally-gets-to-make-its-debut-at-lake-gairdner/237950Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:46:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:229a6db8-4dc9-4446-a6fa-b895622b48d7cstantonI feel this whole thing deserves a dedicated blog post with more info, this is so cool.https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/52707/green-envy-finally-gets-to-make-its-debut-at-lake-gairdner/237949Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:29:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:9cdc5b9c-23a1-4b67-87da-9834b4d6758cbeacon_daveMeta glasses and LED matrix displays at 222MPH... https://www.instagram.com/eva_hakansson/p/DcfCSyCCF0Y/https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/52707/green-envy-finally-gets-to-make-its-debut-at-lake-gairdner/237915Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:50:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:a7d99001-e0a5-4b00-bb2b-e283cb1a33bdbeacon_daveGreen Envy is currently at Bonneville this week ready for the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials 23rd - 27th August. Salt looks good, the shakedown runs on the runway last month went well, so hopefully a chance for some fast runs at long last.https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/57127/do-you-want-to-build-a-computer/237555Sat, 25 Jul 2026 19:01:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:bb8c290c-4d51-4245-a50e-8dceee553d10DABI did bit-slice design in college. Not sure I want to delve back into that world.https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/57127/do-you-want-to-build-a-computerThu, 23 Jul 2026 22:55:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:6d8a32ca-2f0c-4f6f-8de7-3e979bf30db2stantoCome on out and play~~~ (to the tune of 'do you want to build a snowman? from Frozen) https://nandgame.com/ The interface is a little janky but it's still quite fun. I'm not affiliated with whoever made it.nand gamebuild your own computerhttps://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/56737/mnemonic-triangle/234242Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:15:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:553f320e-171a-4233-8ca4-9dfe00e32bf6Knighthawk_140A how to guide to read mnemonic triangle. A new day where the ELITE are EDUCATEDhttps://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/56737/mnemonic-triangle/234239Fri, 06 Mar 2026 02:21:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:48693706-6f82-41b2-9799-6a9f33fca406shabazI think it's easier to derive from the formula; the arrangement of the four variables in a triangle doesn't work (whereas with three variables, the V=IR triangle makes sense, and same for other relationships like these). Here's a four-variable representation which makes sense.. although this was quickly done with AI, so check it before use. The style however is (or was) very popular back when electronic calculators were not common (and often precise values are not needed, just a ballpark, because of component tolerances). This can be done for all manner of formulae (was popular for 555 timer calculations too).https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/56737/mnemonic-triangle/234238Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:09:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:3b941d15-ecd6-4620-b6a4-9108bad78cbbKnighthawk_140AND ONE BECOMES TWOhttps://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/56737/mnemonic-triangle/234177Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:34:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:eb425459-5a38-4eeb-a702-2810117074b1robogarylooks like a jet turbine :-) compression, ignition, delta temperature , delta Velocity then whoosh !https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/56737/mnemonic-triangle/234174Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:22:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:4879ce32-292d-4ed4-9b6a-4e922be85134dougwhttps://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/56737/mnemonic-triangle/234173Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:02:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:2b2d9483-1cd3-4110-b324-d4a7cc85df07michaelkellettWell Doug, I probably won't forget that ..... But I think I'll stick with classical maths notation when I need to do sums. MKhttps://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/56737/mnemonic-triangle/234172Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:57:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:ec34aff1-a921-41a6-896f-69a631f37082dougw☺https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/f/forum/56737/mnemonic-triangle/234171Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:29:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:06e4f8d3-51f5-42fd-93e3-9a3a1f340b4eKnighthawk_140