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RoadTest: Kitronik - Inventor's Kit for BBC micro:bit

Author: balearicdynamics

Creation date: 8 Jun 2018

Evaluation Type: Workshop Tools

Did you receive all parts the manufacturer stated would be included in the package?: True

What other parts do you consider comparable to this product?: There are many kits on the market as a big ecosystem evolved during last few years around the BBC micro:bit, representing a truly innovation in the field of micro controllers. This kit is probably the best, sure one of the best available as it contains a selection of components giving the opportunity to create a lot of different projects. A really educational product.

What were the biggest problems encountered?: As a matter of fact, everything worked fine without problems at all.

Detailed Review:

The Kitronik Inventor's Kit Tested On The Road

It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to test in detail this kit. The approach I followed was to use this box - together with a BBC micro:bit, not included in the kit but kindly provided by Element14/rscasny

- with the help of Xavi, a young passionate maker. The goal was making a complete working project exclusively using the kit components, plus some non-electronic stuff.

Unpacking

Also after waiting few days needed by UPS to deliver the package, the moment of opening it is always something really special.

Kit Content and Quality Note

Trying to compare the Kitronik's with other kits I have used and received in past, I should say that despite many other cases the box content is packed in an excellent way with all the components grouped by type (resistors, motor, capacitor, connector, cables etc.) The Inventor's kit manual included in the box is really useful and using our fantasy it is not difficult to invent fascinating builds following the basics of electronics and coding explained in the booklet.

The Wind Machine

The idea of the Wind Machine was to replicate a scale device showing in practice how the wind generators work; the same device is also a good starting point to explain how it is possible converting the wind energy to electricity to calculate the wind speed (anemometer)

Note on a STEM format

A simple teaching format focused on the micro:bit to build projects has been followed: introducing electronics and coding we start explaining a simple scientific law or principle.

After some minutes explaining the theory in a very easy language, the enjoying part will start: Now we make one of these!

The Extra Material

One of the better aspects of the kit is the completeness and variety of its content; to complete this project only a hot glue gun and some Chinese bazaar objects was needed: in my opinion this is a great added value of the product.

Making and Coding

The image gallery above shows the phases followed to build the Wind Machine. Images are better than words: consider that I was facing to a 12 y.o. maker so better play and try than discuss and explain too much theory.

Thanks to the precious collaboration of David Edwards that provided the voice track it was possible to create the short video documentary below showing the build of the project.

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