HSC2011/FAQ

How reproducible is the final project?

• basic microcontroller knowledge is necessary, but we could offer a complete kit and preflashed MCUs if this is a demand
• there are different implementation methods to pic from, starting with a simple arduino shild to soldering a complete pcb and 3d printing a matching enclosure

How easily can the parts be sourced in locations around the world?

• all parts are available trough element-14
• we use only widely available parts, the only "exotic" thing in the design is the rfm12b module, but thats becoming available all over the world recently
• it is very well documentated and reproducable

How low cost is the final output?

• very low cost! we might even create a pool to have these devices produced on a larger scale if we get enough positive feedback and interest

How well are the plans documented?

• we have vidoes, pictures, detailed assemble instructions, and soon a dedicated website for this project where people can exchange their questions and answers online

How relevant is the project to the educational goals of schools today?

• our project will make education more fun and collaborative
• we implemented much more than just one solution to a specific problem but created a whole new concept of teacher-student interaction that will bring new ways of teaching to schools and will enable the community to create interactive learning applications on their own!
• there is a wide spectrum of possibilities what can be done with our system

How inventive and creative is the design and build of the project

• we used different modeling and manufacturing processes including a lasercutter and a 3d-printer, while these techniques are way cool they are not needed to create a working product to tinker with
• we used agile development and had many small groups each one dedicated to a special area of the project, we used various channels of communication in real life and on the interwebs to synchronize the tasks :)
• we came up with extraordinary solutions to some of the challenges in this project, including a virtual machine that runs on the ATMEGA platform, a highlevel language + compiler and a language implementation in python!
• the frontend applications are implemented in javascript to provide the interested users a way to implement their own applications with ease