A new way to inspire and stimulate learning
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Microsoft aims to inspire students by providing real-world experience and skills through tools such as .NET Gadgeteer, which enables the rapid construction and programming of devices. The platform supports educational and hobbyist projects, integrating hardware and software, while also promoting digital design through 3D printing technologies. Additionally, Microsoft encourages student participation in competitions like the Imagine Cup to foster innovation and collaboration.
A new way to inspire and stimulate learning
- 1. A new way to inspire and stimulate learning Lee Stott Academic Evangelist Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/uk/faculty @Lee_Stott [email protected]
- 2. What is Microsoft offering Goal. To provide students real world experience and establish the skills and competencies needed to fuel innovation. http://www.microsoft.com/uk/faculty
- 3. Professional-level development and design tools to students • https://www.dreamspark.com • For any student at a recognized educational institution • FREE download of Professional software • To all verified School and Higher Education students • Free Apphub account for any student over 18
- 4. TEACH, PLAY. CHANGE THE WORLD Whether you’re educating students, entertaining friends, or exploring what’s possible when humans and computers interact, you can create something amazing with Kinect for Windows. http://kinectforwindows.org http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Kinect/Kinect-Effect
- 5. .NET Gadgeteer is a new toolkit for quickly constructing, programming and shaping new small computing devices (gadgets)
- 6. Low threshold Simple gadgets should be very quick to build High ceiling It should also be possible to build sophisticated and complex devices
- 8. 3 Key Components Modular Object-Oriented Hardware Programming
- 9. 3 Key Components Modular Object-Oriented Digital Design Hardware Programming and Fabrication
- 10. Some History • Microsoft originally built Gadgeteer as a tool for ourselves (in Microsoft Research) to make it faster and easier to prototype new kinds of devices • Since then, it has proven to be of interest to other researchers – but also hobbyists and educators • With the help of colleagues from all across Microsoft, we are working on getting Gadgeteer out of the lab and into the hands of others
- 11. Building gadgets
- 12. The .NET Gadgeteer Hardware At the heart of every Gadgeteer project is a mainboard. A mainboard is made up of a programmable processor, and a number of sockets that Gadgeteer modules can plug into.
- 13. The .NET Gadgeteer Hardware These are the Gadgeteer modules found in the GHI Spider Starter Kit. Touchscreen Display Camera Multicolor LED Button USB Power Supply + Programming Interface Potentiometer USB Host Ethernet SD Card
- 14. The .NET Gadgeteer Hardware Many more modules will be available, from different manufacturers. GHI Electronics Sytech Seeed Studio DF Robot Bluetooth Nano Mainboard Cellular Radio Smart motor controller Accelerometer 4.5” Touchscreen GPS Ultrasonic Ranger Xbee Radio Camera Plant moisture sensor Line following sensor Motor controller Button Accelerometer Infrared distance sensor Micro SD Card Power supply Gyroscope Color sensor Joystick Ethernet Compass Music player SD Card Barometer OLED Display Pulse Oxymeter High-voltage relays
- 15. A Closer Look at the Mainboard Power LED Debug LED Socket Type Compatibility Labels Numerical/Alphabetical Reset Button
- 16. Match socket type letters when connecting modules to the mainboard
- 17. • If a module is connected to the wrong socket type it won’t work (but it won’t damage anything, either) • Red modules supply power to the mainboard. Only one red module should ever be connected to the mainboard at any time. • When connecting modules, always make sure that the mainboard is not powered on, and that it is disconnected from the PC.
- 18. Software Development Libraries • Gadgeteer uses the Microsoft .NET Micro Framework (NETMF), which provides a simple and powerful way to write software for small devices • Software is developed and debugged in Visual Studio, and code is in managed, object-oriented C# • The SDK provides classes encapsulating functionality for individual hardware modules as well as other utility functions
- 19. C# Application and User Libraries Gadgeteer Library Modules: Audio Camera ... WiFi Program, Interfaces: I2C PWM ... SPI Timers, Utilities Sockets and Pins Class Libraries Runtime Component Layer (Hardware Abstraction + CLR) Hardware
- 20. t Connect modules to mainboard, and connect to PC via USB.
- 22. NET Gadgeteer let’s you engage your students with compelling projects immediately using world class tools from Microsoft that they can leverage throughout their careers.
- 24. Digital design and rapid manufacture
- 25. Falling cost and increasing availability of 3D printers
- 26. Digital design and rapid manufacture
- 27. • We want to make it easier to give shape to Gadgeteer devices by using digital fabrication technologies • First step: integration with 3D CAD modelling software (e.g. Solidworks)
- 28. Add CAD models of modules
- 29. A 24 Hour Prototyping Exercise: Making a Hand-Held Videogame
- 30. MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL Hardware configuration (5 minutes to assemble) Four-way switch to control placement of puzzle piece Knob to rotate piece Colour OLED display USB power source (128x128 resolution) and programming socket
- 31. MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL Software development in C# (5 hours)
- 32. MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL Enclosure design in Solidworks (>3 hours)
- 33. MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL Enclosure 3D printed (>6 hours)
- 34. MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL Assembly (>30 minutes)
- 37. Gadgeteer Resources • End user website http://netmf.com/gadgeteer/ • Source repository http://gadgeteer.codeplex.com/ • Retail hardware http://ghielectronics.com (others to follow)
- 38. IMAGINE CUP 2012
- 39. COMPETITIONS • Software Design • Game Design: Xbox/Windows • Game Design: Windows Phone • IT Challenge And more to come …
- 40. ENTERING THE IMAGINE CUP 1. Register at http://www.imaginecup.com 2. Form a team max 4 students 3. Find a mentor 4. Sign up to a competition
Editor's Notes
- #39: The Imagine Cup is the world’s biggest student technology competition and over 358,000 students in 183 countries and regions registered for the Imagine Cup last year.The Imagine Cup 2012 is about solving the world’s toughest problems using technology whether it’s something like battling a disease like malaria or reducing road deaths. The Imagine Cup is a chance for students to showcase their amazing projects and solutions, built using Microsoft technology.At Microsoft we work under the motto that our products create a Microsoft ecosystem, where everything is built to be able to talk and communicate with everything else. In this exciting time of technology you could create a solution that uses Windows Phone, Kinect, PC and the next version of Windows with some really clever back-end stuff to create a project that could change the way the world works.
- #40: You can participate in any of the 4 categories mentioned above, with some more interesting challenges coming in the near future.You can enter more than one competition, so you might have a an amazing Software Design entry where a Windows Phone app is an obvious inclusion in the project (although if you get to the Worldwide finals for more than one competition stream you have to choose one).The only competition stream that we run locally in the UK is Software Design, everything else is run as an online competition. The UK specific information for the Imagine Cup isn’t available on the website yet but teams must submit a preliminary summary on imaginecup.com by the 13th March 2012 and the final deadline for project submissions in the Software Design category is the 15th April 2012. The team that wins the UK final of the Software Design competition gets an all-expenses paid trip (subject to some T&Cs) to Sydney, Australia with the chance to win a top prize of $25,000 in the worldwide final.The deadlines for each of the other competition streams vary and more information can be found on imaginecup.com and clicking on the competition.
- #41: So how do you enter the Imagine Cup then?If you’re entering the Software Design or Game Design competitions then:Register on imaginecup.comForm a team of up to 4 students and choose a cool team nameFind a faculty mentor for your teamRegister all of your team members and sign up to a competition on imaginecup.comI haven’t put this point but think of a great idea and start your project with the goal of winning the worldwide final in Sydney, Australia.If you’re interested in entering the IT Challenge simply register on imaginecup.com and sign up to the IT Challenge, with no need to form a team as it’s an individual competition.