The document discusses the history and impact of the BBC Microcomputer from 1981 and the Arduino microcontroller platform launched in 2005. It describes how the BBC Micro helped spark the UK's gaming industry through its widespread availability in schools. Similarly, Arduino has enabled many students, hobbyists and startups to get involved in physical computing. Examples are given of how both platforms have been used for education, from teaching programming basics to developing assistive technologies for people with disabilities. The potential for platforms like Raspberry Pi and Arduino to continue inspiring new generations of students is also noted.
1. Its
an
arranged
marriage
The
proud
surrogate
parents
gave
us
some
quiet
time
(not)
so
we
get
to
know
each
other,
hoping
we
get
along,
tinker
playfully
and
build
a
meaningful
relationship
before
taking
the
big
leap
(three,
to
be
precise)
Setting
us
on
our
way
with
a
handful
of
instructions
of
do’s
and
don’ts
they
did
say
if
I
play
my
codes
right
I
can
make
her
do
anything
I
want
!
Here
I
am
almost
5
weeks
into
a
whirlwind
relationship
and
people
have
asked
me
questions
like
“Whats
that?”
Scrambling
because
I
still
didn’t
know
enough
to
give
a
satisfactory
response,
I
began
digging
up
all
I
could
Find
to
make
sense
of
this
relationship;
Strange
&
exciting
times
and
get
to
know
my
arduino
a
little
bit
better
2.
3. of micros and acorns
The
year
is
1981
and
the
British
Broadcasting
Corporation
(BBC)
is
all
set
to
launch
a
massive
computer
literacy
project
that
included
a
TV
show
“The
Computer
Programme”
and
the
production
of
an
accompanying
machine
called
the
“BBC
MICRO”
developed
by
ACORN
for
the
BBC
4. BBC MICRO-What
Born: 1981
Place: United Kingdom
Creators: BBC & Acorn
Price: The 32 bit RAM MICRO was
priced at £399
Units sold: Acorn expected to sell
12,000 units and ended up selling a
whopping 1.5 million units
worldwide
Purpose: The purpose of the MICRO
was not just programming but also
graphics, controlling peripheral
devices, sound and vision and
Artificial Intelligence
it was
5. BBC MICRO-What
it did...
“The BBC Computer Literacy Project
became one of the most successful
computer literacy projects in history”
BBC Micro was an excellent tool to
introduce young people to
programming
The widespread availability of BBC
BASIC led to the creation of a cottage
industry to provide software for the
computer
Many of the ‘companies’ that were
formed were started by young people
who would later go on to establish the
UK gaming industry as the third
strongest in the world
6.
7. “I started coding games at home when I
was 11 years old
There was an explosion of creativity,
most of it coming from self-taught young
men like us working at home”
David Darling CBE is the co-founder of
Codemasters and now runs Kwalee, a smartphone
game developer.
8. !
!
!
“It was the BBC Micro that had the impact
- mainly because of its spread throughout
UK schools
I hope machines like the Raspberry Pi can
go on to do something similar for today's
kids!
It was so easy to learn on, to the extent
just about everyone could write the
program like this without even realising
they were learning:
10 PRINT "Fred smells of wee"
20 GOTO 10”
David Braben is chairman and founder of
Frontier Developments, and a co-founding trustee of the
charity The Raspberry Pi Foundation which plans to sell
an ultra-low-cost computer.
9. “Because of its expandability and
capability, it was probably responsible
for more small start-up companies than
any other computer of its time
A huge number of companies started
designing, manufacturing and selling
third-party add-ons from bedrooms and
garages across the country.
I was one of them. I created a simple
little memory expansion and sold a few
via the classified ads”
Jason Fitzpatrick is the Chairman and
Chief Geek at the Centre for Computing History near
Cambridge. He also runs a technical props company for
the film and TV industry.
10. “It captured the imagination of a
generation of programmers
A great community grew up, with magazines
such as Beebug, and user groups across
the UK
The community encouraged experimentation
and sharing: almost everyone was figuring
out computers for the first time, so
there was a strong sense of learning
together.
Tips and techniques were shared as people
discovered all the things you could do”
Dan Crow is chief technology officer at the
tour date tracking service Songkick. He previously
worked at Apple and Google
11.
12. -What
Born: 2005
Place: Interaction Design Institute
at Ivrea, Italy
Creators: Massimo Banzi, David
Cuartielles, David Mellis
Origin of the name: Inspired by a
bar in Italy “Bar Di Re Arduino”,
originally a boys name in Italian
meaning “brave friend”
Price: $30
Units sold: Approx 250,000
Purpose: Arduino is an open-source
electronics prototyping platform
based on flexible, easy-to-use
hardware and software. It’s
intended for artists, designers,
hobbyists, and anyone interested in
creating interactive objects or
environments
it is
16. A 12-Year-Old's Quest To Remake Education,
One Arduino At A Time
Twelve-year-old electronics prodigy Quin Etnyre wanted to make education more fun. So he became a
teacher.
Quin Etnyre,
Inventor
A shining star in the next
generation of “makers”
Enjoyed soldering circuit boards
at Maker Faire Bay Area and
started ordering components
online and taught himself how to
code
Teaches Arduino coding and
programming
Launched his company Qtechknow
in 2012. Struck a deal with
SparkFun which now sells his
product the “Qtechknow
ArduSensors Kit” with tutorials
written by Quin
17. FUZZ BOT: Quin started with a
robot chassis kit for Arduino
that he received last Christmas.
"And then one morning, I decided
to hook up a Parallax Ping
sensor so that it could avoid
obstacles," he says. "From then
on, I worked on the code and
perfected it." Quin also added
extra functionality; the FuzzBot
can clean floors. Now he's
working on a wireless controller
Quin also developed the “Gas Cap”
or what he likes to call “a fart sensor”.
A cap with LEDs that blinks
when it detects Methane
18. Sylvia Todd
Age 12
Inventor
Has her own YouTube Channel
“Super Awesome Mini Maker Show”
which has over 1.5 million views
views with over 20 episodes
featuring beginner level
projects for kids
Her projects have included a
pendant which measures your
heartbeat & waterColorBot; a
robot that paints with water
colors
20. Arduino for Disabilities
In July 2011, 5 Art &
Design students from the
University of Arts in
Philadelphia were paired
with 5 people with
disabilities in an
attempt at collaborative
design
The purpose
explore how
controllers
people with
was to
microcan empower
disabilities
21. Michael loves
photography
a knee actuated switch
(so Michael can steer
the wheelchair with his
hands) allows him to
take photographs when a
servo motor is activated
within the mount and
clicks for him while he
is on the move
22. Google to Put Arduino, Raspberry Pi
Computers in U.K. Classrooms
!
Google chairman Eric Schmidt
announced that Google would help
pay for 100 new science teachers
and equip classrooms with
Arduino kits and Raspberry Pi
microcomputers.
“The success of the BBC Micro in
the 1980s shows what’s possible.
There’s no reason why Raspberry
Pi shouldn’t have the same
impact, with the right support”
Mr Schmidt said
24. in the end a moment of
deceased BBC
(it played its part but
because it was neglected
silence for the
MICRO
failed to evolve
by its creators)
25. and a prayer
that may my arduino and I
live happily ever after
26. bibliography
The BBC Microcomputer and me, 30 years down the line. (2011, January 12). BBC News.
Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15969065
Arduino - HomePage. (n.d.). <i>Arduino - HomePage</i>.
Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://arduino.cc
A 12-Year-Old's Quest To Remake Education, One Arduino At A Time. (n.d.). <i>Popular Science</i>.
Retrieved November 27, 2013, from http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-08/short-circuit
Arduino For Disabilities. (n.d.). Arduino For Disabilities.
Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://arduinofordisabilities.wordpress.com
BBC Micro. (n.d.). computinghistory.org.
Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/cgi/archive
Calling All Teachers. (n.d.). Quarkstream.
Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://quarkstream.wordpress.com/calling-all-teachers/
Open Source Hardware Association. (n.d.). Open Source Hardware Association.
Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www.oshwa.org/research/brief-history-of-open-source-hardware-organizations-and-definitions/
The BBC Micro. (n.d.). CHM Blog The BBC Micro Comments.
Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/the-bbc-micro/
geekosystem. (n.d.). Geekosystem Google to Put Arduino Raspberry Pi Computers in UK Classrooms Comments.
Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www.geekosystem.com/google-raspberry-pi-uk/
