It's finally here! After months of anticipation and delay regarding the fate of the project, the BBC finally launched its Micro:bit programmable computer.
Aimed at encouraging the children all around the world to become more creative with technology and learn coding, BBC has decided to jet start the project by delivering about a million of these programmable computers to every child in year 7 (around 12 years old) across Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England absolutely free of cost.
One can use your BBC micro:bit for all sorts of cool creations, from robots to musical instruments – the possibilities are endless. The micro:bit is a handheld, fully programmable computer being given free to every Year 7 or equivalent child across the UK. It’s 70 times smaller and 18 times faster than the original BBC Micro computers used in schools in the early 1980s.
Once the rollout is successfully done and each of the kids has received their own Micro:bit programmable computer, the kids will be allowed to keep them and use them through their entire remaining tenure at school.
To make it easier for the kids to understand and get them more interested in programming, BBC has complimented the computers with configurable buttons, 25 LEDs, an accelerometer, compass, Bluetooth, and connections so the computer can be easily hooked to more sensors. According to experts, the Micro Bit can be used with devices like Arduino, Kano and Raspberry Pi to create devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers etc.
BBC is determined to make the project a success and hence it will also be investing the money it earns from its commercial sales into project so as to encourage more and more people to come forward and learn the art of coding. The company has made a strategical decision to open-source the Micro Bit's hardware and also most of its software.
A price for the device hasn't been announced by the company yet but it is soon expected to be unveiled when the device is available at retailers after the free rollout to the kids is completed.
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