There are already more than enough arduino-based coding and electronics platforms out there. But most of them are either really expensive or not really meant to be used in schools or by younger children. The main points of criticism are:
- they dont come with a case so they can break easily
- risk of short circuits or other damage caused by faulty wiring
- sensors, leds and buttons have to be bought and wired seperately
My goal is to put an Atmega 32u4 microcontroller (same as the Arduino Leonardo) together with a bunch of buttons, leds, sensors and a battery holder into a 100x100x40mm 3D-printed case.
I also plan to create a custom Arduino library for easy use and also add a manual with tutorial and sample projects.
Components
1×
Arduino Pro Micro
available at AliExpress for 2,79€
1×
8x8 WS2812 (NeoPixel) LED Matrix
available at AlieExpress for 7,58€
1×
LSM303DLHC Accelerometer + Magnetic Field Sensor
available at AliExpress for 4,02€
1×
Mini Speaker
available at AliExpress for 0,67€
4×
Pushbuttons (10mm long)
available at AliExpress for 0,05€
I'm a bit concerned that this would be just another thing to throw away after a day or two of playing with it. Of course, having everything already connected and designed for you helps, but there isn't much learning you can do with it. After you blink the LEDs and play with the accelerometer a bit, you are basically done? Plus, since it's basically a black box, you could as well just do the same thing with your phone.
I would add some female pin headers to the sides of the box so you can access some digital and analog pins and the I2C interface. You could use these to slide in extension modules with male connectors or to breadboard your own stuff while still having all the onboard features of the box
I'm a bit concerned that this would be just another thing to throw away after a day or two of playing with it. Of course, having everything already connected and designed for you helps, but there isn't much learning you can do with it. After you blink the LEDs and play with the accelerometer a bit, you are basically done? Plus, since it's basically a black box, you could as well just do the same thing with your phone.