Want to know more about Micro-Kids? Take a look at our frequently asked questions below.

We introduced Micro-Kids at Maker Faire 2007 in San Mateo, CA (USA) on May 19 and 20. ( see http://www.makerfaire.com ) We ran the workshop on both days, and received a lot of interest. Thanks to all the people that stopped by!

Currently, we have no specific plans for a future workshop. (send us a note on our contact page if you want to suggest a workshop)

Besides enthusiasm, No.
Of course, it will help if you have some programming experience, but it is not strictly necessary.

For our purposes, a microcontroller is a single integrated circuit (IC) that can be programmed, much like a real computer. Typically, microcontrollers are much smaller than a real computer, in terms of the size of the program or the amount of memory. And the best part is they are much cheaper too! So, there is no mouse, keyboard, or fancy screen. Instead, simple input and output devices, like switches and LEDs, can be connected to specific pins, so they can be accessed by the program running on the microcontroller.

The device we use in the workshop is a small circuit board with a microcontroller and several other components on it. There are some LEDs, a button, a light sensor, and a few other things that are all connected to the microcontroller.

Programs are developed on a PC and then downloaded into the device using a special adapter. Once programmed, the device no longer needs to be connected to the PC. In fact, the device is powered by a 3 volt coin battery, so it is quite portable.

Want to know more? Here is more detailed information on the Micro-Kids device.