Here are some possibilities for the second session, starting in January.

Multiplayer Reaction/Memory Lights Game

Inspired by Simon game

Code walkthrough video

Features:

  • Raspberry Pi tiny computer
  • Python and TypeScript (a better JavaScript) programming languages
  • making a web application (webapp) with the Flask framework
  • Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
  • electronics fundamentals
  • connecting components on a breadboard
  • reading button presses
  • lighting multicolor LEDs

Resources needed:

  • For each student (less than $25):
    • breadboard
    • big colored buttons
    • multicolor LED
    • jumper wires
    • a macOS or Windows computer to use during class time
      • with VNC Viewer installed
  • Shared, or optional for each student:
    • a Raspberry Pi

Smart Thermostat Project

Details from a previous instance of this class

Picture of hardware

Features:

  • Raspberry Pi tiny computer
  • Python and TypeScript (a better JavaScript) programming languages
  • making a web application (webapp) with the Flask framework
  • Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
  • electronics fundamentals
  • connecting components on a breadboard
  • relays (4 blue components in the picture)
  • temperature/humidity sensor (whice in the picture, on the breadboard)

Resources needed for each student (probably < $75):

  • Raspberry Pi
  • breadboard
  • relays
  • temperature/humidity sensor
  • jumper wires
  • a macOS or Windows computer to use during class time
    • with VNC Viewer installed

CPX Ring Decoder: Message Sent with Lights and Decoded with Computer Vision

Features:

  • Circuit Playground Express (CPX)
  • Python on CPX (CircuitPython)
    • numpy (scientific computing)
  • computer vision (OpenCV)
  • application of geometry