Supervisor

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Abstract

The micro:bit is an ARM-based embedded development board intended for STEM education (https://microbit.org). To date over two million micro:bit devices have been manufactured and distributed. In this project, you will work with the Micro:bit Educational Foundation to extend the capabilities of this device. Potential projects include (i) developing interaction mechanisms to facilitate local large-scale multi-player games and simulations (e.g. modeling virus contagion throughout a classroom or synchronisation of fireflies) using the existing I/O and peer-to-peer networking capabilities of the micro:bit board, (ii) a data-logging application that allows micro:bit devices to collect experimental data, exposes that data to a webpage through a WebUSB interface, and presents useful data analysis and plotting tools, or (ii) deploying small convolution neural networks on the device to perform image recognition tasks using a low resolution camera made from an optical mouse sensor. You will be encouraged to explore other ideas of your own. The focus is to provide a complete end-to-end solution, balancing the needs of both students and instructors, that can ultimately be incorporated into publicly available micro:bit educational resources.

Prerequisites: No specific prerequisites.