Farnell, an Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, has expanded its range of educational devices from DFRobot. DF Robot’s user-friendly open-source hardware and software tools are designed to inspire future creators by offering an introduction to electronic project design.

Farnell now stocks more than 140 products from DFRobot including a series of robotics kits and the popular Boson Starter Kit for micro:bit, which was awarded Five Stars in the 2018 Teach Primary Resource Awards:

• Robotics kits: DFRobot’s kits introduce users to robotics and programming by simulating real-world equipment and applications. The Max:Bot is a programmable entry-level DIY robot featuring motors, speakers and sensors that teaches junior students how to build a robot with direct programming and remote control operation. The Maqueen Mechanic Kit provides a hands-on introduction to functional machinery through the assembly of a robotic bulldozer and loading machine that can complete real-world tasks such as loading objects and sorting goods. For more advanced students, the 4-Soldering Light Chaser Beam Robot Kit and Insectbot Hexa teach enthusiasts how to solder electronic components while developing a basic understanding of circuits and programming to enable smart motion and obstacle avoidance.

• Boson Kits: Based on a set of easy-to-use modularised plug-and-play electronic building blocks, these kits include tutorials, course materials and free coding software that can be easily integrated with micro:bit and Arduino. The Boson Starter Kit for micro:bit is designed to teach first-time users about coding and electronics using sound and light sensors. The Boson Inventor Kit is an ideal tool for teaching STEM in schools and breaks down complicated circuits into simple, functional modules that are easy to understand. Requiring no coding or soldering, the kit also includes 12 activity cards for building interactive electronics projects with LEGO blocks. The Boson Science Kit is a set of digitalised scientific exploration tools for young scientists to build hands-on projects, The kit includes the eight scientific sensors widely used in modern Internet of Things (IoT) applications, allowing exploration of physics, chemistry and biology.

Romain Soreau, Head of SBC at Farnell, said: “DFRobot is a world leading innovator in the development of accessible and easy-to-use hardware and software tools for STEM education. Their learning kit range delivers hands-on tools that enable students to learn about new technologies in a highly creative and collaborative way. These are great additions to Farnell’s broad education offering and will help to further inspire the next generation of engineers.”

Farnell stocks a broad range of education devices that can be supplied in classes, schools and multiple-school quantities and has worked with multiple educational organisations and governments to support strategic rollouts of STEM learning solutions into the classroom. Farnell can also offer support with provision and bundling of equipment for bespoke large-scale programmes.

The DFRobot range is available from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Farnell, Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, has signed a global distribution agreement with InkSmith to enhance its educational product range and drive cross curriculum learning.

The Climate Action Kit’s project-based learning experiences are designed to teach students how to apply technology to solve real world problems through the lens of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Every project provides a unique hands-on opportunity for cross-curricular learning, with students encouraged to work collaboratively in groups or independently, in the classroom or remotely. Early to senior level students will develop coding and design skills through a variety of experiential learning challenges to design and prototype solutions using the BBC micro:bit. 

Now Made in Canada, InkSmith’s Climate Action Kit helps students take on climate change issues through challenge based learning. The kit introduces students to a variety of climate issues pertaining to SDG15: Life on Land. The projects allows students to explore topics such as deforestation and fertilization run-offs while challenging them to design their own solutions, such as automated tree planters or automated watering systems for vertical or indoor farming. Each of the following curriculum-aligned projects promote critical thinking and problem-solving while learning about environmental issues associated with advanced agriculture, deforestation, carbon farming, insect farming, and plants and pollinators.

The Climate Action Kit, now available from Farnell, includes: 

• All motors, sensors and accessories required to tackle a number of different Climate Action projects
• Teaching resources and curriculum for five project-based lessons (Deforestation, Plants and Pollinators, Insect Farming, Carbon Farming and Advanced Agriculture) 
• COVID ready online curriculum course packs designed by InkSmith’s inhouse education experts to be compatible with remote, in-class, and hybrid learning environments.
• One Climate Action Breakout Board to connect a BBC micro:bit
• An accompanying Teacher’s Guide with easy to follow instructions 

The Climate Action Kit requires the use of a BBC micro:bit which is available separately.

Lee Turner, Global Head of Semiconductors and SBC at Farnell, says: “The Climate Action Kit is the ultimate tool for modern educators wanting to stimulate inquiry-based learning and inspire students to solve real world problems using technology. Technology is our greatest asset to ensure our young leaders of tomorrow have the skills and capability to overcome major global issues such as poverty, climate change and societal justice. Farnell’s market leading distribution network will dramatically expand the global reach of InkSmith's immersive, hands-on learning experiences and ensure educators can provide creative cross curriculum learning opportunities to students at every level.” 

Jeremy Hedges, CEO and Founder at InkSmith, says: “Our global distribution partnership with Farnell means that educators around the world will have access to our Climate Action Kit and the valuable digital, critical thinking and design thinking learning opportunities that it enables. It’s important to us that while we empower the next generation of makers, coders, and problem solvers that we do so as equitably as possible - regardless of socioeconomic and now geographic limitations. The UN Global Goals are a key driver behind why we do what we do, and this partnership helps further that mission”.

Farnell has worked with multiple educational organisations and governments to support strategic rollouts of STEM learning solutions into the classroom, and stocks a broad range of education devices that can be supplied in classes, schools and multiple-school quantities. Farnell can also offer support with provision and bundling of equipment for bespoke large-scale programmes similar to the Super:bit programme in Norway.

InkSmith’s Climate Action Kit is available from Farnell in EMEA and element14 in APAC.

Farnell, an Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, has signed a global franchise with XinaBox to broaden its market leading range of educational devices and kits. The XinaBox range provides a low-cost entry into the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and automation and helps educators combine Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning with the experience of physical computing for students from a young age. Although targeted at education, XinaBox also provides solutions to easily scale beta testing for prototyping new applications.

XinaBox is widely used in secondary schools and colleges across the world due to its ease of use, and suitability for first-time users right through to more advanced secondary students and makers. The XinaBox kits include a selection of xChips, designed to fast track a user’s understanding of the IoT. Specialist knowledge of soldering or hardware components is not required as xChips are simply clipped together without wires, soldering or breadboards, meaning experiments can be setup quickly.

The range of over 80 modular hardware xChips includes cores/CPUs, sensors, power, communication, output and storage. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and LoRaWAN cores have been designed to make it easy to connect projects to the IoT, and other components such as the BBC micro:bit and Raspberry Pi can be easily integrated to supercharge projects. xChips can operate with pre-compiled code or can be programmed from scratch using leading platforms such as MakeCode, Arduino and Python.

The range of XinaBox kits now available from Farnell include:

• XK01 STEM Starter Kit: Suitable for secondary school classrooms, the XK01 STEM Starter Kit enables students to build a simple project and connect to an IoT platform, using the quick start guide. The kit features a Wi-Fi Core, xChip (ESP8266) and includes sensors for temperature, humidity, and pressure, UV index, a mini-OLED display, a spacer chip and connectors. The starter kit can be used to collect and investigate the relationship between data sets such as temperature and atmospheric pressure, temperature and light, temperature and humidity, and visible light and ultraviolet light.
• XK05 micro:bit IoT Kit: An ideal entry-level product, the XK05 IoT kit for micro:bit is designed to introduce young people to IoT technology. The kit enables the analysis of large data sets in the classroom with no previous experience required. Users can learn how to connect the micro:bit to the cloud and build a smart IoT device with the coding extension, MakeCode.

Professional users and makers can also use XinaBox to progress their ideas to prototypes much faster, rapidly improving time to market whilst reducing cost of prototyping and facilitating scaled beta testing:

• XK12 IoT Starter Kit: Powered by Zerynth, the XK12 IoT Starter Kit combines modular electronics with an ecosystem of software tools in Python. The kit contains everything required to build a smart IoT edge device that collects environmental data. An actuator can also be attached to create automation projects such as automated electric gates, garage doors or fans.

Lee Turner, Global Head of Semiconductors and SBC at Farnell, said: “Easy to use tools are key to supporting teachers as they help students develop the computational thinking and complex problem-solving skills needed for a career in a digital economy. XinaBox provides schools and colleges with accessible tools to introduce STEM and IoT while providing inspiration for hands-on learning in the classroom, enabling students to learn about new technologies in a highly creative and collaborative way. For more advanced students, and even professional engineers, XinaBox provides new options to scale beta testing and reduce time to market through its simple, modular, non-solder structure.”

Farnell has worked with multiple educational organisations and governments to support strategic rollouts of STEM learning solutions into the classroom, and stocks a broad range of education devices that can be supplied in classes, schools and multiple-school quantities. Farnell can also offer support with provision and bundling of equipment for bespoke large-scale programmes similar to the Super:bit programme in Norway.

The complete XinaBox range is available from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Newark, the Development Distributor, is now stocking Kitronik products; an exciting range of accessories for micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi, perfect for educators, students, makers and hobbyists.

Kitronik products encourage imagination and creativity when used in conjunction with the latest generation of open-source programmable computer boards. The kits and accessories enable interaction between programming and hardware, making them ideal for developing computational thinking skills in younger students. This new partnership with Kitronik enhances Newark’s range of products for education and builds upon its position as the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of the BBC micro:bit, the largest manufacturer and distributor of Raspberry Pi boards and major stockist of Arduino boards.

Kitronik products can be used to support STEM education in classrooms and after school clubs and seek to engage and inspire students of all abilities to further their knowledge of electronics, coding and design. Newark stocks everything required to get started in physical computing for both education establishments and independent coding clubs.

Kitronik products and accessories for the micro:bit in stock at Newark include:

• The Inventors Kit  provides an introduction to programming and hardware interaction and contains everything required to carry out ten experiments with the micro:bit, using LEDs, motors, light sensors and capacitors. The kit includes an easy to follow tutorial book and no programming experience or soldering is required. Circuits can be completed in minutes.

• The MOVE mini buggy kit provides a fun introduction to robotics making a two-wheeled robot that is suitable for autonomous operation. It is perfect for remote control projects via Bluetooth applications or control using a second micro:bit. Five RGB individually addressable Zip™ LEDs are included which can be used as indicators, and a pen can be attached to the robot to draw shapes. Kitronik’s custom code blocks for the Servo:Lite motors are available to make the task of coding as quick and painless as possible.

• The Kitronik: GAME ZIP 64 is the ultimate retro gaming accessory for the BBC micro:bit. It has been designed to be an all in one hand-held gaming platform, which includes a built-in, 64 (8x8) individually addressable full colour Zip™ LED screen. It features on-board sound, four directional buttons, two fire buttons, haptic feedback, and breakout points so that shoulder buttons or I2C devices can be added. All of these features are fully programmable and breakout points are available to allow for the use of larger LED screens.

Courtney Kennedy, Technology Solutions Marketing Manager at Newark says “The addition of Kitronik further broadens our existing wide range of open-source educational and STEM products. The Kitronik range provides educators with new and creative ways to inspire students to get involved in physical computing, providing easy access to devices that enable them to promote the development of key skills such as computational thinking.”

Newark’s support for the development of the next generation of electronics engineers includes free resources, including lesson plans, project ideas and more, available on the Newark website. Newark has a broad range of products within its product range that promote learning about physical computing, an important way for children to develop computational thinking and team working skills.

The Kitronik products and accessories for micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi are available from Newark.