Introduction to Physical Computing with MicroBlocks

Physical computing involves writing programs to interact with the physical world that run on low-cost, battery powered microcontroller boards such as the micro:bit, a credit-card sized computer with built-in sensors and output devices that costs under $20. Created by the BBC to foster interest in STEM, the micro:bit is becoming a popular tool for computing education around the world.

MicroBlocks is a free blocks programming language for physical computing that runs on the micro:bit and other microcontrollers. It supports the same tinkerability that makes Scratch, Snap!, and Logo so engaging. Program changes take effect immediately, even while the program is running, and code snippets or individual blocks can be clicked to see what they do.

MicroBlocks can be used to make art projects that move and light up, retro games you can carry in your pocket, or musical instruments. It can be used to build a crazy vehicle controlled by a Teachable Machine AI model or to collect data for real science experiments, such as exploring the effects of weightlessness in the ZeroGee astronaut training plane.

If you've never done any physical computing, this hands-on workshop will help you get started. If you are already an expert, it will give you some new ideas to try.

To fully participate, you'll need a laptop with the Chrome or Edge browser and a USB port, a micro:bit or other MicroBlocks-compatible board (see https://wiki.microblocks.fun/en/boards/supported), and a USB cable to connect the two. Don't have a board yet? No worries -- you can get started using a virtual board that runs right in the browser.

The workshop will be recorded. Everyone who registers will have access to the recording for later review. If you are interested in the topic, but can't attend the live Zoom session, you can register anyway and view the recording at a time that's good for you.

About the workshop leader:
John Maloney is best known as one of the co-creators of Scratch, which he worked on for its first eleven years at the MIT Media Lab. He also helped create Squeak Smalltalk, EToys, GP Blocks, and the Morphic UI framework. John is now the lead developer for MicroBlocks, a free, Scratch-like blocks programming language for physical computing that works with the micro:bit and many other microcontrollers. John earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from MIT and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Washington.