How many young people are able to assemble a computer, from scratch? Sure, adults can do it. There are even IT professionals and avid PC enthusiasts that take it to the next level; customizing everything down to the color of the Power LED and cooling systems. But there has never really been an easy way for young people to create their own computer. Well, that was until 2013 when the founders of Kano Computers assembled their first run of computer kits. Their kits include everything required to build a computer, short of a screen (although you can certainly pick up a kano computer screen). That includes the brains, the peripherals, network capabilities and even a speaker. It runs entirely on the Raspberry Pi Single Board computer, and if you've never heard of them before, take a look at our guide.
The primary goal of the Kano kit goes far beyond the DIY/Hobbyist scope. It aims to actively engage young people with technology. It's no secret that every day, the world around us is becoming far more centered around technology. It's a global imperative that we begin, as early as possible, educating our children to ensure they are confident and capable with technology. Kano brings both hardware and software together, creating an extremely comprehensive kit for this exact purpose. Their computer kit is targeted at children aged 8-14 years old; HOWEVER, I had a lot of fun with it myself and I am sure once you use one you'll understand why.
What's in the kit?
The Brains - The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B [CE00269] is the heart of the computing kit. The Pi is undoubtedly the most famous of all the Single board computers available at the moment, likely due to the high quality and affordable price point. The main features of this specific SBC are:
- 1.2 Ghz quad core ARM Cortex-A53
- 1GB of SDRAM
- 802.11n WiFi
- Bluetooth 4.1
- Ethernet Port
- Audio (HDMI, GPIO and 3.5mm Jack)
- Video output via TRRS Composite or HDMI
- Storage using microSD card
The Operating System - An SD Card loaded with Kano OS is in the kit ready to go, all you are required to do is plug it into the SD Card slot. Kano OS is a Debian Linux distribution specifically put together for young people!
The Armor - To house your new computer you receive a clear plastic "snap-together" case. It comes in three parts that give you access to the peripheral ports on your Pi as well as the SD Card Reader on the underside of the Pi.
The Voice - Give your computer a voice by adding a speaker to it. It uses the 5V and GND lines from the GPIO, connected internally using a JST connector. The actual audio signal is carried over the 3.5mm plug that plugs into the external port.
The Keyboard - To interface with your Pi, you'll need a keyboard. Kano provide a bright orange, small form factor keyboard/touchpad all in one! A cool feature of this custom keyboard is the Make and Share buttons that specifically map to functions within Kano OS. Make being a hotkey to assemble any code in any Kano App and Share being a quick way to share your program on social media or with your Kano friends.
The Display - You don't get a screen, but you do get a 1 meter HDMI cable for display connectivity.
The Power - A 5V 2.5A power supply comes with your Kano Kit!
At this point, you're probably wondering what makes the Kano Kit so special, or at the very least what makes it different from the other Pi kits we have. The assembly process is particularly appealing; it really highlights what each part of your computer setup will do. But really, what you can teach and learn with the Kano kit is where the real value lies. We will now take a closer look at Kano OS, including what features come preloaded into your OS. Go ahead and plug your power pack into your Pi, ensuring your display is connected.
First, our new computer asks us for our name...
Then a little tidbit of computer information, the entire setup (and game-world we see later) is full of metaphors and analogies that make the magic of computers exciting.
A gleaning look into binary data, then we get asked to enter the password. A good way for the unknowing to relate binary data to corresponding letters!
A white rabbit jumps past the screen!
To follow the rabbit, we have to enter the code to do so.
After a brief matrix-style loading screen...
We "enter the computer". I have to admit, this analogy of the login process got a grin out of me.
Navigating from the land of binary to pixels, we enter the game world. We have to walk binary selves out of the darkness and into the color. We see a conveyor belt that is attached to a machine, turning 0s and 1s into colored squares. We are prompted to create our own pixel form!
The gamification of the account making process is always a good way to capture the minds of little ones.
We made it! We now have access to our dashboard and can navigate through all the software features on our Kano Computer!
Now you are free to explore your hand-crafted computer all on your own. The series of Creative apps in the center of your dashboard view teach programming basics in a fun and creative way. For example, the Make Minecraft application is one of the favorites, taking the addictive sandbox game and adding simple coding elements to it; it allows you to build so much more, so much faster by using parameters for models you want to build etc. Of course, you can head into the Internet if you have a capable connection. Click the button on the dashboard and you will be taken to the Chromium browser, much alike a typical web browser. Or if you enjoyed it as much as I did, head back into the game world and start interacting with the different parts and people that work on your computer.
Essentially, once you've gone through the setup process you can run free with whatever you'd like to do with your Kano kit! Personally, I really enjoyed the story mode option as the graphical conceptualization of the computer world is simply brilliant. Educators, in particular, will enjoy the make applications, as they introduce coding concepts in a similar way to the hardware concepts. This isn't even beginning to scratch the surface with what you can do with your Kano Computer, but I sure do hope that it gives you a good idea of what Kano is, and what you are in for if you pick one up. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch! We're here to help!
