What would you build with an XK05?

Jump straight to read about the competition or continue reading to find out more about XinaBox and what the XK05 can do.

Connect to IoT with Wi-Fi:

IoT for beginners:

Our MakeCode extension has been tailored to ensure first time users find it as easy as possible to connect their micro:bit to the Internet of Things (IoT).
Find out more
IoT for enthusiasts: Our MQTT MakeCode blocks were developed in close consultation with one of the co-authors of the MQTT standard (thanks @AndySC).
Find out more
IoT for AI / ML: Connect to IBM Watson with the MQTT blocks, or to Azure ML Studio with the Azure blocks, and build Machine Learning into your IoT applications.
Find out more

Add huge storage capacity with Persistent Memory:

With the IM01 and a microSD card you have access to up to 32 Gigabytes of memory, which opens up a huge range of use cases.

Most significantly it allows the micro:bit to be used as a data gathering tool in situations where it is not practical or possible to use existing solutions, such as Wi-Fi, radio, BLE or a serial cable / tether.

Data gathering, and subsequent analysis, is the basis of data science and is useful across the curriculum:

  • Natural Science: get students to gather a few days worth of data then demonstrate Gay-Lussac and / or Charles' Laws.
  • Physics / PE: gather acceleration data over the course of a PE lesson, or from a swing, or roundabout, or roller coaster.
  • Maths / Stats: what better way to learn Mathematical concepts and statistics than by using data sets you have collected?
  • Remote monitoring.  Put the kit in a remote location and record hours, days or even weeks of data - your batteries will run out long before the capacity of the microSD card. 

Reading and writing to the memory card is as easy as reading and writing to a screen or serial port with our MakeCode extension.

What have other people done with their XK05?

All these and more are showcased on this Wakelet (which is a pinboard you can view without signing up for anything).

Who are XinaBox?

We are the only micro:bit peripheral maker with an active and successful space program:

We also have kit installed in Antaractica at the SANEA IV research base.

 
We've been supplying kit to the Education sector for over four years: we're in schools from Silicon Valley to Cambridge to rural Mpumulanga (South Africa) and in Universities too. Our kit is on every continent and in the hands of students from primary school to tertiary education.
Our thanks to @AmazingICT for this fantastic video (3 minutes) of our kit being used by primary school children:
 
And we are a Microsoft Certified Training Partner too.

Why XinaBox?

Because in 2020 you do not NEED to learn how to solder, or use breadboards, or to trip over tons of messy cables. Or to learn any of the twentieth century circuit building skills. These skills are cool and fun, but not necessary and can be a barrier to young learners.
 
By making it as easy to build digital instruments as it is to code them, we allow students and learners to focus on application. Engaging with technology and applying it in contexts outside of the computer science lab.
 
So, skip out years of learning how to build instruments the old fashioned way and see how easy it can be: this 1-minute video will show you all you need to build a massive range of digital instruments:
 
But there is a lot more to us than just ease-of-use. This 1-minute video runs through some of the key benefits of using the XinaBox ecosystem:
 

Rules and details of the Competition:

What would you do with your micro:bit if you had access to Wi-Fi (and therefore IoT) and / or persistent memory?  Perhaps use it in an invention or a monitoring device?  Maybe a lesson plan or tutorial?  Or an experiment?  Or something else altogether. 

We'd love to hear about it and we'll give away at least 5 XK05s to ideas that are interesting / useful / funny / creative, subject to the terms below:

  • The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18. Our apologies to younger people for this necessary limitation.  By entering you are confirming that are over 18 and accept the terms outlined.
  • Write your idea on Facebook or Twitter. Tag it with #MadeWithXinaBox. We may not be able to consider incorrectly tagged entries.
  • Your idea does not have to be limited to just the XK05 - you can include other functionality too. But it must include a micro:bit and Wi-Fi and / or persistent memory.
  • The idea can be realistic or outlandish.  We encourage real-world and simple applications as well as sci-fi stuff :) 
  • We'll look through these on an ongoing basis and we will award at least 5 prizes throughout June and early July. The competition closes on 31st July.
  • Please remember to follow us, so that we can send you a DM if your submission wins.  We are @xinabox
  • We don't want any of your personal data. If you win you will need to provide us with a postal address though. The highest standard of data protection (GDPR) will be applied throughout.
  • The competition is open to everyone around the world. There are some countries that we cannot service though. If you win, and if you live in a country that we cannot service, you may nominate someone in a different country to receive the prize on your behalf.
  • Judges decision is final.
  • After the competition we will blog about the ideas.  We will seek your permission to tag your social media IDs in the blog.
  • Winners are invited to build their idea, and we will provide technical support and help. If you choose not to build your idea we may go ahead and build it ourselves.
  • If you are unable to use Twitter or Facebook to submit your entry you may contact us via our help desk.

Thanks!

Going Further with XinaBox: