Force Your Kids to Code With This Raspberry Pi Laptop

This article is excerpted from androidcentral, Gizmodo.

 

The CrowPi2 is a very interesting device that is dedicated to STEM learning both through coding and software and hardware and engineering. Powered by a Raspberry Pi, the CrowPi2 features a screen and keyboard as well as a panoply of inputs and outputs that hearkens back to the 100-in-1 electronics kits of yore.

 

The new model is far more laptop-like than the original CrowPi and if the Kickstarter is to be believed you’ll be able to play arcade games and even interact with beginner IDEs using the entire complement of inputs, allowing you to play Flappy Bird with the touch sensor and measure sound levels using the built-in microphones and LED array. Because this doesn’t look like a toy, I suspect parents will have an easier time convincing their younglings not to dump this onto the floor like they do every other STEM product.

 

The CrowPi2 works as a portable laptop, but its primary focus is STEM education. You can learn programming languages like Python, Scratch, and learn about programming AI or even Minecraft all in a super easy way. The software is independently developed specifically for this machine. It also includes 22 kinds of common sensors and modules built in. All you do is remove the keyboard and you get access to all kinds of sensors, including a breadboard for making your own light-up circuits.

 

The laptop specifications include an 11.6-inch IPS screen with 1080p resolution, the Raspberry Pi 4B (Raspberry's latest model), and a removable wireless keyboard. So even if you take the keyboard off to play with the modules underneath, you can still type on the computer. It also has a 2MP camera, a built-in microphone, stereo output speakers, and more.

 

This is a great option for kids, teens, and adults. There's more than 96 course resources and over 20 projects, including games, to choose from. It'll work whether you're a beginner just learning things for the first time or an expert trying to sharpen your skills.