The Carnegie Mellon spin-out launches its new product on Kickstarter.
BirdBrain Technologies, a developer of educational tools for making, engineering, design and coding, has announced the launch of its new product, Hummingbird Duo, via a Kickstarter project. The campaign goal is $30,000, and as of May 26, just over a third has been pledged with 37 days still to go.
The Hummingbird Duo is the next iteration of the company’s original Hummingbird robotics kit. It provides several levels of engineering and technology learning. Its aim is to be equally fun and educational for all ages from fourth grader to adult maker. It introduces students to engineering design, electronics, and programming through an arts and crafts-based approach that integrates well with core subjects.
The controller is available for $69, while the base electronics kit can be ordered for $129 during the campaign – all discounted from the eventual retail price. The robotics kit was developed as part of Art and Bots, a research project at Carnegie Mellon University. The tool is compatible with popular maker tools and software, and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux (including Raspberry Pi).
BirdBrain spun-out of Carnegie Mellon University in 2010, and is based on the PhD dissertation of Tom Lauwers. His research took place at the university’s Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment Lab.
Tom Lauwers, BirdBrain Technologies founder and co-creator of the Hummingbird, said: “We are extremely excited about the Hummingbird Duo’s potential to empower positive classroom experiences and to grow with students as they learn. The Hummingbird Duo is an excellent kit for introducing electronics, robotics, engineering, and programming in any environment: at home, in the classroom, in summer camp, or in a club.”