A few weeks ago, we wrote about the upcoming release of the BBC Micro Bit, speculating on the final design and how it would look and operate. And now the final design is here!

Similar to the Raspberry Pi, this pocket-sized computer will be given to one million UK school kids, encouraging them to embrace digital skills such as coding and 3D making.

The Micro Bit has a programmable LED lights, two buttons, and a motion sensor. For the final version, they removed the battery, which means portable projects aren’t possible without the add-on power module that will have AA batteries. However, this power pack will be a standalone product.

One of the issues they are attempting to address with the MicroBit is how current UK students are leaving school knowing how to use computers, but not knowing how to program them. There is a big digital skills gap, and the UK is being left behind in comparison to other modern countries.

BBC Micro Bit Final Design

UK School kids will be able to write the code for their Micro Bit on a new website where they can save any programs they make. Once they’ve done this, they can transfer them to the device with a USB cable or via Bluetooth.

The neat things about this device is that it can be connected to other devices, such as the Raspberry Pi and Arduino. It could be a perfect addition for the Raspberry Pi!

Back in the 1980s, the BBC released a microcomputer system that was a few hundred pounds. But now, part of the Make It Digital campaign, the MicroBit is being given away for free to every year 7 student around the country.

Compared to the 1980’s device, the MicroBit is:

• 18 times faster
• It is 70 times smaller
• It is 617 times lighter

It’s going to be extremely interesting to see how year 7 students take to the MicroBit when October comes around. I think it could be an extremely useful tool to encouraging students to code. But not just that, the device will allow to children to make and develop their own fun ideas, from robots to wearables, such as a flashing LED hat.