A collaboration between 29 partners, the BBC micro:bit is the BBC's most ambitious education initiative in 30 years, with an ambition to inspire digital creativity and develop a new generation of tech pioneers. The UK currently faces a critical skills shortage in the technology sector and the BBC and partners aim to help change that.

A 5x5 LED matrix with 25 red LEDs to light up and can display animated patterns, scrolling text and alphanumeric characters; On-board motion detector or 3-AXIS digital accelerometer that can detect movement e.g. Shake, tilt or free-fall and use it to control motion activated games; Two programmable buttons. Use them as a. Buy BBC micro:bit go: Computers & Accessories - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases. Characters; On-board motion detector or 3-AXIS digital accelerometer that can detect movement e.g. Shake, tilt or free-fall and use it to control motion activated games; Two programmable buttons.

In the 1980s, the BBC Micro introduced many children to computing for the first time and the BBC micro:bit, part of the BBC’s Make it Digital initiative, will build on the legacy of that project for the digital age. It aims to inspire young people to get creative with digital and develop core skills in science, technology and engineering. Coding in seconds “We happily give children paint brushes when they’re young, with no experience - it should be exactly the same with technology,' Sinead Rocks, Head of BBC Learning said.

'The BBC micro:bit is all about young people learning to express themselves digitally, and it’s their device to own. 'It’s our most ambitious education initiative for 30 years. And as the micro:bit is able to connect to everything from mobile phones to plant pots and Raspberry Pis, this could be for the internet-of-things what the BBC Micro was to the British gaming industry.” It measures 4cm by 5cm, is available in a range of colours, and designed to be fun and easy to use. It can be coded with something simple in seconds – like lighting up its LEDs or displaying a pattern – with no prior knowledge of computing. It also connects to other devices, sensors, kits and objects, and is a companion to Arduino, Galileo, Kano, littleBits and Raspberry Pi, acting as a spring board to more complex learning. Each element is completely programmable via easy-to-use software on a dedicated website, that can be accessed from a PC, tablet or mobile. A personal area on the website allows users to save and test creations in a simulator before they are transferred to the micro:bit, and the available tools scale to be as complex as ideas, imagination and skills require.

• 25 red LEDs to light up, flash messages, create games and invent digital stories. • Two programmable buttons activated when pressed. Use the micro:bit as a games controller. Pause or skip songs on a playlist. • On-board motion detector or “accelerometer” that can detect movement and tell other devices you’re on the go.

Featured actions include shake, tilt and freefall. Turn the micro:bit into a spirit level.

Light it up when something is moved. Use it for motion-activated games. • A built-in compass or “magnetometer” to sense which direction you’re facing, your movement in degrees, and where you are. Includes an in-built magnet, and can sense certain types of metal. • Bluetooth Smart Technology to connect to the internet and interact with the world around you. Connect the micro:bit to other micro:bits, devices, kits, phones, tablets, cameras and everyday objects all around. Share creations or join forces to create multi-micro:bit masterpieces.

Take a selfie. Awe Setup In Peoplesoft Query. Pause a DVD or control your playlist. • Five Input and Output (I/O) rings to connect the micro:bit to devices or sensors using crocodile clips or 4mm banana plugs.

Use the micro:bit to send commands to and from the rings, to power devices like robots and motors. First conceived by BBC Learning in 2012, and initially developed together with the BBC’s award-winning R&D department, the scale and scope of this unique initiative has only been made possible by an unprecedented collaboration between 29 international organisations, pioneering start-ups and transformative education organisations.