For $99 Kano claims that their computer is the computer that “anyone can make”.
The company has taken to Kickstarter to launch their computer and coding kit for all ages. They call the computer kit, powered by a Raspberry Pi computer board “as easy as lego”. Once the user finishes building the computer, Kano then turns into a tool that can teach anyone to code, just as easily as they built the computer. (Building stuff easily seems to be a theme of ours today)
Gizmag says that most people are accustomed to buying and enjoying a new prepackaged smartphone or computer, but have no idea what goes on inside the hardware or the software. Kano makes it easy to understand both.
The computer itself plugs together quite easily. According to the company’s video it takes just 107 seconds to put together the Kano computer. Then the learning begins.
Kano teaches the basics of computer programming:
- breaking a problem down into a logical sequence of operations
- converting the sequence of instructions into a computer language
- verifying the operation of a resulting program
The Kano language is built on a foundation in Linux and Python but the Kano user isn’t required to learn either language. Rather Kano breaks programming down into coding blocks which already include commands, programming structures, and functions. The blocks are then arranged by the Kano user graphically.
“The delightful thing about the Kano system is that the language is so simple, and so easy to change, that a user can enter the program and change parameters and logic just to see what happens. This sort of play usually carries with it the deepest and most lasting learning.” Gizmag said.
Kano says that with their computer anyone can build:
- A computer, powered by Raspberry Pi
- Games like Pong, Snake
- Music and sounds
- HD video
- A speaker
- Towers of dynamite (…in Minecraft)
- A wireless server
- A custom case, with stickers, decals, or any printed design
- Most Debian Linux packages
- Pretty much anything else, because Kano is open source
Kano already crushed their fundraising goal of $100,000. At the time this article was written Kano had raised nearly $700,000 with 24 days to go. The company built 200 prototype kits and put them through a beta test with ordinary people. You can see those videos here. But just to see how easy the Kano setup is check out this video:
Go sign up for your own Kano at Kickstarter now.
