kano + map create camera, pixel and speaker kits to code the world

kano, the london-based creative computing company whose first two kits were a basic computer and keyboard kit for assembling a screen, has announced a new system of products that includes a ‘camera kit’; ‘pixel kit’; and ‘speaker kit’—LEGO-like kits to build connected devices–and ‘kano code’; the online tool to code them, from any browser. kano returns to kickstarter to roll out the new system, and enlist the support and feedback of its community.

‘tiny computers and sensors power the pervasive machines that surround us–and yet, only a fraction of us know how to do much more than swipe their surface screens,’ says alex klein, CEO and co-founder of kano. ‘after bringing our award-winning computer kit to 86 countries, there’s no stronger platform to unveil a new kind of computing than kickstarter, where we brought kano to life. our new system takes all ages deeper into the world of physical computing, letting you build and code the world around you with simple steps.’

the range of build-it-yourself electronics includes: ‘the camera kit’–five mega-pixel codeable camera with a tripwire sensor to design flashes and filters, and use data triggers to make images, videos and GIFs; ‘the pixel kit’–light board with 128 dazzling pixels and a tilt sensor to build games, visualize real world data sourced from the cloud, and create artwork in 1.7 million colors; and ‘the speaker kit’–programmable smart speaker with a gesture sensor to record, control and synthesize your own sounds and electronic music.

kano’s ‘code’ software is a new tool that lets people, from beginners to advanced users, create sophisticated interactive apps to power the new kits–with dragged blocks, and typed text–as well as digital creations, like songs; artwork; minecraft; and games. the modular kits also gain access to an online community platform where more than 19 million lines of code have been shared, and creations are converted into simple steps for others to follow. the three new products are powered by a new kind of single-board computer, the ‘kano brain’, which connects to other devices over wi-fi and bluetooth. these are standalone devices, programmable by connecting them to any PC with a screen, including kano’s ‘computer kit’ and ‘screen kit’. in each new set comes a ‘kano sensor’, which works with existing USB compatible hardware such as laptops and desktop computers. kano code is available for free, as part of the company’s mission to bring creative computing to anyone, anywhere. it connects to live open data on weather; location; sports; and social, and comes with a suite of simple challenges that reward progress and scale skills.

the strategy; design; and development of the new system was led by kano’s in-house product; graphic; industrial; and digital design teams. they were advised on industrial design by map project office. the global kano community including educators kids, artists, engineers and partners such as coderdojo and kahoot! have been instrumental in bringing the new system to life with their constant feedback.

‘kano came to kickstarter in 2013 with a project that our community loved, and they followed through in ways that delighted their backers’, comments john dimatos, senior director, design and technology communities at kickstarter. ‘we’re thrilled to have them back as they introduce a beautifully designed set of tools for creative exploration.’

kano is currently reaching out for funding via its kickstarter campaign, which can be viewed here.