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Raspberry Pi Founder Shows Off Incoming Touch Panel for Making DIY ‘Pi Pads’

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Re: Raspberry Pi Founder Shows Off Incoming Touch Panel for Making DIY ‘Pi Pads’

#4

Post by codezero »

georgemcbay wrote: post #2

In retrospect, we really should have made a cat-shaped chumby (see: linked video @ ~13:19)

Aw. Chumby brings back memories. I still have my original Chumby in a box somewhere and it always makes me feel nostalgic.

Re: Raspberry Pi Founder Shows Off Incoming Touch Panel for Making DIY ‘Pi Pads’

#5

Post by Animats »

The Raspberry Pi is a developer board which brings out the pins of an ARM chip designed for use in low-end tablets. If you want a tablet using the same chip, you can easily buy one. The price point on Alibaba is about $30-$50. Even on Amazon you can get one for $50.

Re: Raspberry Pi Founder Shows Off Incoming Touch Panel for Making DIY ‘Pi Pads’

#6

Post by teekert »

This is great news! I have one of my RPis attached to a MDF plate together with a breadboard. I have bought several temperature sensors, relais and 434 MHz transmitters/receivers to play with. For now I'm doing all "development" with an old eee laptop but it would be nice to do it directly on the Pi with a BT keyboard. At some point I want this up on the wall where the thermostat is and have it control music, the heating and check buienradar.nl for example. So a stylish case would be nice :)

Re: Raspberry Pi Founder Shows Off Incoming Touch Panel for Making DIY ‘Pi Pads’

#7

Post by derekp7 »

Since the Pi is meant to be for education, what I think would further this goal is to turn the Pi into a graphing calculator as a replacement for the TI series that is currently required in many high schools / colleges. So you would take the basic design, add the case, battery, button pad, cheap screen. Think of a calculator that has the Pi's SD slot, HDMI, USB, GPIO, etc ports.

When used in class or on tests, it can run a built-in program from its ROM. For use in full computer mode, you boot it off an SD card. Anti-cheating can be done via DRM features that are already available on the chip (although open-source purists wouldn't like this part, but it shouldn't get in the way in "full computer" mode).

The way the anti-cheat code could work is simply a calculator function which gives a digital signature hash based on user input. Student enters a serial number from the test, and writes down the function's output (which is derived using a private key burned into the chip, and only accessible by the built-in calculator-mode code).

The reason I think a calculator form factor would work better for the education market, is that every high school already requires a $100 graphing calculator, so might as well make it the calculator be of more use.

Re: Raspberry Pi Founder Shows Off Incoming Touch Panel for Making DIY ‘Pi Pads’

#8

Post by zaroth »

derekp7 wrote: post #7

Since the Pi is meant to be for education, what I think would further this goal is to turn the Pi into a graphing calculator as a replacement for the TI series that is currently required in many high schools / colleges. So you would take the basic design, add the case, battery, button pad, cheap screen. Think of a calculator that has the Pi's SD slot, HDMI, USB, GPIO, etc ports. When used in class or on tests, it can…

This is a really interesting concept. Trying to start kids on rougher edges, it really is amazing what some kids this will get them to do. I might buy them for my kids.

But if it's not the approved device, then kids can't follow along in class, right? Do you need full emulation of the competitor interface? It would be neat to see such a device succeed, seems like a tricky path.

I think it's more likely that we converge on something like a tablet form factor and get cross-platform apps. $100 will definitely buy a solid educational tablet.

Re: Raspberry Pi Founder Shows Off Incoming Touch Panel for Making DIY ‘Pi Pads’

#10

Post by ooz »

derekp7 wrote: post #7

Since the Pi is meant to be for education, what I think would further this goal is to turn the Pi into a graphing calculator as a replacement for the TI series that is currently required in many high schools / colleges. So you would take the basic design, add the case, battery, button pad, cheap screen. Think of a calculator that has the Pi's SD slot, HDMI, USB, GPIO, etc ports. When used in class or on tests, it can…

Most people I know buy second hand TIs which aren't expensive. They are around the $20-50 (GBP conversion) mark here in the UK.

The Pi is not exactly a good proposition for a calculator either based on form factor and power usage. Also you really do need a tactile input system for calculators as they help avoid costly and confusing mistakes.

I'm not sure why there is so much hate for TI to be honest; they are very functional, very robust, have very good battery life and good resale value. I myself however use a $20 Casio 115/991ES PLUS.

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