The BBC unveils the Micro Bit computer that'll help children learn to code

The BBC today unveiled the final version of its new Micro Bit, a pocket-sized computer that will be used by millions of children in UK schools to learn coding.

The Micro Bit, which the BBC deemed to be their “most ambitious education initiative” since they released the BBC Microcomputer System in the 80s, is similar to a Raspberry Pi or Arduino board. It’s a programmable microcontroller that features ports, pins and LEDs, which can be used via simple code to complete different tasks.

The Micro Bit was developed in partnership with Microsoft, ARM, Samsung and others and will be donated to millions of children for free starting this October. The aim of the whole project is to teach kids the basics of coding and how our devices work, and narrow the gap between the number of people who use smart devices and the number of people who can actually program them.

That being said the Micro Bit won’t actually be competing with the likes of Raspberry Pi and Intel’ Galileo, which are more complex and considered full-featured mini-PCs. Instead the Beeb’s Bit can be used in tandem with those devices to complete more complex tasks. And thanks to the Bit’s Bluetooth antenna it can even be used directly with regular smartphones.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Research has focused on developing the coding environment for the new devices. In a new version of its TouchDevelop app, kids can use very abstracted code to create their applications in a simple, yet powerful environment. But if that’s too complex, Microsoft also created a visual coding solution, called Block Editor, to get kids started with the very basics of coding.

The BBC’s Micro Bit will show up in schools in October and until then Microsoft, Samsung and the other partners will be busy showing teachers how to use the new device and tools at their disposal. The BBC also confirmed that the Micro Bit’s specifications will be open sourced and that the device will eventually go on sale for a very affordable price in the UK and other parts of the world.

Source: BBC, Microsoft Research