Learning coding for kids is a really important skill, and is becoming more and more recognised as something to be encouraged and taught from an early age. But why learn to code with Python? Why is it such a popular choice for summer camps and schools all around the country
We've been putting the latest toys through the ringer again ... for the upcoming Drone Racing course, we wanted to find the best drone that fitted our criteria. It had to be:
We love 3D printing. It's a big part of one of our most popular courses, and we have half a dozen in our own office that we use to print parts for things like our Laser Tag system. They can be one of the more frustrating technologies to use, though, and it's important to know the basics like the importance of levelling the bed properly and getting the first layer right. Doing some simple maintenance on the printers is also important, and something we try to teach the campers. This video is a great introduction to some of the more important things to keep your printer running smoothly.
Nikola Tesla is a big name in Science & Technology, long before his name became synonymous with electric vehicles. A legendary engineer, inventor and futurist, Tesla was one of the early pioneers of alternating current and wireless transmission. Although known more for his work with electricity, Tesla had many clever ideas, including one of the most interesting valve designs you might have seen. Here's a modern take on visualising how it works using flammable gasess.
If you're up for a stocking filler, (only 300 days to Christmas!), or just want to encourage a young (or old) inventor, this is one of our favourite products. Sugru is a product that's hard to explain. They call it 'mouldable glue'. Think blu-tack that sets to a silicone rubber. This means that if you can make something out of play-doh, you're qualified to use this, and what you create is not only flexible and impact-resistant, but also temperature resistant as well, as silicone rubber is the substance used to make the modern rubberised style of oven mitt. Create grips for cables, protective bumpers for phones, wheels for your next robot, and much more. From only £15 for a multi-colour 8-pack, it's cheap enough to buy a pack just to play with. https://sugru.com
It's difficult to learn coding without access to a computer. We take it for granted in the west, but the affordability of a modern laptop makes it difficult in many places of the world. We recently had an opportunity to support REACT, a charity that was founded in the UK but supports young people in Ghana to access education.
OK, so this isn't one for your average 9 year-old, but for a teen (or older) who is REALLY into electronics, this is one amazing book. What makes it more incredible is that it's been the Electronics Bible for several decades already. Tom (Tech Camp's MD) stumbled upon this as a teenager himself (definitely several decades ago), and it's been the go-to reference ever since.
Our FPV Rally Racing Course is shaping up to be an amazing experience. We don't like to blow our own trumpet, but we're pretty happy with what we've created so far. Think: a high-speed RC car, with a FPV camera installed in the driver seat, and a F1-style programmable steering wheel.
