Computer and coding kit

Computer and coding kit, Kano, London, United Kingdom, 2015-2016. Consists of Raspberry Pi 2 Model B V1.1, case (in two pieces), speaker, keyboard, wireless USB connector, KANO software, plug adapter (USA) and power (2 parts), two cables (USB flat cable and HDMI cable) and three instruction manuals (Book 1: make a computer; Book 2: code powers; Book 3: technical info). This model was developed after the success of a Kickstarter campaign in 2013. The kit is designed to educate children and adults on how to build and code computers.

Made of plastic: alloying polymers including ABS, PP, PE; Acrylics Copper encapsulated wires with gold and nickel coated connectors; PCB is glass reinforced with components held with lead free solder; The ICs utilise a silicone wafer thickness of as little as 120 nano meters; recycled paper.

This is a first-generation computer and coding kit made by London-based company, Kano, in 2015. Powered by a Raspberry Pi, the kit is designed to de-mystify the inner workings of a computer by revealing the hardware within. The kit instructs users on how to build it and then how to code through fun games and unlocking levels. This kit represents an effort to make computing open and inclusive for both adults and children and creates room for innovation and creativity.

The company was funded through crowdfunding, raising in total over $40 million between 2013 and 2017, making it one of the most successful UK crowdfunding campaigns. This kind of community funding has recently exploded, and Kano has harnessed the benefits of it claiming to have generated innovative ideas around case design, business models and education packages. Kano has also created ‘Kano World’ which is an online repository for projects that users have created using their Kano computers. This is a place where users can share their work and learn from others.