The document by Tony DiCola at PyCon 2017 discusses physical computing and its components, including programmable toys, I/O devices, microcontrollers, and mini computers. It highlights various tools and platforms that support Python, such as Lego Mindstorms EV3, LittleBits, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi, showcasing their educational potential. The emphasis is on making electronics accessible and interactive through tangible systems using programming.

1. TANGIBLE TOOLS FOR
TEACHING WITH PYTHON
TONY DICOLA
PYCON 2017

2. ABOUT ME
▸ Tony DiCola, tdicola@adafruit.com
▸ Engineer for Adafruit Industries
▸ Adafruit creates hardware and
tutorials to make electronics
accessible to anyone.

3. WHAT IS PHYSICAL COMPUTING?
▸ Physical computing is to “creatively
design tangible interactive objects
or systems using programmable
hardware” (M. Przybylla and R.
Romeike)
M. Przybylla and R. Romeike, "Key Competences with Physical Computing," in Proceedings
of Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT 2014, Vol. 13, No. 2, 241-245.

4. THREE PILLARS OF PHYSICAL COMPUTING
M. Przybylla and R. Romeike, "Key Competences with Physical Computing," in Proceedings
of Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT 2014, Vol. 13, No. 2, 241-245.

5. TOOLS
M. Przybylla and R. Romeike, "Key Competences with Physical Computing," in Proceedings
of Key Competencies in Informatics and ICT 2014, Vol. 13, No. 2, 241-245.
▸ Programmable Toys & Bricks
▸ I/O Devices
▸ Microcontroller Boards
▸ Mini Computers

6. WHERE DOES PYTHON RUN?
▸ On your computer,
tethered to hardware.
▸ On your hardware,
natively.

7. PROGRAMMABLE
BRICKS AND TOYS

8. PROGRAMMABLE BRICKS & TOYS
LITTLEBITS
▸ Kid-friendly modular electronics
platform. Build things without
soldering or programming.
▸ Tethered Python control of bits.
▸ Arduino bit with Firmata
firmware.
▸ Cloud bit web API: http://
developers.littlebitscloud.cc/

9. PROGRAMMABLE BRICKS & TOYS
LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3
▸ Latest version of LEGO’s
Mindstorms physical
computing platform.
▸ Native Python support using
ev3dev firmware:
www.ev3dev.org and
www.ev3python.com

10. PROGRAMMABLE BRICKS & TOYS
TOY ROBOTS & DRONES
▸ Tethered Python control of many
toy robots and drones is possible.
▸ iRobot Create 2 - http://
www.irobot.com/About-iRobot/
STEM/Create-2.aspx
▸ Unofficial Python libraries for
other toy bots & drones:
▸ Sphere / BB8
▸ Dash & Dot
▸ Parrot AR.Drone

11. PROGRAMMABLE BRICKS & TOYS
EDISON ROBOT
▸ Inexpensive programmable two-
wheeled robot created by
Microbric.
▸ LEGO compatible chassis.
▸ Native python control with EdPy
online editor. Write code in Python
to control the bot and upload it
using audio cable.

12. I/O DEVICES

13. I/O DEVICES
PHIDGETS
▸ USB-compatible sensors and
actuators.
▸ Extensive programming language
support, including Python.

14. I/O DEVICES
CIRCUIT PLAYGROUND
▸ All-in-one electronics learning
board with built-in lights, switches,
and sensors.
▸ Tethered Python control with
Firmata firmware: https://
learn.adafruit.com/circuit-
playground-firmata/

15. I/O DEVICES
HCI (HUMAN CONTROL INTERFACE)
▸ Makey Makey and Circuit
Playground boards act like
keyboards based on touch input.
▸ Easy interactivity for Python
programs on your computer.

16. I/O DEVICES
HCI (HUMAN CONTROL INTERFACE)

17. MICROCONTROLLERS

18. MICROCONTROLLERS
ARDUINO & FIRMATA
▸ Arduino is a a microcontroller-
based electronics learning
platform.
▸ Firmata is a protocol for controlling
an Arduino from a computer:
http://www.firmata.org/
▸ Python can talk the Firmata
protocol for tethered control of
Arduino hardware.
▸ pymata_aio and PyMata libraries

19. MICROCONTROLLERS
MICROPYTHON - PYBOARD
▸ Native Python code execution on
microcontrollers:
http://www.micropython.org/
▸ Excellent support for nearly all
Python 3 core language features.
▸ Interactive REPL for direct control
of hardware.
▸ Early days—tooling and ecosystem
maturing.

20. MICROCONTROLLERS
MICROPYTHON - ESP8266
▸ ESP8266 WiFi microcontroller
created by Espressif for IoT
gadgets.
▸ Great MicroPython support
including WiFi & network access.
▸ Good balance price &
performance.

21. MICROCONTROLLERS
MICROPYTHON - MICRO:BIT
▸ BBC micro:bit is an all-in-one
electronics learning board with
lights, sensors, and wireless
communication.
▸ Comprehensive MicroPython
support for board peripherals.
▸ Very limited memory, just a few
kilobytes available!
▸ Online and desktop Python
programming editors available.

22. MICROCONTROLLERS
CIRCUITPYTHON - M0 & CIRCUIT PLAYGROUND EXPRESS
▸ Adafruit Feather M0, Metro M0 &
Circuit Playground Express boards
support CircuitPython (a
MicroPython derivative).
▸ Based on Atmel SAMD21
microcontroller.
▸ Python code loaded over USB
drive, edit and run anywhere.
▸ Express boards add extra flash
memory for program storage.

23. MICROCONTROLLERS
MICROPYTHON - WIPY, LOPY
▸ WiPy & LoPy are IoT-focused
MicroPython boards from Pycom.
▸ Extensive wireless communication
support (WiFi, Bluetooth, long
range 900mhz).
▸ Mobile, desktop, and cloud control
of boards and code.

24. MINI COMPUTERS

25. MINI COMPUTERS
RASPBERRY PI
▸ Education focused small-board
Linux computer from the
Raspberry Pi foundation.
▸ Pi Zero, lower cost minimal version
of Raspberry Pi.
▸ HAT add ons plug in to 26-pin
header to extend capabilities.
▸ Excellent Python support with
libraries like gpiozero: https://
gpiozero.readthedocs.io/

26. MINI COMPUTERS
OTHER MINI COMPUTERS
▸ Beaglebone boards: http://http://
beagleboard.org/
▸ Orange Pi: http://
www.orangepi.org
▸ Intel Edison & Curie

27. SUMMARY

28. DEMOS