The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card size computer board that can run the same basic functions as a PC, but costs a fraction of the price. The device has been used in numerous applications from atmospheric monitoring to robot cars and home automation. A Raspberry Pi Jam is an organised community event where people get together and share knowledge, learn new things and meet other Raspberry Pi enthusiasts. This particular event was structured as a show and tell, meaning that participants were given the opportunity to demonstrate their Pi projects and discuss them with other like-minded Pi enthusiasts.
Jointly hosted by RS Components and Entelect Software, 40 people attended this local event, which kicked off with a keynote address by Eben Upton, the inventor of the Raspberry Pi.
Upton’s address provided guests with an insight into the initial concept of the Pi and the startup phase of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. He explained that the idea of the Raspberry Pi came about through trying to boost interest in computer programming and STEM learning. The concept was to create an affordable computer valued at $35, which needed to be both functional and simple enough for a child to learn coding. The team initially envisioned selling 1000 Raspberry Pi boards, but demand peaked rapidly and five years later over 15 million units have been sold around the world.
During the event, RS Components and Entelect Software representatives shared their expert knowledge with the participants. Projects were judged by a panel according to predetermined criteria, such as, novelty, creativity, technology choices, user experience, simplicity and future potential. First place went to Willie Strydom for a home automation project designed to consolidate various applications into a single user interface accessed from an app on an iPhone or Apple watch. Second place went to Gareth Stephenson for a ‘Pi Cluster’ project that tested the concept of cluster computing using the Raspberry Pi. Third place went to Schalk van Heerden for a prototype concept of a fully automated micro-brewery.
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