A toolkit for tinkering with tangibles & connecting communities
Edward Baafi, Amon Millner · 2010
In this hands-on Studio, you'll explore Modkit, a new toolkit for creating tangible interfaces (e.g., bike handlebars with interactive lights and sounds). Modkit makes it possible for novices and experienced programmers/designers to bring tangibles to life by offering graphical command blocks inspired by the Scratch programming environment. Modkit tools work with the Arduino platform's library of code (such as C/C++) to enable users to participate in a community rich with project ideas and sample files. Modkit supports multiple representations of code - graphical command blocks can become editable text-based code to offer additional avenues for learning and sharing. The Studio welcomes members of the research, industrial, academic, maker, and I-just-want-to-have fun communities of all experience levels to participate. Participants will have opportunities to use Modkit in personally-meaningful ways. Participants who wish to extend Modkit tools with new functionality will have opportunities to do so. The organizers will conclude the Studio with a discussion around activities, example projects, and approaches to adapting the toolkit to different settings. Participants will contribute to brainstorming about potential uses, future directions, and collaborations.