Back in 2018, Elecrow hit Kickstarter with an electronics learning lab-in-a-box based around the Raspberry Pi. A 2nd generation crammed the lab into a laptop form factor. The CrowPi 3 "playground for programming, electronics, and pure maker magic" goes all-in-one.
The CrowPi 3 launches as an all-in-one portable electronics and programming lab with dozens of modules to fuel your tinkering journey, and over 180 interactive lessons to help you on your way.
It boasts direct support for the Raspberry Pi 5 and other small boards such as Arduino Nano, Pi Pico and micro:bit – meaning you won't need to break out cables like you did for the CrowPi 2.
Elecrow has built in 41 modules too, including sensors (ultrasonic, touch, passive IR, temperature, humidity), a breadboard for circuit experiments, GPIO headers, a 4.3-inch tilting touchscreen plus a dot-matrix LCD panel, RGB LED matrix, RFID, and more.
There's a joystick and buttons for onboard control, and the system comes with a microSD card packing drivers, tools and learning resources but users are free to install and run their preferred operating systems. This learning library features a bunch of lessons for different boards. Of the CrowPi 3 kits available, only the advanced and deluxe flavors will ship with a Pi 5 board included.
You'll also need to factor in a laptop over HDMI/USB to punch in code. The CrowPi 3 supports programming platforms like Python, Scratch, Arduino IDE Node-RED and MakeCode, among others – with learning modules available for some, and the strong possibility of others being added later.
Going online will allow users to tap into AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Deepseek and other popular Large Language Models – though small offline AI models can be deployed on the Raspberry Pi 5 directly (and there are tutorials to show you precisely how to do so).
"Whether you're learning, exploring, or building AI locally, it gives you the tools and hardware foundation to learn and innovate," reads the campaign pitch. Elecrow has included tutorials on controlling hardware using voice control, generating AI imagery and videos using text or voice prompts, and using AI vision to detect, identify and tracks objects.
Each curated course has been designed to take a maker "from beginner basics to real-world projects." The open learning station can also serve as a chatbot - your digital pal – for real-time conversations, help with day or trip planning, or to access the world's information library in an instant.
The "portable learning station designed with a sleek industrial aesthetic that makers love" can run on rechargeable batteries, or be powered via the included mains adapter. A semi-transparent magnetic dust cover is included, and there's an option to include a wireless keyboard and trackpad that snaps into place too.
"From ultrasonic sensing and interactive lighting to gesture-controlled music and AI learning, CrowPi 3 turns programming theory into real-world skills with over 180 interactive lessons," said the company. "Our self-developed learning software makes it fun and accessible, teaching Python, AI concepts, and even Minecraft automation step by step. Plus, you can explore Node-RED for IoT and hands-on courses for micro: bit, Raspberry Pi Pico, and Nano-compatible boards."
Kickstarter pledges for the early bird basic kit currently start at US$159, while the Edu kit version (with three CrowPi 3 learning stations) comes in at $447. You'll need to supply your own Raspberry Pi 5 for these perks, but the Advanced kit includes the popular development board along with wireless keyboard and mouse and other accessories for $289. A Deluxe flavor of the Advanced option adds in a CrowView Note portable monitor for $409.
All crowdfunding campaigns have an element of risk, but Elecrow has good form for delivering projects and also operates a successful webshop outside of the crowdfunding space. If all goes to plan with this already funded campaign, shipping to backers is estimated to start from August. The video below has more.
Source: Elecrow
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