EduCase Portable Classroom

For those wanting to use the full Arduino control of the Educase I've updated the code on Github. It is now branded as the Aurora firmware for easy identification/tracking. The current build is V1.1

The controller will display our battery voltage levels, monitor temperature, issue alarms, disconnect supply and display all the good info via the trusty 5110 LCD. I'll commit the newer code updates soon!

I've updated the schematics and they are available on GitHub. The main schematic is the overall high level components (not much to see really). It is still missing a bunch of items so I'll get those in later tonight. I wont be staying with the Fritzing ones when we go to production but for now they will do :)

Finally got around to updating the project and I didn't want to just spam all these updates (they all happened in the past) so I will space them out as I add them to the project. The PCB for the monitoring/control system for the Educase is complete.

I'll explain more in the next update but here is a shot of the PCB. The routing needs to be done better I know :) For now it wotks

Apologies for not doing updates here over the summer. Things have been crazy but I'm happy to report the project is coming along great. I spent a pile of time on the hardware itself and getting the Pi's up and running well with the software I wanted.

I lost a pile of the pictures and logs I had taken during a HDD failure but I'll get some more together and post here soon.

Beginning last year I started setting up for this project by gathering all the parts and equipment as well as testing the KU band satellite downlink. The satellite system is indeed optional but I really wanted to have this available for real time news and content regardless of where the case is deployed.

I actually worked directly with the CEO of Outernet (satellite data & content provider) as the popular opinion was that using a small portable dish was impossible. I was able to retrofit the dish with a KU band LNB and indeed get data flowing from the Galaxy 19 geostationary satellite.

I then proceeded to setting up the first Raspberry Pi for the classroom. This will be fully outlined in the build instructions on this project to make it easy for others to duplicate. I installed Raspbian as well as several programs and utilities which will be useful in the classroom environment.

I also loaded several gigabytes of files, textbooks and data on topics such as medical , food production, dentistry, radio communication, python coding, scratch coding, electronics, arduino, web coding, and other topics.

The Pi is now set up for automatic startup of VNC server so I can easily work on the project without retrieving the case. I can remote into it via VNC from my office and easily work within the desktop environment testing the various programs and files on board to ensure they will work in the field without need for network connection.

I have started work on the final assembly into the case itself. The Pelican style case should suitably protect the systems from any abuse it might encounter in the field. The case will house the Pi's, cellular systems, display, portable projector and power systems with room to add more components later depending on where the case will deployed in the world (a refugee camp will have different needs than a rural school in Africa for example).

Here is a documentary which outlines some of the need for this project specifically in refugee camps. Access to information, materials and educational tools is virtually non existent in these places. I am 100% confident a product like the EduCase would fit right in.

Educational discussion starts at the 20 minute mark:

I have been somewhat inspired by the need I see and hopefully I fill a gap and share with others how to easily reproduce their own version of this project. Together we can make a difference.