Kitronik Showcase Electronics Expertise for UK Maker Faire 2015
Nottingham based electronics company bring the city’s textile heritage into modern age with e-textiles workshop and new interactive game. This weekend sees the annual UK Maker Faire take place at the Life Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne. This flag ship event for the rapidly expanding maker community brings together over 300 hackers, crafters, coders and inventors from across the world who will showcase their ideas, expertise and inventions over two days. Kitronik, a Nottingham based electronics company specialising in providing kits and resources for people to create their own electronic products, is exhibiting at the event. The company will be hosting an e-textiles workshop and also showcasing its interactive memory game which has been created specifically for the Faire using Kitronik products. The ‘Simon Says’ game is designed for four people to compete against each other in a test of memory. The display on the top of the podium illuminates to show a sequence of coloured lights. The players then have to re-enter that exact sequence back onto the display within 10 seconds. The difficulty of the game increases as more steps are added to each sequence. In addition to showcasing its new creation, Kitronik will also be hosting an e-textiles workshop. Kitronik is bringing Nottingham’s textile heritage into the digital age through the development of its range of e-textiles products. Known as Electro Fashion, these materials enable designers, crafters and makers to easily add electronics to their textiles projects. Attendees of the e-textiles workshop at the Maker Faire will be able to create their own fabric badge using conductive thread which will illuminate a small LED. The materials are sewn together using conductive thread made specially by Kitronik and which requires no soldering. Kitronik co-founder Kevin Spurr comments: “Nottingham is famed for its lace making and textile heritage and through Electro Fashion we are continuing this tradition and bringing it into the 21st Century.” Kitronik was established in 2005 with the aim of helping people to design and make their own electronic projects. The company now works with over 3,000 UK secondary schools to provide both the materials, the resources and the support to make the teaching of Design and Technology relevant and engaging. Kevin adds: “There has always been a huge appetite in the UK for making and inventing and Kitronik was set up to harness this enthusiasm within young people in schools and also those older people in the Maker community who want to build their own products. We have certainly practiced what we preach with the invention of our memory game which we think will get plenty of use from attendees at the Maker Faire.” The annual UK Maker Faire takes place at The Life Centre, Newcastle Upon Tyne on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th April. Kitronik will be exhibiting at the event on both days. ENDS NOTES TO EDITORS Images Associated low resolution images are attached. If you require high res images please contact Chris Mitchell at RedTree Public Relations on 0115 925 5499, 07743 897 748 or email Chris.Mitchell@redtreepr.com About Kitronik Kitronik is owned and run by two electronics graduates who believe that electronics should be accessible to everyone. Since forming the company in late 2005 Kitronik has continued to produce resources and products that allow teachers and hobbyists to get involved in electronics & coding. So far the Company has inspired over 1,000,000 people to solder and build their very own electronic project (the 1,000,000 figure is based on sales of electronic kits). The company supplies directly to 3,000 secondary schools and also via its website. In addition to basic electronic kits, Kitronik offer a number of products for people who want to customise their electronics. It offers a range of products that can be programmed by flowchart or code to implement in their projects. The company is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of educational e-textiles kits which allow people to add lights to their textiles project using its Electro-Fashion range. The parts are connected (sewn together) using conductive thread that Kitronik has specially made and require no soldering. Every Kitronik kit has an accompanying teaching resource pack, allowing people to not only build the kit, but to find out how it works. The resource section of its website is well received by teachers as it contains a range of tutorials, datasheets, project ideas and interactive teaching which all make the job of delivering exciting electronics easy. The extensive e-textiles resources cover all the basics as well as a wide range of projects. Further information & interviews Further information can be found by visiting kitronik.co.uk Kitronik Co-founder, Kevin Spurr is available for interviews and further comments. Please contact Chris Mitchell at RedTree PR on 0115 925 5499, 07743 897 748 or email Chris.Mitchell@redtreepr.com for further information.©Kitronik Ltd – You may print this page & link to it, but must not copy the page or part thereof without Kitronik's prior written consent.
