Elecrow has launched a Kickstarter campaign for a “CrowPi” computer education kit for the Raspberry Pi, featuring a breadboard, servo, stepper motor, LEDs, and more, including a 7-inch touchscreen built into a briefcase.

On Kickstarter, Hong Kong based Elecrow is launching a CrowPi educational kit for teaching the basics of Raspberry Pi hardware hacking for classrooms or informal DIY education. The kit, which is available with or without a Raspberry Pi Zero or new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, is built around a CrowPi Development Board that fits into the bottom of the kit’s briefcase. When you flip up the top of the case, you’ll find the built-in 7-inch HD touchscreen. Different models bundle add-ons including a servo and stepper motor.

CrowPi Development Board (left) and open kit with 7-inch touchscreen
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The CrowPi development board has yet to be fully documented, but most of the key features are evident. At the upper left of the board is a space for the Raspberry Pi or for installing your own. There’s also a breadboard, a tiny LCD status screen, a bank of status LEDs linked to GPIO, and both matrix and segment LED arrays.


CrowPi color options
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The board also provides, motion light, and distance (ultrasonic ranging) sensors, as well as a variety of buzzers, relays, and user buttons. There’s even an RFID module for setting up an NFC trigger security system.


CrowPi detail view (left) and connecting a sensor to breadboard
(click images to enlarge)

Assuming Elecrow meets its $29,937 goal by June 16, all products will ship in July. A super early bird CrowPi Basic Kit is available for $119 for the first 50 customers, after which the same kit goes for $149. The kit gives you the CrowPi board with 7-inch display, briefcase, and a variety of add-ons, but does not provide the Raspberry Pi SBC itself. The board supports RPi Zero, 2B, 3B, and 3B+ models.

The CrowPi Basic Kit components include a microSD slot and a 16GB microSD card with preconfigured image file. You also get a 5V 3A adapter, IR remote control, RFID card, touch pen, 5V stepper motor, and a Tower Pro 9g SG-90 mini servo.

CrowPi Advanced Kit components (left) and its mini- and full-sized keyboards
(click images to enlarge)

Intermediate Kits are available with either a Raspberry Pi Zero ($179) or the new RPi 3 Model B+ ($209). These add to the Basic Kit with an earphone with mic, a heatsink kit, and a mini wireless touchpad keyboard. A $249 Advanced Kit, which is available only with the RPi 3 Model B+, adds a USB serial adapter, 2x game controllers, and a wireless keyboard and mouse kit.

The kits ship with printed, step by step instructions, as well as a PDF manual with 20 computer education lessons. The lessons explore Scratch and Python programming as well as GPIO basics, including the difference between BCM and board GPIO. They also explain how to set up an alarm system, game console, weather station, night activated light, and more.

 
Further information

The CrowPi is available on Kickstarter through June 16 starting at $119, with shipments due in July. More information may be found at the CrowPi Kickstarter page, and more may eventually appear on the Elecrow website. Elecrow offers other computer education hacking kits including a Crowtail starter kit for the BBC Micro:bit.