8-Year-Old Develops 3D Printed Smartwatch For Kids, Will Be Available On Crowdfunding Soon
With numerous maker startups popping up around the world, it is becoming more and more obvious that 3D printers and basic programming need to be integrated into schools to prepare children for their future. It’s therefore very nice to see that children are already picking up making themselves and bringing their visions to life at very young ages.
There is no better example than that of Omkar Govil-Nair, an eight-year-old aspiring programmer and maker, who has already developed his very own 3D printed O Watch smartwatch and has been showing off his watch at his local San Francisco Bay Area Maker Faire this week. He also has plans to make it available everywhere through a crowdfunding campaign.
Like most eight-year-olds, he will be starting fourth grade this year and loves Star Wars, James Bond and Badminton. But unlike most, he also loves working with Arduinos and 3D printing. ‘I got interested in electronics and programming 3 years back when I attended my 2nd Maker Faire. I was inspired by Quin Etnyre then the 12 year old CEO of Qtechknow. Since then I wanted to make my own product,’ he explains about his fascination.
Omkar used the Arduino Zero platform – a 32 bit board based on ARM SoC architecture to design a funky looking smartwatch. Building on that with the the full color OLED screen , you can run apps and games. With the sensor module you can add a humidity gauge, get a temperature reading or even use the watch as a compass when you are lost.
These are all examples of what can be done with the watch. However, Omkar wants his peers to design their own apps and features while learning how to programme in the Arduino IDE.– pretty much anything that is possible using a regular Arduino board and a color screen.
“Since it is a fully Arduino-compatible product in a tiny package, you can do a lot more – pretty much anything that is possible using a regular Arduino board and a colour screen,” said the youngster. “You will also learn how to do 3D design.”
The ultimate aim of the O Watch is to attract children into the maker space and boost them to begin using the tools available to them at an early age. The watch is impressive, not because it’s made by an 8 year old but because its an impressive, high quality build that will appeal to children.
The O Watch will be debuting on a crowdfunding site later this month to make the idea a reality for kids around the world. There will be two options available which are given below:
- Base Watch Kit: Arduino Zero-based programmer board with integrated color OLED screen, LiPo batter, 3D printed watch case, paracord strap
- Smartwatch Kit: All of the above, as well as a sensor board with an integrated 3-axis compass and temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity sensors
Omkar will also be displaying his watch next month at the NYC Maker Faire on the 26th and 27th of September.
As of now, there are no details on the pricing of the watch. Watch this space for more information regarding the O Watch.
