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Resources / Robotics

Dublin Airport Security meets SafariBot!

What a journey!

SafariBot has the look of something that airport security might well be expected to raise an eybrow about.

Yet on the way over to Mourne, those manning security at Heathrow were calm and intrigued – albeit SafariBot had a cracked sensor deck on account of my trying to squeeze the robot into a rucksac.

The same rucksac was packed with the best of Irish food for the return leg. 

 

Dublin Airport’s security team were rather less calm. It didn’t help that I was running late for the flight. The dense mass of organic food: 2.5kg of butter in rectangular blocks and a further 1kg bag of good Irish spuds must have made for an interesting x-ray. The rucksac was duly given the “shunt of shame” along the special carousel!

I watched as the robot appeared next. A crowd of three scrutinised it before it was carefully loaded onto a very special trolley. Both items made their way towards me pushed by steely-eyed guards. The questions started: what? why? what? And then I caught sight of my hands – covered in blood! Yes, for some unknown reason my hands had chosen that moment to leak blood all over the place.

It actually had a humanising effect on the guards – who rushed off to find plasters. Once all was resolved I grabbed my shoes and belt and rushed through the duty free corridor – before kneeling down beside the bulging bag and curious robot to tie my shoe laces. The look that I got from some alarmed passers -by was one of mild horror and shock! Safaribot travelled back under the seat.

 

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October 14, 2026
Resources

New Logo

1999 - 2012

2012 - 2021

2021- 2026

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October 9, 2026
Resources / Robotics

Robot Arrivals

Excited to begin testing of the new Freenove Raspberry Pi robots.

 

Although they will need extra functionality added to become RaceHub robots (such as RGB lighting strips / dot matrix diplays) – the signs are that their manoeuvrability is similar to the Micro:Bit powered units – which makes them thoroughly race ready!

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May 11, 2026
InFindingOut (IFO) / Resources / Space To Learn

Cat 6 underground

A network cable that was precariously strung between trees – tin can telephone style! – has now been replaced with an underground cable.

Hopefully schools in Swindon can now enjoy uninterrupted camera feeds of the squirrels and other animals!

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April 3, 2026
Resources

Sora to see it go

The Sora AI video creation app offered remarkable creative possibilities. I am currently exploring a method of combining physical computing triggers with alternative AI video creation tools such as Runway and Pika.

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March 26, 2026
Resources / tech_ventures

Quiz Machines

Each week when I visit Bishopstone Primary School (the smallest, most perfectly formed village school with whom I have been friends for a very long time) – they are eager to bring technology into our studies in ever more imaginative ways.

Inspired by this, I have created Quiz Machines, which allow quick assessment of any subject, using off-the-shelf equipment. 

The four options that each pupil has available are important, as a teacher could deploy them many ways – for example in RE where personal perspectives and reflection allows for answers to be indicative without needing to be considered “right” or “wrong”.

Further details and an example of the code can be found here: Quiz Machine HQ – Flickernet

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January 27, 2026
Art of Conversation / Resources / Tech To Help (TTH)

The Islands Awake!

Please click here to view the virtual world that Class 9G  of Crowdy’s have spent the last two terms building. 

As we prepare to begin the building of two new islands for this world with Class 9C, we are reminded of what a privilege it is to witness young people applying themselves to a unique task such as this, especially given the step that they bravely took to use ChoiceBoxes to vote with.

Driftwood Islands
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January 6, 2026
Resources / tech_ventures

Quiz Machine

Fun in Bishopstone today creating what we are calling Quiz Machines!

These are based on MicroBits, Bit Commanders and View screens – the same equipment that we are using to build the ChoiceBoxes at Crowdy’s – but this time they act as “fastest finger first” devices that transmit to the Receiving Unit the team name followed by the answer.

We plan to develop them so that they can toggle between multiple choice and written answer as well as keeping a score electronically.

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December 2, 2025
Resources

K10 and kit

Somewhat looking forward to introducing this new kit!

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October 15, 2025
Resources / Space To Learn

MountainCam

Describing the Mountains of Mourne to a classroom of children in England can only go so far in capturing what they are really like! Perhaps most challenging to articulate is their sheer brooding mystique.

I am hopeful that the new MountainCam will help to establish the context for Space To Learn, and to set the scene for the woodland / river sensing that we undertake on the slopes of the mountains as they sweep down to the sea.

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November 4, 2024
Resources / tech_ventures

Cardboard Interface Kit

Building touch control kits with Years 3 and 4 so that Scratch programs can be controlled through external inputs (Makey Makey) whilst sending images to an external output (Micro:Bit)

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June 4, 2024
Resources / Space To Learn

WoodsCam

Continuing an exploration into remote sensing and the ability to experience an environment from afar – the latest WoodsCam overlooks a badger set, extending the range of the cameras further into the woods.

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May 17, 2024
Resources / RRC

Pressure Pad / Robot Wheels

In preparation for the inter-school robot race, we are creating interactive arena features at Bishopstone. For the purposes of automatic activation, we are building pressure pads with sufficient sensitivity that robot wheels can trigger them!

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March 20, 2024
Resources / tech_ventures

Bash Bash Machine

Another name for Minecraft is BashBash – or at least in our house anyway! We first played it on a Raspberry Pi 3b – a rather simplified version, but nonetheless fun. Given the need that I find to demonstrate to pupils what a huge range of inputs are possible (cue tin foil, pressure pads, capacitive touch experiments etc) – there developed a good excuse to build a box with many connections.

Rather than have a light toggle or a buzzer sound when a connection is made – what if those input triggers meant that a Minecraft world was moved through, built and bashed? More to follow!

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February 15, 2024
Resources

BETT: future fun!

BETT 24 was every bit as exciting as the ’23 gathering. Table Talks are a new initiative: the chance to share ideas with fellow educators – in our case from many European countries and as far as Angola.

My favourite corner remains the STEM zone. It was good to catch up with Ricky from DFRobot; Kevin from Kitronik, Magda from Micro:Bit and Steinar from MakeIT.

Keep an eye on the upcoming Flickernet Roadshow to see some of their new products in action!

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January 31, 2024
Resources / Space To Learn

Endoscopic!


Exploring underground tunnels with an Android connected endoscope – hidden worlds!
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December 16, 2023
ARC / Digital Writes / Resources / Robotics / RRC / Tech To Help (TTH)

Robot Racing Club

Delighted to announce the start of RRC -with the ever-wonderful St Mary’s Primary School! We are currently exploring which kit works best, and hoping to develop this new club in support of neurodivergent pupils soon. Thank you to Colm and the team for providing every opportunity to explore new technologies with his wonderful class – from Unity-built gaming to the upcoming WatchBox – these pupils are pioneers!

www.flickernet.net/rrc

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November 27, 2023
ARC / Resources / Space To Learn / tech_ventures

Pi Upgrades

Led by Zjeremy, (who retains what Steve (HoD GWA) affectionately refers to as a “prototyping look”!) – a number of Raspberry Pi upgrades are now taking shape. Zjeremy needs to run Scratch 3 with a bit of vim if he is to juggle multiple HATS for interfacing with. His secondary 3b board was not up to speed, but the 4b seems happier. To celebrate, he was coded into taking images of the woodland views from the second floor of Great Western Academy.

Meanwhile low cost LCD screens set into basic plastic boxes are a quick and simple addition for classroom kit. Raspberry Pi units deliver physical computing with core electronics and more advanced sensing: it is helpful to enclose them for protection during transport. A ribbon cable allows the GPIO to be extended for easy connections.

The CarFume Detector unit is almost ready for deploying on a busy Swindon street. It will mirror the functionality of Zjeremy and the Tree Pi – providing new urban data for comparison.

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November 16, 2023
Resources / Tech To Help (TTH)

Trilled

Thank you Francesca for featuring my recycling blog (Jumpstart The Junk) on TrilbyTV.

Having been recently introduced to Simon from the inspirational Green Machine – I am keen to continue exploring ways in which to bring old tech to life! There are so many people in need of repaired or repurposed technology – e-waste is avoided when it can still function as a valuable tool.

Conduct & code – Ways to repurpose tech in the classroom
TrilbyTV blog
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October 18, 2023
Resources / Space To Learn / tech_ventures

Thermal woodland trail

As the cold evenings draw in, there is a type of thermal enhancement that doesn’t warm the toes much, but that does identify hidden cctv cameras in the trees! Thank you Eden for testing out your thermal imaging mobile phone functionality in our wood!

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October 12, 2023
Background_history / Resources / tech_ventures

Flickernet Archive – First Event

Sharing a particular historical archive using technology and the outdoors is an ongoing mission. As those familiar with this undertaking are aware, over the last year I have converted an 1830s schoolhouse building into an archive storage and digitisation facility. This then enabled me to begin work on the Historical Narrative – a book that seeks to weave together the many stories that belong in Mourne Park. In addition I am recalling what it was like to grow up in this beautiful place. On 23rd September a group of hardy folk joined me in the woods to hear the fist five chapters read, and media shared. Thank you to those friendly faces for their encouragement and patient listening. Video and audio snippets to follow.

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September 27, 2023
Resources / Space To Learn / tech_ventures

Recycling Machine

Loving creating resources for team Digit<all> – with thanks to Amazon Sustainable Futures.

This is the Recycling Machine: metal detector drives a servo to sweep ferrous materials from a conveyor belt!

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July 15, 2023
Resources

Boson for KS1

Enjoying exploring the DFRobot kit from BETT – this time the Boson Science equipment which is ideal for KS1 physical computing. Great Micro:Bit integration!

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July 14, 2023
Resources / Tech To Help (TTH)

Phoenix Enterprise

Thank you Clare for meeting with us today. We are really looking forward to helping your service users to develop an illuminated logo and animated text board. The club that we will run for you in the Autumn will enable those who choose to come along to work collaboratively to design, build and code a bright solar-powered phoenix that will hang in the factory window sharing information and, most importantly, demonstrating to all what great capabilities exist in the Phoenix team.

www.flickernet.net/phoenix

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July 6, 2023
ARC / Digital Writes / Resources / Space To Learn / SWLEP / Tech To Help (TTH)

Reflections on a sabbatical year

From climbing trees in the woods of Northern Ireland whilst clutching Raspberry Pi units, to helping children who were on the cusp of quitting school to build adventure game-books, this year has been a real eye-opener to me.

It is a rare privilege to become free to teach what one chooses. I hadn’t dared believe that it could happen, but now Flickernet is full steam ahead – 24 years on from those early Dot Com years – with a new focus called TTH: Tech To Help. This is what I will be up to, going forward – please see the synopsis page for more information or if you would like to be involved.

www.flickernet.net/review

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July 4, 2023
Digital Writes / Resources / Tech To Help (TTH)

The Art of Accessibility

Keith and I met with Ben, a Director of Digital Writes, and an inspiration. Ben is helping us to explore a new project: using physical computing to enable those with reduced mobility to create their own unique artworks. We aim to feature these artworks in both an online space and through an installation.

We will work with Primary school pupils to analyse the need, design and build a solution, then collaborate with the end user to refine a product that is genuinely helpful for them.

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June 7, 2023

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