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"Course Description: Learn to build your own Lightsaber just like young Jedi do! Along the way, learn about electronics, basic machining, assembly, and the ways of the Jedi. By the end of the lab, you will have built a functioning, battle-ready Lightsaber that you can wield like a master Jedi. This class is highly engaging and will have you anxious to build! This course also makes for a great parent-child project to do over the weekend or as an enrichment activity for your son/daughter. The online delivery of the course makes it a perfect option for home schooled children as well. What will I learn? 1. How to build a Lightsaber from scratch 2. The basics of electricity 3. Basic electrical circuits 4. Mechanical assembly 5. How to use a Lightsaber 6. So much more!"

"Last week I may have had my best moment ever as a teacher, making a lightsaber with kids. Our current unit of inquiry is looking at how energy can be used to support human progress including the use of circuits. Which of course mean I just had to get my set of Makey Makeys out. I had a huge room of circuitry for the kids to explore but the best part was undoubtedly the lightsaber."

"I'm about to say something totally unbelievable and completely ridiculous: I love Star Wars. There. It's good to get that bombshell off my chest. I'm a huge fan of the series and eagerly await the upcoming film by J.J. Abrams and the new Disney ownership. After going through all of the trailers, both foreign and domestic, it occurs to me that there is one thing in particular that is a true standout. Is it the 3-pronged lightsaber? No. Is it the lack of Jar-Jar Binks? Potentially, but not really. It's the merchandising BB-8 droid that is taking the world by storm. Better still, it's actually something you can now purchase (if you're lucky to find one) in real life. How cool is that?"

"With so many Raspberry Pi projects to choose from, it can be tricky to find the one you really want to build. Our advice is to find a way to marry the Pi with something you really love. One great example is TV and movie robots - iconic characters from popular sci-fi that can be rebuild at home with a Raspberry Pi built in. Once constructed, your robot might be able to utter commands when a condition is met (perhaps a sensor detects motion). Or it might move around, learning about its surroundings, or reading information to you from Wikipedia. Whatever you have in mind, it should be relatively straightforward to plan and execute. It may take some time, however. Here are five example projects that show how you can combine a Raspberry Pi 2 or later with your favorite fictional robot. 5 Things Only a Raspberry Pi 2 Can Do 5 Things Only a Raspberry Pi 2 Can Do The latest edition of the pint-sized computer is awesome. So awesome, in fact, that there's 5 things you can only do on a Raspberry Pi 2. READ MORE 1. R2-D2 We've all wanted our very own astromech droid, haven't we? Sure, no one on earth is (currently) operating a light speed drive, but Star Wars droid R2-D2 has far greater abilities than onboard spacecraft maintenance. For instance, he can hold torches, carry a tray of drinks, and launch lightsabers across pits in the desert. Okay, it's unlikely you'll manage to get your own R2-D2 robot to do that… but don't let that put you off. Check out this little guy, controlled by a Raspberry Pi. While this project was based on an existing R2-D2 toy, that shouldn't limit your ambition. You'll find plenty of R2-D2 builds on YouTube. There's a massive R2-D2 building community online. Finding one that has a drive unit should be ideal for integrating a Raspberry Pi (and perhaps an Arduino, which you can use the two together) and developing a more realistic R2-D2 experience. Arduino vs Raspberry Pi: Which Is The Mini Computer For You? Arduino vs Rasp