Hobby boards like the Raspberry Pi were originally designed to get kids interested in computer science. While they've been wildly successful, some kids may need a bit more convincing that coding is cool. That's where a hopeful product called the Makerbuino enters the equation.
Creator Albert Gajšak points to statistics in which the average kid spends 6.3 hours per week playing video games. If some of that time was instead spent learning science, technology, engineering or math, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
One great way to do so, Gajšak believes, is to disguise such a teaching tool as a video game console... the Makerbuino.
The Makerbuino is a DIY retro game console. The kit comes with everything needed to build your own Game Boy-like handheld console although some assembly (soldering) is required. You'll learn about electronics along the way and end up with something you can take pride in that you built on your own.
The kit comes with several classic games although more can be downloaded online - all for less than the cost of your average AAA title.
Reward tier pricing for a Makerbuino on Kickstarter starts at $35 (or $45 if you want all of the tools needed to build the device). The campaign has already smashed its $10,000 funding goal with close to $30,000 in pledges and two weeks left to go.
The first round of Makerbuino kits is expected to ship next month.