Workshop: Introduction to Physical Computing with Python on a Raspberry Pi Pico

**Introduction**
Physical computing is the creation of a system that senses and responds to the physical world. It involves both hardware and software. The hardware is usually a microcontroller (a tiny computer), sensors (buttons, temperature and light sensors) and actuators (LED’s, speakers, motors). Physical computing is used in remote controls, office machines, appliances, power tools, toys, robotics, home automation, remote monitoring, and even interactive art. For example, Medminder offers a smart pill dispenser with compartments that open at the proper time to dispense pills. Other gadgets include sensors for environmental monitoring and wearable health trackers. Creating smart devices is the goal of physical computing.
Microcontrollers are low-cost, programmable integrated circuits that can read sensors and control actuators. Programs read sensors (such as push buttons, motion sensors, or temperature sensors) and actuate devices (like turning on a light, starting a motor, opening a compartment, or sending a radio signal). There are numerous microcontrollers available. In Houston, Arduino and ESP32 microprocessors are popular with robotics groups. This workshop will focus on the Raspberry Pi Pico, a powerful and low-cost microcontroller introduced in January 2021. It can be programmed in C, C++, or Python. Programming microcontrollers in Python is a new trend. Many hobbyists prefer Python due to its ease of use, even if it has a slower execution rate compared to other languages.
This workshop will help you start programming in Python on a Raspberry Pi Pico. We’ll begin with a simple program to blink an LED, which is the “Hello World” of physical computing. We’ll then move on to detecting button presses and controlling an LED with a sensor. The tutorial will conclude with a prototype device that turns a light on when a button is pressed and automatically turned the light off after 30 seconds. This gadget could be used to could be used to light a dark corner. This workshop aims to satisfy your curiosity about microcontrollers and physical computing and may inspire you to explore further topics like robotics, remote temperature monitoring, or home automation.

**Program Overview**
Bring your laptop computer. Fort Bend Science will provide everything else you need (Raspberry Pi Pico, USB cable, electronics breadboard, LEDs, resistors, push buttons, and instructions) and answer your questions. You’ll install software and write simple Python programs.
Doors open at 1:45 and space is limited to the first 15 participants, with 8 loaner kits available. If there are more than 8 participants, we’ll use pair programming. The meeting is free and open to the public
This workshop is organized by Fort Bend Science. Our goal is to cultivate a community interested in science, computers, math, and technology. If you want to make a presentation, email [email protected]. For more information visit [www.fortbendscience.org](http://www.fortbendscience.org/).