This post is brought to you in part by STEAM Learning Asia.

If you’re looking for a gift for your child that’s a little bit different – and not only entertaining but educational – consider these SAM Labs kits. They’re innovative packs of individual wireless modules that let users build anything from automatic cat feeders to social media-activated movable models.

These modules are a great introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT) – or the “infrastructure of the information society” – which will change the way we live, learn and play. Devices connected to the IoT will work intelligently with each other to improve efficiency of communication and standards of living, for example: smart phones interacting with home heating and water systems to save energy; environmental data to automate bad weather warnings; and health monitors which can alert a doctor on the other side of town, before perhaps even the patient notices any problems.

SAM Labs and STEAM Learning

One of the companies leading the charge in the world of IoT education is SAM Labs, a London-based startup, created by a team of engineers from Imperial College and designers from the Royal College of Art. It ran a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014, and has recently raised £3.2m from investors.

The SAM Labs kits are now available in Malaysia through steamlearning.asia, a Malaysian company working with international schools to bring IoT education and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) learning to Asian students and individuals.

The SAM Labs modules are easily incorporated into the student’s learning journey at school, either as an extension to the delivery of formal curriculum, or as a separate curricular track after school. These Bluetooth-enabled modules enable children to prototype ideas from play and bring their creations to life. Also, if you have a 3D printer, you can actually see an idea progress from dream, to concept, to prototype to finished product.

The company fully supports the Maker Movement; for those not in the know, AdWeek explains this movement perfectly:

“The maker movement, as we know, is the umbrella term for independent inventors, designers and tinkerers… a convergence of computer hackers and traditional artisans.”

While simple enough for a five-year old to play with, the SAM Labs kits come with advanced features including IFTTT (“If This Then That”, an automation platform), Twitter and Facebook incorporation, plus MIDI and a whole host of logic gates, to enable even complicated projects for creative adults.

The products

SAM Labs is the first electronics development kit that seamlessly integrates hardware, software and the internet. You can use the SAM Labs kits to invent, for example:

• games with remote control cars, phone connected doorbells, intruder alarms
• music using pressure, proximity, or light sensors prototypes of smart fridges, responsive shoes, or connected toys
• architectural models, homes with reactive lights, sliding doors, and rotating windows
• social media-activated inventions, like a Twitter-activated candy dispenser
• code that generates automatically in front of your eyes just by dragging and dropping icons

All the while, you’ll be learning while you’re doing. The skills you can expect to pick up are: electronic engineering, sensor and actuator networks, data storage and handling. And, with the SAM computer app, you’ll learn coding as you create networks and products generated by drag and drop mechanics.

Learn more

So, if you want to get your child  / children (aged 5 and over)  something that’s not only fun but interactive and educational, check out the STEAM Learning website at steamlearning.asia. You can buy these kits, with starting prices from RM450, to be delivered to your door (in mainland Malaysia only).

Still not convinced? Here are some more examples of what’s been done before using these kits, and more info on the IoT:

1. Bringing Lego to life

2. Tracking the presidential elections with a fun game

3. The founder of SAM Labs discusses the IoT

4. More background on SAM