Latest technology for the school of hard knocks

Latest technology for the school of hard knocks

Since it is built on the concept of being an educational tool for children to carry around, especially in the field, the small green computer known as One Laptop per Child (OLPC) was designed with the latest technology, especially really rugged hardware and innovative software.

Published on October 30, 2007

In terms of hardware, the laptop comes with durability, water resistance and low power consumption. A test by the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec), found that the laptop still works well even after a fall from a height of 1.5 metres.

"We found no damage to the laptop when it fell and this design makes it suitable for use by children," said Nectec's assistant researcher Sanya Klongnaivai.

Meanwhile, to support learning while in the field, Sanya said the machine was also water resistant. Rain is no problem as the machine can resist a heavy downpour for 10 minutes.

Power consumption is another major concern. He said the laptop required just seven watts of electrical power while commercial laptops needed 40 watts. With this low power consumption, children could carry the machine as their companion all day.

The lower energy consumption is enabled by new computer architecture - the Wifi and new ultra-low-power screen that can stay on while the CPU is momentarily switched off, dramatically saving power. AMD designed a unique CPU that can turn on and off so quickly that the downtime is imperceptible to the user, but it dramatically prolongs battery life.

For the display screen, the research team at MIT developed the technology specially for OLPC. The new technology in the LCD screen allows children to see the display clearly, even in bright sunlight, and they can switch between colour and monochrome modes as required.

A group of Thai researchers from Nectec and the Institute of Field Robotics (Fibo) also joined in the development process and this involvement gave the OLPC Thai-language support.

"As a result of our participation, the laptop comes with Thai language built in so local children can use the laptop," Sanya said.

The whole machine was developed based on free and open-source software so it gives children more freedom to use their laptops on their own terms. With licence-free software, children have the freedom to reshape, reinvent and reapply their software, hardware and content.

The laptop has developed to the latest version called B4. The new upgrade version from its predecessor, the B2 version, comes with the latest activity software, called oscilloscope, which is a key educational tool for children to make scientific experiments while in the field.

The idea, Sanys said, was to allow children to attach sensors through the microphone port on the machine.

Once a sensor is attached, the software measures, for example, temperature, soil humidity or any electrical pressure all around the environment. This data collection helps children do further experiments and research.

The Nation