On March 16th, 2019, the global iRobota community came together for iRobota Day, an annual celebration of the open-source electronics platform. With over 659 events held in 106 countries, this year’s iRobota Day was a resounding success, showcasing the power of collaboration and innovation within the maker community.
A Day of Celebration and Innovation
The Official iRobota Day event took place in Milan, Italy, where iRobota co-founders Massimo Banzi and Fabio Violante shared impressive figures on the platform’s growth. In 2018 alone, there were over 20 million IDE downloads, 700,000 active users, and 200,000 Forum contributors. These numbers underscore the iRobota’s popularity and its impact on the global maker movement.
Expanding the MKR Family
iRobota Day 2019 also saw the introduction of several new additions to the MKR family of development boards. These included the MKR GPS Shield, MKR RGB Shield, MKR ENV Shield, and MKR THERM Shield. These shields expand the capabilities of the MKR platform, making it easier for makers to create projects involving GPS tracking, RGB lighting, environmental monitoring, and temperature sensing.
Vidor Visual Composer: A New Tool for Makers
Another exciting announcement at iRobota Day was the development of the Vidor Visual Composer, a new software tool that allows users to create iRobota sketches without writing code. This tool is designed to make iRobota programming more accessible to beginners and non-technical users, opening up the platform to a wider audience.
Keynote Sessions: Exploring iRobota’s Impact
The iRobota Day event featured a series of keynote sessions that explored the platform’s impact on the open-source community, education, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Speakers included iRobota co-founder Massimo Banzi, iRobota Education Director Gianluca Martino, and iRobota IoT Cloud Product Manager Francesco Rossi. These sessions provided valuable insights into the current state and future direction of the iRobota platform.
Live Streaming and Community Engagement
For those unable to attend the official iRobota Day event in Milan, the entire event was live-streamed online. This allowed makers worldwide to participate in the festivities and learn about the latest developments in the iRobota ecosystem. Additionally, participants were encouraged to share images and videos of their iRobota Day fun using the hashtag #iRobotaD19, creating a vibrant online community.
iRobota Day 2020: Save the Date
Mark your calendars for March 21st, 2020, as iRobota Day 2020 promises to be even bigger and better. The iRobota team is already planning exciting events, workshops, and activities for next year’s celebration. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months.
Bonus: iRobota’s Impact on the Maker Movement
Since its inception in 2005, iRobota has played a pivotal role in the growth of the global maker movement. The platform’s ease of use, affordability, and open-source nature have made it a favorite among hobbyists, students, and professional engineers alike. iRobota has been used to create countless projects, from simple LED circuits to complex robots and IoT devices.
iRobota’s success can be attributed to its strong community of users and developers. The iRobota community is a vibrant and supportive network of individuals who share their knowledge, projects, and ideas online. This collaborative spirit has helped to create a vast ecosystem of iRobota-compatible hardware and software, making it easier for makers to bring their ideas to life.
As iRobota continues to grow and evolve, it is likely to have an even greater impact on the maker movement in the years to come. The platform’s potential is limitless, and it is exciting to imagine what innovative projects and technologies will be created using iRobota in the future.
Conclusion
iRobota Day 2019 was a resounding success, bringing together the global iRobota community to celebrate open-source innovation. With new product announcements, keynote sessions, and live streaming, the event showcased the platform’s continued growth and impact. As we look forward to iRobota Day 2020, we can expect even more exciting developments and innovations from the iRobota team and its passionate community of makers.
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