You can't escape the new wave of tech; wearable devices, 3D printers, and programming are all accessible to everyone, including youngsters in schools. It's no surprise that young, aspiring makers are able to create amazing projects using all this new tech.
One such young maker is Omkar Govil-Nair, an 8-year-old maker who has developed his own smartwatch. Unlike most 8 year olds, he enjoys programming and making projects with 3D printers, and has designed the O Watch as an education tool for other young makers. After demonstrating his smartwatch at various Maker Faires, Omkar has launched his 3D printable smartwatch as a crowdsourced campaign on Kickstarter.
The O Watch consists of a 3D printed case, a LiPo battery and charger, an OLED screen, and a programmable Arduino Zero processor. As the case can be printed at home, you can create your own colours, or get creative and change the style of it in a 3D CAD program.
The main processing board is based on the TinyDuino, which is a tiny Arduino designed by TinyCircuits. TinyCircuits have actually designed a new module specifically for the O Watch, which features a colour OLED screen, a micro-USB charger and a USB programmer, all in one tiny package. An included sensor board contains a 3-axis compass, and barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity sensors.
This great little kit is aimed at teaching youngsters about electronics and programming, and it does a very good job at it too. It's available now on Kickstarter, and for $85 you can get the base kit, and support Omkar in his first product launch.