Educational Construction Kit

Abstract

An educational construction kit and methods are disclosed. The kit may have a plurality of blocks, each one of the blocks having an integral block data flow, a power exchange, and a structural connector side. Each one of the plurality of blocks may have (a) reprogrammable software to enable end-users to reprogram a unique and a specific behavior of each of the plurality of blocks; and (b) an embedded electronic device with a microcontroller that processes the reprogrammable software to instruct the respective block to perform the unique and the specific behavior. Interconnection of two or more blocks of the plurality of blocks may form a distributed communication network. At least one block of the plurality of blocks may include an additional component to allow the block to perform a different behavior from at least one other block.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An educational construction kit comprising:
 a plurality of blocks, each one of the plurality of blocks having an integral block data flow, a power exchange, and a structural connector side, wherein each one of the plurality of blocks respectively includes:   (a) reprogrammable software to enable end-users to reprogram a unique and a specific behavior of each of the plurality of blocks; and   (b) an embedded electronic device with a microcontroller that processes the reprogrammable software to instruct the respective block to perform the unique and the specific behavior; wherein   interconnection of two or more blocks of the plurality of blocks forms a distributed communication network; and   at least one block of the plurality of blocks further includes an additional component to allow the at least one block to perform a different behavior from at least one other block of the plurality of blocks.   
     
     
         2 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality further comprises an integral block data flow, a power exchange, and a structural connector disposed through an aperture on the respective integral block data flow, power exchange, and structural connector side for data flow and power exchange between adjacent blocks when the integral block data flow, power exchange and structural connector of a second block is connected to the integral block data flow, power exchange, and structural connect of a first block. 
     
     
         3 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 1 , wherein the embedded electronic device further comprises a communication device. 
     
     
         4 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 3 , wherein the communication device is a wireless communication device. 
     
     
         5 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 1 , wherein the unique and specific behavior is unrestricted flow of the data flow and the power exchange through the at least one block. 
     
     
         6 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional component of a non-actuator block comprises a sensor connected to the embedded electronic device to sense signals from a surrounding environment. 
     
     
         7 . The education construction kit according to  claim 6 , wherein the signals are selected from a group consisting of light, sound, touch, motion, and distance from objects. 
     
     
         8 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 6 , wherein the microcontroller of the non-actuator block processes the signals to apply functions to perform the unique and the specific behavior. 
     
     
         9 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 8 , wherein the functions are arithmetic functions that compute a number from two or more numbers. 
     
     
         10 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 9 , wherein the arithmetic functions are selected from a group consisting of sum, maximum, minimum, inverse and threshold. 
     
     
         11 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 6 , wherein the embedded electronic device of the non-actuator block converts the signal into an action to be performed by an actuator block. 
     
     
         12 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 11 , wherein the mechanism of the actuator block comprises wheels operably connected to a motorized tread in communication with the embedded electronic device, wherein the wheels rotate in response to the action at a speed dependent on the signal. 
     
     
         13 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional component of a non-actuator block comprises a battery connected to the embedded electronic device. 
     
     
         14 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional component of a non-actuator block comprises a battery connected to the integral block electrical and structural connector. 
     
     
         15 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 2 , wherein the unique and specific behavior is unrestricted flow of the data flow and the power exchange through the first block or the second block. 
     
     
         16 . The educational construction kit according to  claim 2 , wherein the unique and specific behavior is restriction of flow of the data flow and the power exchange through the at least one block. 
     
     
         17 . A method to reprogram modular units comprising:
 providing a plurality of interconnected modular units in adjacent orientation thereto, wherein each modular unit includes reprogrammable software, wherein at least one unit of the plurality of interconnected modular units further includes an additional component to allow the at least one unit to perform a different behavior from at least one other unit of the plurality of interconnected modular units;   using a computer or mobile device running a Web browser to communicate with the plurality of interconnected modular units;   reporting individual pairwise connections of the plurality of interconnected modular units to the computer or mobile device;   selecting a node displayed by the computer or mobile device associated with a target modular unit to be reprogrammed;   selecting a replacement source code;   compiling a native code for the target modular unit to generate a reprogramming packet; and   passing the reprogramming packet to the target modular unit to replace the reprogrammable software on the target modular unit.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the step of passing the native code to the target modular unit comprises the steps of: passing the reprogramming packet to a modular unit adjacent to the target modular unit; passing the reprogramming packet from the adjacent modular unit to the target modular unit; signaling the adjacent modular unit that the target modular unit is ready for reprogramming; reprogramming the target modular unit; and restarting the target modular unit to initialize the reprogramming software. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the step of selecting a replacement source code comprises a step of entering a new source code in an editor on the computer or mobile device. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the step of selecting a replacement source code comprises a step of editing previously entered source code selected from a database. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the step of selecting a replacement source code comprises a step of selecting a new source code from a database.