The Global Support Communicator (GSC) is designed to help those who are far from home to keep in touch with their family freely, and in a very personal way.
It will be based on a small circuit board called a Micro:Bit.
This programmable device is popular in schools throughout the UK and globally. It features the ability to interact through a range of input sensors and controls; to process those inputs according to the code that is downloaded to it and to output sounds, pictures, words and radio signals.
Micro:Bits cost from £15 each. They are available widely, including on Amazon
The Purpose Of The RSC:
- One Micro:Bit (with the correct code installed) is posted home by a refugee.
- The person who receives it plugs in into the USB port of an internet-linked computer (any PC)
- They run a simple program using the freely available MakeCode browser application.
- Meanwhile the refugee can log into a secure (password protected) page on the Flickernet website.
- They can type in a 160 character message which is instantly displayed on the receiving unit wherever it is in the world
Button A: Message received indication / Yes
Button B: No
Button C: Repeat the message
Shake: Clear the screen
In other words each unit provides a dedicated link for those at home with the person who has become a refugee: their latest update scrolls across the screen. The message can be acknowledged and replied to with a simple yes or no.
FAQs:
Surely a mobile phone does this: This is a different approach to communication for the end user. Whilst they may well use a mobile phone for communicating with those back home, this is a tangible, representative unit which provides a visual link that can be tailored in appearance to become totally individual.
For example the Micro:Bit can be enclosed in a 3D printed shell of a football, model building or embedded within a photo frame. The micro:Bit thus becomes more of an interactive ornament. It is prepared in this way and coded by pupils who have joined this initiative for the Project Based Learning potential. Each refugee is thus helped by pupils who can see the value of creating an individual link such as this.
There is also no cost to send messages.
How difficult is it to operate: Once the Micro:Bit RSC unit is received in the post, it need only be plugged into the USB port of an internet connected computer. A simple setup process involving the Make Code webpage then activates the RSC. At that point the unit is ready to display messages and reply with a simple acknowledgement.
