It is a platform that uses the Internet of Things to connect hardware components with the virtual world of Minecraft. The platform transfers information from Minecraft to hardware devices and vice versa. Various devices can be connected to the IoT Craft, which are printed on a 3D printer and then assembled.  In this case, we connected light plates shaped like the head of the Creeper (a monster from Minecraft) to the Minecraft server, so the children were able to change the color of the plates using Minecraft commands. In the future, we intend to build a lamp or an automated farm.

 

 

 

We want to help children discover and develop their unique talents, inspire them, broaden their horizons and prepare them for the technological future. So we started a club – KidsXO. Through it, we connect world-class speakers, scientists, industry pioneers and trendsetters with the youngest generation. Together, we explore the frontiers of human knowledge, dream about the future and embrace the technologies that will have a key impact on it. All this in regular interactive sessions, each time on a different topic, which we grasp with the hands of (future) researchers, astronauts, biologists, artists, innovators and mathematicians.

 

In cooperation with the Deloitte KidsXO initiative, we organised a workshop focused on virtual modelling in Minecraft and connecting the world of Minecraft with physical hardware – our new IoT Craft. Miroslav Svoboda (country leader for Deloitte Czech Republic) introduced himself to the children, welcomed them and provided inspiration. Then the workshop was directed by Nvias.

 

We introduced the game to children who were not familiar with Minecraft and helped them master the basics. Then it was time for the actual making. We showed the young participants how to work with redstone circuits in Minecraft, and how to use them to create different mechanisms such as automatic doors. Then they worked with command blocks and commands. The children learned the most basic aspects of programming in a fun way. Next came the interconnection of hardware and software. We showed the children how to set up and program the connection to IoT Craft in Minecraft. 

 

The challenge for the young inventors was to create their own project using everything they learned from us. The kids were enthusiastic and with the help of our mentors they soon created smart homes in Minecraft that we would never have dreamed of. We also witnessed the opening of the first fully automated bakery and a revolutionary production line. The icing on the cake was ” convincing” the IoT Craft to change colours according to Minecraft commands. The children succeeded in this too, and IoT Crafty glowed with all the colours and obeyed all the commands given by the young programmers. The last task was to present their project. Despite their young age, the children managed to stand proudly in front of the audience and present their work with charisma and humour. Every piece the kids created in Minecraft “had” to include a demolition system in the form of hundreds of TNT blocks. At the end of the event, the kids happily blew everything up, and that was the end for our Minecraft server, which couldn’t withstand the onslaught of explosions.

 

The three and a half hour workshop with refreshment breaks was a real success. We managed to keep the kids’ interest and attention throughout and were thrilled when they used everything they learned from us to create their own original and creative designs.