Easing the development of android apps to create electronic prototypes: IOIO+App Inventor. Issue 4 (19th July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chtourou, Slim; Kharrat, Mohamed; Ben Amor, Nader; Jallouli, Mohamed; Abid, Mohamed
• Is Part Of: IET circuits, devices & systems. Volume 11:Issue 4(2017)
• Page Start: 310
• Page End: 320
• Publication Date: 2017-07-19
• Subjects: Android (operating system) -- electronic engineering computing -- electronic engineering education -- computer science education -- visual programming -- Internet -- application program interfaces; Android Apps development -- electronic prototypes -- IOIO-App inventor -- electronic system -- computer science -- CS fields -- electronic gadgets programming -- IOIO board -- graphical programming interface -- Web platform -- young school children -- hardware assembly -- software programming; Electronic circuits -- Periodicals; Electronic systems -- Periodicals; 621.381505
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-cds.2016.0381
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-858X

Abstract

Abstract : To validate the concept of an electronic system before thinking of commercial uses, a prototype needs to be developed first. However, technical knowledge in electronics and computer science (CS) is required. Due to the importance of these fields in the world of today, where almost everything is regulated by technology, several initiatives emerged to provide the general public with these knowledge. In this context, there is a focus on the education field where several efforts have been made to lower the entry level to electronics and CS fields, enabling even kids to learn the basic concepts at an early age and have the possibility to concretise their ideas and develop their own prototype. The study presents a solution to facilitate the task of programming electronic gadgets using graphical programming. The authors consider as case study an electronic system built around the IOIO board. The graphical programming interface was created using App Inventor, a web platform for creating android apps. Using the proposed system, several basic and complex gadgets were easily created by young school children with minimal skills in hardware assembly and software programming.