A Raspberry Pi is a fist-sized computer that functions as an educational tool geared toward a younger generation of makers and engineers interested in computer programming. The unique duality between its programming capabilities and its general purpose input/ouput (GPIO) ports gives the RPi its real-world advantage by straddling the line between expensive laboratory-grade equipment and closed-source consumer electronics. This open-source design for a computer makes experimentation and programming more achievable than ever.

The Raspberry Pi 3 (newest version as of writing) permits wifi and bluetooth communication, and also has an ethernet port. It has 4 USB ports, an HDMI output, a 3.5mm headphone output jack, a 1.2 GHz ARM Processor, and 1 GB shared RAM. To learn more visit their website It's a powerful little computer and can fit in the palm of your hand. The reason why it is so essential to the maker revolution is because of its size, reliability, open-source community, and its cost. It's a $35 computer with a world of applications including but not limited to: smart home devices, robotics control, personal web servers, wireless cameras, audio players, data analytics, facial recognition, and educational programs involved in STEM fields. 

In this blog, the Raspberry Pi will be one of, if not the, most important pieces of hardware employed. The Pi is an innovation that continually helps engineers and those interested in programming succeed on a level that seemed impossible a decade ago. It is universally adaptive and satisfies most of the needs of a burgeoning engineer interested in experimentation and exploration on a scale that is affordable and enjoyable. It is portable, powerful, affordable, and resilient. The Pi was created as a learning tool, so it is meant to be tinkered with and worn-in. Therefore, the typical laboratory woes of 'what if I break it' are thrown to the wind and replaced with curiosity and adventure because at the end of the day - it's only $35 for another one!

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