I use the calculator function on my smart phone to figure out bill payments or anticipate paycheck amounts, mainly. But there was a time, years ago, when I did use a calculator for math class and standardized exams. It was essential to have one for a period in high school, and for my friends who pursued mathematics in college, they could be counted on to be carrying one in their backpacks. What use would a calculator with a 3D printed case and free, open source software have in the era of the smart phone? That’s a good question to ask since the LibreCalc is a new open source, programmable calculator with a downloadable design available now.
The LibreCalc is really an “embedded computer”, and calculators are frequently the gateway to code and programming –thus proving the inherent educational value of such a device. But I am sure you can start imagining other reasons to have a computer instead of a mere calculator. Yes, that’s tight: during test time. And yes again, that would be called cheating–but who’s keeping track? The LibreCalc exists and anyone who continues to be fascinated by the various frontiers traversed by modern technological innovation will appreciate the device for what it’s worth (especially if that includes a higher score on an important exam!)
The motivation behind this idea is described on the LibreCalc site:
“We aim to make a scientific calculator, fully usable, with good ergonomics, which will be fully free software and open hardware. This calculator will need to have all the capacities of calculators that are currently on the market. In particular it will have to include [a] computer algebra system. Calculators are sometimes the first tool[s] young people use to learn programming. We don’t want that their curiosity [to] be discouraged because manufacturers close their products.”
The project is still in its prototype phase, and Parent and Gain have blogged their progress, beginning last February, 2014, with the most recent entry about their second prototype completion entered on December 5, 2014. The recent prototype boasts features including: nicer 3D printed casing and keyboard; 128 MB of Ram; “complete autonomy” (no external cable, computer, or power supply needed for booting–with boot to calculation interface time currently under 8 seconds); and software improvements (including Menu, Python, and Computer Algebra).
Regarding the 3D printed case portion of the project, the blog features a brief entry about the
You can go ahead and see what is available now for downloading here, as the LibreCalc design continues to become refined while responding to user input in a openly public design process. (Also see video that shows the LibrCalc’s second prototype running below.)