A student learning programming or web development can practice her or craft anywhere with a wireless connection. For engineers, it's a little more difficult.
That's why a researcher and a lecturer at Northwestern University have created the nScope, a small, USB-powered device that turns any laptop into an electronics workbench.
The tool, which plugs into a breadboard (a construction base for prototyping electronics), works as an oscilloscope, a function generator, and power supply. The nScope measures voltages in a circuit, storing these figures and displaying them in a graph. The device's software also allows users to control the settings for measurement speed and range, maximizing the graph space. In a nutshell, the nScope provides students and experienced engineers with an affordable, accessible, and efficient electronics lab. See it in action:
"We felt that a cumbersome lab environment stunted the ability for students to be creative and learn design by iteration," says the nScope team on its site. "Our goal was to bring the essential parts of a lab out into the world, for the classroom, home, or even coffee shop."
The nScope team, led by NU Mechatronics Lecturer Nick Marchuk and NU Graduate Researcher in Mechanical Engineering David Meyer, have placed the device on Kickstarter in order to raise funds for its official market launch. With an initial goal of $25,000, the nScope is currently at $138,000 with five days still to go. The leading crowdfunding site also named it a 'Kickstarter Staff Pick.'
With a mission of making a product that enable "everyone to be able to create with electronics," the device is both "safe for beginners, and powerful enough for experts." And though its primary function is as an oscilloscope, the nScope also has a power supply.
Right now, the nScope team expects to have the hardware and software ready to ship in September. In that same month, they will open its API. You can view the crowdfunding campaign here.
(Image via Kickstarter)
