The micro:bit is a simple, rugged, easy to program microcontroller aimed at the education market and you get a lot for your money. The unit is programmed with a browser interface. That means no huge development environments to install on your hardrive making the time from unboxing to "Hello World" literally minutes. The simplest way to push code into the micro:bit is with the JavaScript Blocks editor. However, Java and Python can also be used.
With three mouse drags we created a program to have a servo motor track the tilt angle of the micro:bit. It doesn't get much easier.
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If you are wanting to introduce someone to the magic of programming, basic electronics, and blinky lights this is a low cost/low risk way to make it happen.
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