Bird Feeder 3000 – STEM Education Kit

You and your students/children will have a ton of fun playing with this smart bird feeder. You’ll learn about 3D printing, Virtual Reality (VR), 360 cameras, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, citizen science, meteorology, biology, and much more. We designed BF3K to teach kids STEM principles and how to engineer projects using these cutting edge technologies. Bird watchers, technology geeks, tinkerers, and makers will love this kit too

BF3K – STEM Education Kit includes:

• BF3K 3D-printed bird feeder, seed bin, and lids, to use in the field and also as examples for student projects and feeders
  • Colors currently available: Black, White, Lime Green, Blue, Brown, White-and-Black, and Grab Bag (i.e. the four printed components will all be different random colors)
• 3D printer so students can learn to print the BF3Ks and other objects
• 3D printer plastic in multiple colors
• CAD design files and 3D printer gcode files of BF3K
• 360 camera for viewing birds in VR in real time (they look like huge dinosaurs, since they’re so close to the camera)
• VR headset for viewing the 360 videos and images
• IoT maker kit, comprised of processor microchip, breadboard, circuitry components, wire spools, temperature/humidity sensor (for the weather station), and various other sensors
• Code libraries for programming the BF3K
• 12-month membership to Particle.io, to upload code to your IoT devices, view and record weather station and other IoT sensor data in real time, access more code libraries and other resources, chat with a live tech support team, and much more
• Bird feeder mounting system and baffle, to keep away squirrels and large aggressive birds such as doves
• 20,000 mAh power bank and cords to power the BF3K for hours or even days at a time
• Merlin BirdID account, an app that uses AI to identify bird species
• Project FeederWatch account, a citizen science research project (for submitting bird sightings and other data to scientists to track bird populations, migration patterns, disease vectors, and other valuable data
• Detailed instructions on how to use the 360 camera, capture 360 photos and video, upload to YouTube, watch on the VR headset, use MerlinID to identify bird species, and submitting to Project FeederWatch
• Solar cell to power and charge the BF3K
• Detailed instruction manual and videos for how to build and use each technology and component
• Books on 3D printing, IoT, bird feeding, bird identification, and backyard meteorology
• Lesson plans for teaching the various technologies BF3K to students

You’ll design your own 3D objects, such as your own bird feeder designs, and print them on your own 3D printer. With the BF3K, you’ll take clear, vivid 360 photos and video from mere inches away from the birds at your feeder. Then, you’ll upload those images to app that instantly identifies the bird species. You’ll create your own IoT weather station, building and programming your own sensor circuits from scratch (with the help of our code, manuals, and videos, of course). You’ll track and submit valuable data to help ornithologists and other scientists track bird populations and migration patterns. You’ll put on a virtual reality headset and watch and listen to the birds from a vantage point inside the feeder, as if you were just another bird. We don’t mean to brag, but it’s amazing! BF3K is endless fun. Trust us, we had a hard time putting it down long enough to build this website so we could share BF3K with y’all too.

BF3K fits right inside most tray-style bird feeders, turning your regular old bird feeder into a high-tech bird feeder. Don’t have any feeder at all? Don’t sweat it. The BF3K itself doubles as a small bird feeder. Just take off the lid and fill the front bin of the BF3K with bird seed. It’s just plastic, so it’s easy to empty out when you’re done.

Additional “maker stations” can be added as needed, such as in a classroom. Each additional maker station costs $597 and includes a 360 camera, VR headset, IoT kit and weather station, and power bank.

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FYI, you may want to check out our BF3K – Bird Lover’s Kit too. It’s similar to this kit, minus the 3D printer, IoT, and a couple other pieces It’s less pricey, and it has everything you need to feed, watch, record, and identify birds up close in VR.