Join us for the third annual Device Prototyping Summer School!
Taking place from the 14th to the 17th of July at Lancaster University, this is a great opportunity to improve your digital device design skills with a view to scaling up beyond a prototype. Attendees will benefit from access to state-of-the-art university labs for hands-on learning as well as instruction from world-leading experts in electronic device production.
⚙️ Ideal for anyone with an interest in low-volume digital device creation including makers, visionaries, and researchers from any discipline.
⚙️ Open to all levels of experience and all career stages – from student to established professional.
⚙️ Up to thirty subsidised places available – food, accommodation and all activities covered for just £100!
⚙️ Prizes available to help the most promising prototype ideas move towards production.
Led by Professors Steve Hodges and Joe Finney, hosted by Lancaster University’s Devices Lab, and supported by the EPSRC-funded pro² network+. The deadline to apply for this event is the 13th of May 2025.
Instructors
Steve Hodges is an internationally recognised leader in interactive and embedded device creation. He has built and deployed prototypes at all scales, and many of these have transitioned to volume production resulting in millions of devices in market globally.
Joe Finney is a global figure in empowering non-experts to innovate with technology, in particular helping them to learn about and build lightweight embedded systems. His work has also led to millions of embedded devices that are in daily use around the world.
Examples of devices made in the hundreds, thousands and millions that Steve and Joe have worked on include the BBC micro:bit, i-String Lite artistic lighting, the Microsoft Adaptive Accessories, the Azure Sphere IoT system, the Microsoft Touch Mouse, and the Jacdac and .NET Gadgeteer prototyping platforms.
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- The micro:bit pocket-sized computer used by 66 million children worldwide as they learn to code.
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- A 5m hummingbird made of the i-String Lite artistic lighting system developed by Joe Finney and Alan Dix.
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- Microsoft Adaptive Accessories – d-pad controller.
Curious about our past summer schools? Check out the 2024 and 2025 highlights, including submitted papers and the winners of previous prize competitions. Here’s what our previous attendees had to say:
“From the outset of the three days, the engagement and enthusiasm from the attendees was palpable.”
“We arrived with prototypes and left with a deeper understanding of the intricate process of bringing a product to life.”
