Materials for Digital Devices funding call webinar
2024-11-11 10:30 - 11:30 UTC | Zoom
Registration Link

We are excited to announce a funding opportunity for innovative research projects that explore the use of emerging materials, or novel applications of existing materials, for digital devices. This funding call seeks to support ground-breaking projects that integrate materials into interactive systems to transform how we design, interact with, and experience technology.
New and emerging materials will drive innovation in digital devices. However, there is currently a significant gulf between those with expertise in developing new materials and those who can deploy those materials into the design of novel interactive devices. Outside of large multi-national companies, this gulf presents an insurmountable challenge for most designers. The overarching goal of this call is to reduce the entry barrier to exploring and using emerging materials.
This webinar will provide further information about the call and allow time for interested applicants to have their questions answered. We strongly encourage anyone planning to apply for the call to attend. Please register using the link on the top right of this page to attend on Zoom.
Additional information about the call and the application form can be found on the Materials for Digital Devices webpage.

Prototype 2 Production: Device Isotyping Challenges & Solutions
2025-04-14 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | University of Bristol
The pro² network+ are offering a hands-on workshop focussed on the areas of manufacturing, design and implementation that are often overlooked in low-volume device production, but can present the most significant challenges. Join us for a collaborative session where you can creatively explore elements of device design while learning the basics of ‘isotyping’, or the process of creating prototype copies known as ‘isotypes’ for testing and refinement purposes. Open to all, we welcome you to take part in this exploration of real-world challenges and solutions faced by producers of devices when transitioning from prototype to product.
This is an in-person event taking place as part of the 2025 SW UK Pre-CHI at the University of Bristol. Anyone interested in attending the Prototype 2 Production Workshop must be registered to attend the SW UK Pre-CHI. Learn more and register for free.
Register for this workshop

Device Prototyping Summer School
2025-07-15 11:00 - 2025-07-18 16:00 UTC | Lancaster University
Join us for the second annual Device Prototyping Summer School!
Taking place from the 15th to the 18th of July at Lancaster University, this is a great opportunity to learn how to design and replicate digital devices. 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 places available – food, accommodation and all activities covered for just £50!
⚙️ Prizes available to help the most promising prototype ideas move towards production.
Led by Professor Steve Hodges and Dr. Lorraine Underwood, hosted by Lancaster University’s Devices Lab, and supported by the EPSRC-funded pro² network+. The deadline to apply for this event is the 14th 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.

Lorraine Underwood is an internationally published researcher in computer science education, with a particular focus on physical computing. She has built and developed prototypes for teachers and students to use in classrooms around the UK. Lorraine also creates and films personal electronic projects for element14 part of Avnet, the world’s 2nd largest electronic distributor.
Examples of devices made in the hundreds, thousands and millions that Steve, Lorraine, and summer school co-founder Professor Joe Finney have worked on include the Active Bat indoor location system, the SenseCam wearable camera, several IoT development boards and modules, the Microsoft Touch Mouse, i-String Lite outdoor lighting, Microsoft Adaptive Accessories, several Jacdac modules and kits, .NET Gadgeteer modules and kits, and the BBC micro:bit.

The micro:bit pocket-sized computer used by 66 million children worldwide as they learn to code.

A 5m hummingbird made of the i-String Lite artistic lighting system developed by Joe Finney and Alan Dix.

Microsoft Adaptive Accessories – d-pad controller.

“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.”

Curious about the 2024 Summer School? Check out the highlights, including attendee testimonials, submitted papers, and the winners of last year’s prize competition.

2025 Device Prototyping Summer School
Topics covered include:
⚙️ Mechanical CAD (Computer Aided Design)
⚙️ Debugging opportunities for your own devices
⚙️ Design for manufacture (DfM) and for test (DfT)
⚙️ Surface mount (SMT) assembly
⚙️ Testing and test jigs
⚙️ Regulatory compliance
⚙️ Working with overseas manufacturing partners
⚙️ Demo session
Prizes
Up to £4,000 of prizes are up for grabs! The projects with the most potential for impact, based on the assessment criteria below, will each be awarded either £1,000 or £200 which is to be used to aid prototype development. The summer school organisers will work with awardees after the event to help them spend the money in the most effective way, to suit their prototyping goals.
The full terms and conditions of the competition can be found here.
Number of places
Up to thirty places are available at a cost of £50 each. This is a heavily subsidised rate that covers accommodation, catering for all meals and the content of the summer school itself for the duration of the event. Due to the nature of the subsidisation, the cost will be the same regardless of how much of the event you attend. Places will be awarded based on the quality of your application form, the details of which can be found in the application process section below. In the event that an attendee does not require accommodation, a reduced fee of £25 will be charged.
All attendees must be 18 or over and will have to cover their own travel costs. Attendees from overseas will be responsible for arranging any necessary visas.
Format
The three-and-a-half-day event will be lively and dynamic, leveraging a variety of formats including presentations, demos, hands-on lab-based tutorials, panels and discussions.
The summer school starts Tuesday afternoon 15th July at 1.30pm with registrations open from 11am and runs until 4pm on Friday 18th July. The event includes dinner and socialising on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.
Application process
Applying to take part is easy! Please complete the application form and submit a short paper (as a Word Document only, no PDFs) to admin@prosquared.org containing a description of your prototype or idea for a prototype along with any pictures, sketches or designs of your prototype by the end of the day, midnight AOE (anywhere on earth) on 14th May 2025. Instructions for writing and submitting the short paper can be found in the application form.
The above short paper template provides an example of what we are looking for. You can also view submitted papers from the 2024 Summer School. We will archive the short papers of successful applicants on the pro² website.
We will accept papers with multiple authors. In this instance, please provide information about each author and their contribution to the work in the bio section. Should your paper be accepted, please note that we may not have capacity to offer places at the summer school to all authors.
Assessment criteria for prizes and sponsored places
The summer school organisers will assess applications based on the content of the application form. Assessment criteria will be based on: well-explained and adventurous but realistic concepts, the impact potential of the ideas, consideration of relevant related work, prior relevant experience of the applicant, and responsible innovation.
Additional Information
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email.
Further information regarding the accessibility of Lancaster University facilities can be found on the AccessAble website. Please inform of us of any accessibility or dietary requirements in your application form. Quiet spaces and spaces for prayer will be available throughout the event. You can get in touch with us at admin@prosquared.org with any queries you may have.
Financial aid for domestic travel in the UK may be available upon request to those in need. Attendees should first make a request for funding from their own institution before requesting it from the pro² network+.
About pro² and the Devices Lab
pro² is an EPSRC-funded Network+ with the mission to ease the transition from PROtotyping to PROduction for digital devices. pro² is kindly subsidising accommodation and catering costs for up to thirty places!
The Devices Lab at Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications works with collaborators from different disciplines and different institutions to design and scale-up electronic devices that help answer all manner of research questions.

South West UK Pre-CHI 2026
2026-03-27 09:00 - 17:00 UTC | University of Bristol Bill Brown Suite
Calling all those interested in Human-Computer Interaction!
We’re proud to once again be sponsors of the South West UK Pre-CHI – a free, open, and supportive conference for students, academics and industry.
This conference will be a fantastic opportunity to share research on all things Human-Computer Interaction in a supportive and friendly environment:

Practice your CHI presentations.
Present your research or ongoing work.
Receive constructive feedback.
Find like-minded collaborators, connections and friends.

Food and refreshments shall be provided. Free registration for the conference closes on the 1st of March. Sign up to:

Secure your spot
Let us know if you have a CHI paper, poster or demonstration to present
Help us meet your access needs and dietary restrictions

Submissions of posters and demos presenting ongoing work are welcome!
Register Now

CHI 2026 Workshop: Are We Doing Enough?
2026-04-14 14:15 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris)
Are We Doing Enough? Sharing Design and Manufacturing Expertise Across Open Source Hardware Communities
pro² network+ Research Associate Rory Clark and network co-founders Mike Fraser and Steve Hodges are among the organisers of this workshop, taking place on the 14th of April at the ACM CHI conference in Barcelona.
The goal of this workshop is not only to share solutions to common challenges in the open source hardware space, but also to consider the methods and efficacy relating to how this information is shared. We will ask ourselves if the community is doing enough to ensure that information about hardware design and manufacturing is accessible, understandable, effective and utilises the best channels to reach the widest audience. Activities will include mapping and analysis of knowledge, collaborative design of potential frameworks to utilise this mapped information, and wider reflection on behalf of the hardware community.
While the application window for participation in the workshop has now closed, we would still love to connect with you at CHI if you’re also attending.

Open Hardware Summit 2026
2026-05-23 09:00 - 2026-05-24 17:00 UTC | TU Berlin
We’re proud to once again be sponsoring the Open Hardware summit, taking place on the 23rd and 24th of May 2o26 in Berlin.
Since 2010, the Open Source Hardware Association, a 501(c)(3) not for profit charity, has hosted the Open Hardware Summit– a comprehensive conference for the open hardware community and the ever changing open source hardware movement.
Speakers include world renowned leaders from industry, academia, the arts and maker community. Talks cover a wide range of subjects from electronics, mechanics to related fields such as digital fabrication, fashion technology, self-quantification devices, and IP law. As a microcosm of the Open Source Hardware community, the Open Hardware Summit provides an annual, friendly forum for the community.
As an event sponsor, the pro² network will have a demo table at the Open Hardware Summit where you can stop by to connect with us and learn more about the work we’re doing to democratise digital device production.

Sustainability for Device Production call webinar
2026-06-05 10:00 - 11:00 UTC | Microsoft Teams
Please join us from 10 to 11am BST on Friday the 5th of June for a webinar providing more information about the pro2 network’s Sustainability for Device Production call. Time will also be provided for questions and answers.
Click here to register for the webinar
The sustainable creation of digital devices relies on minimising environmental impact during the design and production processes, as well as sourcing components responsibly and designing for minimal impact during device operation and at end-of-life. In addition to efficient use of resources and minimal environmental impact, device creation should also support social and economic responsibility across the entire product lifecycle.
We are seeking project proposals relating to more sustainable digital device prototyping, iterative innovation and low-volume production. This encompasses concepts such as modular design, repairability, responsible material selection, energy-efficient production processes, ethical supply chains, and circular economy strategies. The focus of this call is on the sustainable production of digital devices, rather than devices created for sustainability purposes that might not have been made in a sustainable way.
Read the full call guidance. Apply by Tuesday 30th June midnight BST.

Device Prototyping Summer School 2026
2026-07-14 11:00 - 2026-07-17 16:00 UTC | Lancaster University
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 2026. To apply, see ‘Application Process’ below.
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.

The micro:bit pocket-sized computer used by 66 million children worldwide as they learn to code.

A 5m hummingbird made of the i-String Lite artistic lighting system developed by Joe Finney and Alan Dix.

Microsoft Adaptive Accessories – d-pad controller.

Speakers

Nursel Dogar
Global Business Development Manager at Farnell
Nursel Dogar is a Global Business Development Manager at Farnell, working with the Micro:bit Educational Foundation for broadening the impact of micro:bit globally. Nursel has more than 20 years’ experience in every stage of the product lifecycle from design, test to volume production. She holds a MSc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from University of Leeds.

Paul Dietz
Inventor, Maker and Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington
Paul Dietz is a former Disney Imagineer who is bringing animatronics and other storytelling projects to the classroom. He is best known for DiamondTouch – an early multitouch system that helped launch the touch interface revolution. Currently, he holds faculty appointments in Computer Science at both the University of Toronto and the University of Washington and teaches courses on prototyping and physical computing.

Simon Monk
Author and Product Designer at Monk Makes
Known for being the author of books on electronics and programming, including the best-selling ‘Programming Arduino’ and ‘The Raspberry Pi Cookbook’. He’s sold over 800,000 books worldwide and his books have been translated into 10 languages. These days he spends most of his time designing products for MonkMakes and improving their manufacturing process at their workshop in Lancashire, UK.

Yoshihiro Kawahara
Professor at the University of Tokyo
Yoshihiro Kawahara is a Professor at the University of Tokyo, specializing in ubiquitous computing and Physical AI. He creates innovative smart materials and soft robots by leveraging the properties of digitally fabricated matter, including 4D printing. His ongoing work tackles the challenge of integrating these advanced substrates with morphological computation to achieve embodied intelligence.

Jonathan Fiene
Founder & CTO of Bergsonne Labs
Jonathan Fiene is the technical architect and lead engineer behind the Tiles modular embedded-intelligence platform. Since his Ph.D. from Stanford, he spent a decade teaching hands-on courses in mechatronics, design, manufacturing, robotics, and entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania, and now leads a robotics design and prototyping group at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany.

Lorraine Underwood
Senior Research Associate at Lancaster University
Lorraine Underwood is an internationally published researcher in computer science education, with a particular focus on physical computing. She has built and developed prototypes for teachers and students to use in classrooms around the UK. Lorraine also creates and films personal electronic projects for element14 part of Avnet, the world’s 2nd largest electronic distributor.

Heather Shaw
Lecturer in Psychology at Lancaster University
Heather Shaw is a Lecturer in Psychology and Behavioural Analytics. She is interested in the study of digital footprint data, and how this can provide information about peoples habits and characteristics. She also explores interdisciplinary methods for psychological assessment, with a focus on the ethics of utilising new technologies in research.

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.”

Topics covered include:
⚙️ Electronic printed circuit board (PCB) design and manufacture
⚙️ Component selection and sourcing
⚙️ Moving from a first prototype to tens, hundreds and thousands
⚙️ Design for manufacture (DfM) and for test (DfT)
⚙️ Surface mount (SMT) assembly
⚙️ Testing and test jigs
⚙️ Regulatory compliance
⚙️ Working with manufacturing partners
⚙️ Demo session
Prizes
Thousands of pounds of prizes are up for grabs! The projects with the most potential for impact, based on the assessment criteria below, will be awarded either a grand prize or a runner up prize which is to be used to aid prototype development or to support further learning in a field relevant to device production.
The full terms and conditions of the competition can be found here.
Number of places
Up to thirty places are available at a cost of £100 each. This is a heavily subsidised rate that covers accommodation, catering for all meals and the content of the summer school itself for the duration of the event. Due to the nature of the subsidy, the cost will be the same regardless of how much of the event you attend. Places will be awarded based on the quality of your application, the details of which can be found in the application process section below. In the event that an attendee does not require accommodation, a reduced fee of £50 will be charged.
All attendees must be 18 or over. Attendees from overseas will be responsible for arranging any necessary visas.
Financial aid for domestic travel within the UK may be available upon request to those with particular financial constraints. Attendees should first make a request for funding from their own institution before requesting it from the pro² network+.
Format
The three-and-a-half-day event will be lively and dynamic, leveraging a variety of formats including presentations, demos, hands-on lab-based tutorials, panels and discussions.
The summer school starts Tuesday afternoon 14th July at 1.30pm with registrations open from 11am and runs until 4pm on Friday 17th July. The event includes dinner and socialising on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.
Application process
Applying to take part is easy! Please complete the application form and submit a short paper (as a Word Document only, no PDFs) to admin@prosquared.org containing a description of your prototype or idea for a prototype along with any pictures, sketches or designs of your prototype by the end of the day, midnight AOE (anywhere on earth) on 13th May 2026. Instructions for writing and submitting the short paper can be found in the application form.
The above short paper template provides an example of what we are looking for. You can also view submitted papers from the 2025 Summer School. We will archive the short papers of successful applicants on the pro² website.
We will accept papers with multiple authors. In this instance, please provide information about each author and their contribution to the work in the bio section. Should your paper be accepted, please note that we may not have capacity to offer places at the summer school to all authors.
Assessment criteria for prizes and sponsored places
The summer school organisers will assess applications based on the content of the application form. Assessment criteria will be based on: well-explained and adventurous but realistic concepts, the impact potential of the ideas, consideration of relevant related work, prior relevant experience of the applicant, and responsible innovation.
Additional Information
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email.
Further information regarding the accessibility of Lancaster University facilities can be found on the AccessAble website. Please inform of us of any accessibility or dietary requirements in your application form. Quiet spaces and spaces for prayer will be available throughout the event. You can get in touch with us at admin@prosquared.org with any queries you may have.
About pro² and the Devices Lab
pro² is an EPSRC-funded Network+ with the mission to ease the transition from PROtotyping to PROduction for digital devices. pro² is kindly subsidising accommodation and catering costs for up to thirty places!
The Devices Lab at Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications works with collaborators from different disciplines and different institutions to design and scale-up electronic devices that help answer all manner of research questions.
