is a London-based startup created by a team of engineers from Imperial College London and designers from the Royal College of Art. SAM’s mission is to give everyone the skills to shape the Internet of Things (IoT) with fun, and functional, tools. The award-winning SAM programmable blocks are some of the most innovative educational toys for 7+ year olds to learn coding. It allows people to learn coding like cooking dinner—by adding one ingredient at a time to create something wonderful and unique.
I first met Joachim Horn, Founder and CEO of SAM Labs, a few years when I interviewed him for an article on how he sees the IoT in the next few years. Horn actually came up with the idea for SAM shortly after graduating from Imperial College London on a trip to Tokyo Institute of Technology to start a digital creative lab. He saw the market gap between simplistic toys and advanced prototyping techniques. From this, he was inspired to create a toy that made coding, electronics, and the IoT friendly and accessible to everyone.
How SAM Labs’ Blocks Work
The wireless electronic blocks connect over Bluetooth® technology to a very user-friendly application which is based on physical computing plus drag-and-drop flow-based programming. From there, you can begin to create your projects—there’s no stopping the open-ended play and creativity. Because it is so easy to use, creativity can take center stage. Using Bluetooth® technology allows SAM to overcome the use of wires. Without Bluetooth capability, the wireless blocks couldn’t connect to each other without a physical connection. Using Bluetooth allows the blocks to connect digitally making them more aesthetically pleasing and easier to use.
Horn considered using other technologies in the blocks but opted for Bluetooth because it was more efficient and effective. “We chose Bluetooth as a cost-effective and efficient method of giving our blocks the wireless power they need to sync up to our app, SAM Space,” said Horn. “The Bluetooth integration works very well for us and we’re happy we went down this route. The wide availability of devices with native Bluetooth capabilities was the biggest factor in the decision. In a nutshell, it makes our product easy to use which is one of our core pillars of success.”
What the Future Holds
SAM Labs is excited about the impact its products are having, and going to have, on education. As we’ve recently seen, a lot of learning happens outside of the classroom while students remain connected. Students are also learning about technology at a much younger age. For example, two eight-year-old kids created a driverless car that detected obstacles in just over three hours. There are more than 1,000 schools already using the kits as part of regular learning or after-school programs. Because they are fun and easy to use, all learning and education happens organically.
Auracast™ Broadcast Audio Enables the Pioneering of Real-Time Language Translation Solutions
In an increasingly interconnected world, language barriers continue to pose significant challenges for global…
Bluetooth® Technology: Advancements in 2024 and Expected Trends in 2025
For more than 25 years, developers around the world have relied on Bluetooth® technology’s…
GN Looks at Bluetooth® Trends We Can Expect to See Next Year
The GN Group – a Danish organization that drives the design and manufacture of…
Silicon Labs Provides Insight Into What We Can Expect From Bluetooth® Technology Next Year
Silicon Labs is a major contributor to the wireless connectivity space for the IoT.…
Qualcomm Highlights Past Bluetooth® Successes and Shares Insight Into What’s Ahead for Bluetooth Technology in 2025Qualcomm、Bluetooth技術における実績と2025年の展望を語る
An innovator of intelligent computing, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. strives to develop comprehensive solutions that…
A New FCC Requirement Will Pave the Way for Inclusive Audio Experiences for All補聴器との連携を義務付ける新FCC規則、すべての人のためのオーディオ体験を実現へ
Last month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced new rules establishing that 100 percent…
Unlock Accurate Ranging With Our Bluetooth® Wireless MCUs for Channel Sounding
See how our family of devices enable improved ranging technology for Channel Sounding, introduced…
Auracast™ Broadcast Audio for Developers: Best Practices for Developing Transmitters, Receivers, and Broadcast Assistants for Public Locations
Auracast broadcast audio technology will revolutionize how we experience audio. This interactive session will…
Robust Indoor Distance Estimation Algorithms for Bluetooth® Channel Sounding
Bluetooth Channel Sounding is a powerful feature setting a clear and solid foundation for…
Bluetooth® Core 6.0: What's New In The Latest Bluetooth Release?
Bluetooth technology is constantly growing, not only enhancing existing applications but also enabling entirely…
Taking Find My Applications to the Next Level with Telink
Discover how Telink’s solutions enhance Find My applications with cross-platform compatibility and Bluetooth Channel…
Bluetooth Channel Sounding Brings Crucial Ranging to New Bluetooth Devices
The Bluetooth SIG has relentlessly pushed forward the capabilities and feature sets of the…
Receiver Blocking Resilience Test Suite
This Test Suite tests the receiver blocking resilience of a Bluetooth implementation. It is…
The Perfect Fit for an Auracast™ Retrofit
Learn about Auracast™ broadcast audio retrofit solutions and opportunities.
Bluetooth® Core Specification v6.0 Feature Overview
Bluetooth® Core Specification version 6.0 includes several feature enhancements. This paper provides an overview…
Bluetooth® Channel Sounding Communications Guide
This communications guide includes Bluetooth® Channel Sounding key messages and positioning details. This document…
2024 Bluetooth® Market Update
The 2024 Bluetooth® Market Update examines the direction and adoption of Bluetooth technology.
Auracast™ Broadcast Audio Retrofit Solutions and Opportunities
This report by ABI Research delves into the opportunity for public spaces to offer…
Revolutionizing Online Order Fulfillment: Managing Mis Shipments
Discover how Wiliot, an ambient Internet of Things (IoT) pioneer, is revolutionizing the online…
What's the Range of Auracast™ Broadcast Audio?
Get the answer to the question everyone’s asking. Find out what the coverage area…
![2312 CES Handout Images FINAL existing pdf 464x600[1]](https://www.bluetooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2312_CES_Handout-Images_FINAL-existing-pdf-464x6001-1.jpg)
Can You Add Auracast™ Support to Existing Devices?
Are you waiting for native Auracast™ support? You might not have to. Find out…
The Ambient IoT - The Emergence of a New Class of Bluetooth® IoT DevicesアンビエントIoT – Bluetooth® IoTデバイスに新たなクラスが登場
Over the past two years, the Ambient IoT has been a growing topic of…
Retail Pharmacy
A leading retailer is collaborating with Wiliot, an ambient Internet of Things (IoT) pioneer,…
Introducing Bluetooth® LE Audio
Now available for free digital download, get your copy of this in-depth, technical overview of the LE Audio specifications.
Bluetooth® Technology for Linux Developers
Learn how to use the interprocess communication system D-Bus and the BlueZ APIs to create Bluetooth applications for Linux computers.
Designing and Developing Bluetooth® Internet Gateways
Learn about Bluetooth® internet gateways, how to make them secure and scalable, and design and implement your own...
The Bluetooth LE Security Study Guide
Learn about fundamental security concepts, the security features of Bluetooth Low Energy, and gain some hands-on experience using those features in device code.
