Mikkoci

Mikkoci is an open-source modular robotics platform designed for education and hobbyist use. It combines a family of plug-and-play hardware modules—sensors, actuators, and power units—with a compact software stack that runs on a central microcontroller core. The platform emphasizes affordability, ease of assembly, and cross-platform compatibility.

The name mikkoci was chosen to reflect small-scale, modular engineering and community-driven development. The project is intended to be explored by students, teachers, and makers through hands-on projects.

Modules implement a standardized interface called the Mikkoci Block, featuring a power, ground, and data bus and a quick-connect mechanical coupling. A daisy-chain bus allows multiple modules to be linked. The firmware provides a lightweight hardware abstraction layer, while libraries exist for sensors, motors, and communication. Bindings are available for Python, JavaScript, and C++ to facilitate rapid prototyping.

The platform emerged in early community discussions in 2018, with the first public release in 2020 and subsequent major revisions. Educational kits and open-source documentation accompany the core platform, with contributions tracked in an online repository.

Applications and reception: Mikkoci is used in classrooms to teach programming, electronics, and robotics, and by hobbyists for building autonomous robots, sensor networks, and demonstrations. It has been noted for its approachable hardware interface and growing ecosystem, though performance scales with module count and design choices.

See also: Open-source hardware, educational robotics, modular robotics.