Microcomputer VIDI X

You need a platform that you can use as a part of the existing solutions, to manage other devices, develop your own projects, or just play retro games? Then you need VIDI X, a microcomputer, completely designed and engineered in Croatia.

VIDI X is based on a powerful ESP32 processor, it comes with a temperature sensor, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi module, microphone, and 2.8″ touchscreen. Furthermore, it is equipped with several interesting sensors and a special slot for further expansion of functionality, and the possibilities of using VIDI X microcomputers are innumerable.

It is a significantly more powerful platform than the Arduino, and unlike the Raspberry Pi, it doesn´t need an operating system. It requires a power source via 3xAA batteries or via USB cable to run and can be programmed on a computer running Windows, Linux, or Mac OS systems. Similar to the Arduino, on VIDI X you can connect additional components and sensors, as well as use the existing ones. The connectivity and the application capabilities are huge, given the diverse communication capabilities (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR).

We kick-started the project by researching the existing educational microcomputer market. After a careful analysis of what features should be supported, we approached the schematic design while keeping the final cost and the ease of manufacturing in mind. Next, PCB layout was done so that the board itself could be used as a compact game controller. After the layout was completed, a pilot run of 100 boards was produced and delivered to select testers to gather feedback for the next design iteration. Finally, we manufacture the boards and manage the supply chain.

After a year and a half long development, in which the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing joined as well, the first 500 copies of VIDI X microcomputers would be delivered to schools in Croatia in a brief time. The next goal is to deliver computers to a thousand schools and colleges and make them available to 400,000 pupils and students in the next few years.

For us, this was a project in the field of social responsibility, where we wanted to show young people that the hardware used in everyday life was not only possible to produce in Croatia, but that it was, in fact, produced here.