Beekee Microserver provides offline learning in remote regions

When Marc Alan Sperber, of The Education for Humanity Initiative of Arizona State University arrived in a refugee camp along the Thai–Myanmar Border, the scene was typical of many crisis areas: no Internetunreliable power and few resources. But in a few minutes, he and the local partners of the NGOs were able to set up a full digital classroom using nothing more than a solar panel and a yellow device the size of a soup box.

Students equipped with only basic smartphones and the old tablets accessed content through AbeedeA light autonomous microserver built in Switzerland which can transform any location into a offline pop-up digital class first.

While international initiatives like Gigantry Try to connect each school to the Internet, the calendar and the cost remain difficult to provide. And even then, according to UnescoGlobal report for monitoring education, keeping schools in low -income online countries could rise to a billion dollars a day.

Beekee, founded by Vincent Widmer And Sergio Estupiñán During their doctoral studies at Department of Education Technology of the University of Genevaseeks to fill the connectivity gap via its device that is easy to deploy.

At the heart of the Beekee box is a Raspberry Pi Microserver, locked in a ventilation 3D printPlastic thermorescent shell. Optimized for passive and active cooling, meteorological resilience and repairs in the field, it can resist heat in arid climates like that of Jordan and the North Kenya.

With its devices often deployed in distant regions, where there are few repair options, Beekee provides STL And Code files to partners, allowing them to make replacement parts on a 3D printer. “We saw them use a plastic filament recycled in Kenya and Lebanon to print replacement parts in a few days,” explains Estupiñán.

The device consumes less than 10 watts of power, which facilitates operation for more than 12 hours out of 20,000 cheap Hour Food Bank. Alternatively, Beekee can work on compact solar panelswhere the battery can offer up to two hours even a cloudy day or at night. “This kind of energy efficiency is essential, ”says Marcel Hertel de GizerThe German development agency that uses Beekee Indonesia inasmuch as Digital learning platformAccessible to farmers in distant regions for training. “We work where even invoice a phone is a challenge,” he says.

The apparatus runs on a custom Linux distribution and open source software battery. It is Wi-fi Hotspot has a range of 40 meters, offering sufficient coverage for two adjacent classrooms or a small courtyard. Up to 40 learners can connect simultaneously using their smartphones, tablets or laptopswithout applications or Internet access necessary. Beekee's interface is based on the browser.

However, the yellow box is not intended to replace the internet. It is designed to complete it, using the bandwidth available for synchronization each time available via 3G Or 4G Relations.

Although in many deployment areas, 3G / 4G connectivity exists but is fragile. Mobile networks suffer from speed of speed, high data costs and congestion. Streaming Educational content or relying on cloud platforms becomes impractical. But satellite Internet connectivity, including emergence Leo satellite Suppliers love Peak linkalways provides window opportunity to download and download content from the yellow box.

Beekee replacement 3D replacement part files can be used to remotely repair the robust organization e-learning Boxes, using only a screwdriver and a 3D printer. Abeede

Moodle offline for online learning

Beekee welcomes online learning tools for teachers and students, offering an offline line Moodle Instance – an open source learning management system. Via Moodle, educators can use Mess Packages and H5P modules,, technical standards commonly used to pack and deliver an online learning material.

“BEEKEE is designed to interoperate with existing training platforms,” ​​explains Estupiñán. “We synchronize the learner's progress, content updates and analysis without changing the functioning of an organization.”

Beekee also comes with Open educational resources (oer))including Offline Wikipedia,, Khan Academy Videos in several languages ​​and organized educational content. “We don't just want to deliver content,” explains Estupiñán, “but also create a collaborative and engaging learning environment.”

Before turning to Beekee, some organizations have tried to create their own offline learning platforms or worked with third -party developers.

Some of them have neglected realities such as extreme heat, current breakdownsand an internet bandwidth close to zero – while others tried solutions that were essentially files libraries Get away as learning platforms.

“Most autonomous systems do not support remote updates or the synchronization of learner's data and analyzes,” explains Sperber. “They have delivered PDFs, not real learning experiences that include interactive practice, evaluation, comments or anything.”

In addition, many systems lacked sustainable maintenance strategies and devices separated under field conditions. “The technology may have looked elegant, but when things failed, there was no repair plan,” said Estupiñán. “We have designed Beekee so that even non -specialist users can repair things with a screwdriver and a local 3D printer.”

Beekee manages its own production chain using a 3D printers farm in Geneva, capable of producing up to 30 personalized units per day. But it does not only make equipment, it also offers training, educational design support and continuous technical aid. “The real challenge is not only technology on the ground, it keeps it on the move,” explains Estupiñán.

The following border: AI Offline

Future plans include integration Small language models (SLMS) directly in the box. A light AI engine could automate tasks such as classification, signaling conceptual errors or teachers' support with localized course plans.

“The offline AI is the next big step,” explains Estupiñán. “This allows us to provide intelligent support to teachers who can be isolated, under-worked or outdated.”

Beekee has teamed up with more than 40 organizations in nearly 30 countries. Founded five years ago and now has a team of seven. The company recently joined UNESCO World Education Coalition next to Course,, MicrosoftAnd Google. Even if Beekee is mainly used in low -resource environments, its first -line design is now aroused interest in wider contexts.

In France And SwissSecondary schools are starting to use Beekee devices to give students digital access without fully exposing them to the Internet during lessons. Teachers use them for outdoor projects, such as work on the biology field, allowing students to share photos and grades on a local network. “The system is also envisaged for secure and offline learning in correction establishments, and companies explore its training potential in isolated and sensitive to confidentiality,” explains Widmer.