STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)
FlowStone is the ideal tool for STEM in education. It covers each of the key areas from beginner right up to advanced and industry level. It can be used in schools, colleges and universities or in the workplace for training purposes.
To support education we have made a special version of FlowStone specifically for STEM. It's much more affordable but still retains almost every feature of FlowStone.
Science
Use FlowStone to create applications for science experiments, test and measurement, data logging, graphs, saving files to disk etc.
Technology
FlowStone can be the heart of your design for things like home automation, recording and processing video or making mp3 players.
Engineering
Use FlowStone to create engineering systems including Control Systems, SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) and HMI (Human-machine interface).
Mathematics
Use FlowStone to teach mathematics, from binary number systems and boolean algebra, to trigonometric functions and graphs.
Seeing maths work in real-time on the screen is far more engaging and much better fun than old fashioned pen and paper!
FlowPaw
To help engage children in STEM we've created FlowPaw - a fantastic new electronics board with LEDs, buttons and plug in sensors that you program using FlowStone STEM.
The board and software comes in one very neat boxed package and is supplied with a host of examples that can be used to teach students programming in a way that is fun and interesting.
Robotics
Robotics is a great area to motivate and excite students about STEM. Using FlowStone you can control a whole host of educational robots from robot arms to wheeled robots and humanoids.
FlowStone has Inverse Kinematics algorithms build in. This allows you to map a robot arm position back to a set of servo joint rotation angles. We have used this to make a robot control application called Arm Control.
As FlowStone has games controller input built in we thought it would be a great idea to try and turn a games controller into a robot. Well, we succeeded and the result was the XBug robot (see below).
Full instructions and details can be found by clicking here.
Computer Science
With the shift in schools away from IT or ITC (Word and Excel) back to computer science, FlowStone fills the gap between very basic programs like Scratch and full blown programming languages like C++ and C# which take a life time to master.
With FlowStone you can teach or learn the fundamental basics of Computer Science in a visual understandable way and jump in and out of snippets of code when necessary.
Physics
FlowStone can be used to demonstrate certain aspects of Physics. For example, motors and relays can be controlled and the current voltage can all be measured and displayed on the screen.
Games
Computer games is another area that really motivates students. Using FlowStone you can make simple or complex games that interface with the standard games controllers.
In FlowStone it's easy to load your own graphics and interact with the keyboard, mouse or games controllers. The Xbox Controller, the Wiimote + Nunchuk and the PSII controller are all supported.
Using the accelerometer and built in buttons, students can even make their own controller using FlowPaw!
Sound & Music
You can teach students how to create their own sounds. They can learn about different synthesis techniques and analyse signals in both the time and frequency domains.
Students can even create their own standalone virtual instruments and effects which can be used for playing live via MIDI or as VST plugins for use in making music using recording software.
Our 1 sample-at-a-time processing engine is perfect for filters or anything that requires a single sample feedback loop.
If you want even more flexibility you can use the DSP Code component or even go right down to assembler for maximum efficiency.
FlowStone STEM Pricing
The STEM version of FlowStone is significantly discounted to make it much more affordable for those in education. FlowStone STEM has all the features of the full version of FlowStone and is only missing the ability to export standalone EXEs and VST plugins.
FlowStone STEM + 12 months upgrade cover
$49
Upgrade + 12 months upgrade cover
$29
We also offer three site licence options for schools and academic institutes. These include upgrade cover for 12 months. Additional 12 months upgrade cover is the same price.
Class (up to 30 seats)
$499
Campus 100 (up to 100 seats)
$999
Campus Unlimited (no seat limit)
$1999
Upgrade Cover
Our software is constantly evolving so instead of saving up features for a traditional annual upgrade we deliver them whenever they are ready. Typically we have between 3-6 months between new versions but this isn't set in stone so you could see less or more time between releases.
One of the perils of buying software is finding that a new version is released just after you made your purchase and you end up having to pay again to get it. To help avoid this we include 12 months upgrade cover as standard. This means that you can buy the latest version of FlowStone and know that you'll get any new versions we release in the next year completely free of charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q - For the site licence options can the seats be split across sites?
Yes. If you have labs or classrooms in different buildings at different locations that's not a problem. As long as the sites all fall under the jurisdiction of the purchasing establishment then you can divide the seats up as you like.
Q - What happens when my upgrade cover runs out?
You will continue to have access to the latest version of the software (and all previous versions) but you won't get any of the new versions unless you upgrade.
Q - Can I add to my upgrade cover before it expires?
Yes, you can do this at any time. Any additional months purchased will be added to the time you still have to run.
Q - If my upgrade cover has expired can I restart it again?
Yes. Just purchase an upgrade. This will resume from the date you purchase - there is no backdating to cover any lapse period.
Q - Do I need any licence keys to activate the software?
No. You will need to log on to our download area and from there you can download an install program for the software. This install is for your use only. You don't need any activation keys and no online activation is required, just install and off you go.
Q - Can I run the software on my laptop as well as my desktop?
Yes, you may install the software on any number of your own computers so long as the only person that uses the software is you. This does not apply to site licences where each seat is considered to be a single computer.