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I am also thrilled by the idea of Scratch in Python, but this brings us up against the limitations of the web. The fact that Scratch apps can be shared on the web is a crucial advantage. Could Python Scratch be targeted to Jython to provide sharability?

To Jython, or if we keep to the limited functionality of Scratch, to Flash, which would be more self-contained (and faster) than Java. Another advantage to using PyGame is that we could provide export to self-contained executables, to run the games on Mac, Windows, or Linux. Scratch itself has not yet been ported to Linux (sad, since it is built on top of Squeak, which runs fine on Linux), keeping it off of platforms such as XO and my trusty N800.

I like the idea of virtual Roombas, especially as a leaping-off point. I can imagine kids costomizing their Roombas: spinning blades, laser turrets, even Steampunk Roombas. Once they have a platform to build on, anything is possible.

Robocode has done something similar in Java: http://robocode.sourceforge.net/ I've used Robocode with 1st year university students, and while a few students really go into, most found it only mildly interesting, like an old-fashioned video game. Roomba (Create) simulation software exists at least for player/stage (http://playerstage.sourceforge.net/) and Microsoft Robotics Studio (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/robotics/default.aspx). I know Python is popular with Player/stage, and it has 2D graphics (3D in progress), and the ability to use simulations of real sensors (e.g. expensive laser sensors). It's more of a research tool, but packaging it up in an education distribution might be worth considering. The Microsoft Robotics Studio comes with impressive 3D graphics, and also physics, e.g. so when to Sumo iCreate's bump into each other, they lift up off the ground a little. Some of the demos are nice; I have no idea if it works with Python, though. By the way, here's an interesting video using 36 Create's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_kZmatqAaQ And speaking of the Create, it's quite a nice, cost-effective robot, and worth looking at for educational purposes: http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=305 It would be fun to connect a Create into the Python turtle package to simulate the old turtle graphics drawing robots. If you haven't seen the demo video, it's worth a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT2bPx9k7D4 Toby -- Dr. Toby Donaldson School of Computing Science Simon Fraser University (Surrey)