Poster: MicroMesh - A Zero-Configuration Educational Mesh Network for the BBC micro:bit

Dove, William and Finney, Joe and Hodges, Steve and Ball, Thomas (2026) Poster: MicroMesh - A Zero-Configuration Educational Mesh Network for the BBC micro:bit. In: MobiSys Companion '26 : Proceedings of the 24th Annual International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications and Services Companion. Proceedings of the 24th Annual International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications and Services Companion . ACM, New York, pp. 37-38. ISBN 9798400727115

Abstract

Physical computing centres on tangible and interactive devices that inspire students to engage with coding. One popular device is the BBC micro:bit, which has been used by over 70 million children aged 8 and up. Its small form factor, wireless capabilities, and battery-powered operation empower students to quickly and easily build interesting mobile systems. In this paper, we present a mesh networking stack for the micro:bit. MicroMesh includes a zero-conf link layer concurrent flooding protocol that offers a simple way for a classroom of devices to communicate across multiple hops. MicroMesh includes an IPv6 stack that builds on its support for multicast to enable novel educational applications.