The Sun SPOT device is a small, wireless, battery powered experimental platform. It is programmed almost entirely in Java to allow regular programmers to create projects that used to require specialized embedded system development skills. The hardware platform includes a range of built-in sensors as well as the ability to easily interface to external devices.

Each SPOT kit contains two complete, free-range Sun SPOTs (with processor, radio, sensor board and battery) and one basestation Sun SPOT (with processor and radio). Also included are all the software development tools and cables required to start developing applications for Sun SPOTs. The wireless technology employed is IEEE 802.14

Infoworld places the Sun SPOT as a the #1 item on its list of 8 "must have gadgets for the discerning geek."

The first stage of this effort was underway before the funding notice was received. They are team teaching a pair of courses, one a colloqium for honor's college students that are not computer science majors and one a seminar for computer science majors. The in each course will form teams and be paired up with a team in the other course. The teams will each pursue a different game design and development project with members of the different courses being primarily responsibile for different aspects of the design and devlopment process.