
Build, Program, and Operate Your Own Smart Vending Machine
100% student built from hardware assembly, software & multimedia design, and IoT applications - step by step done by students.

IoT Smart Vending Machine
*STEM Mark Certified by FHKI

Course Overview
Target Group:
Secondary school students
(F.2–F.5 recommended)
Format:
In-school course with equipment & instructor support
Duration:
30–40 hours(5 structured chapters)


Our Programs Overview
Ch1: Hardware Assembly
(3-5 hours)
Develop practical skills in assembling, customizing, and troubleshooting vending machines by understanding their mechanical structures and organizing various components.
Ch2: Design Thinking
(4-6 hours)
Develop a comprehensive UX/UI design for a Smart Vending Machine in a school setting by creating user personas, implementing responsive layouts, designing user journeys, and utilizing multimedia and design tools for dynamic interactions.
Ch3: Software Development
(12-18 hours)
Introduce Python programming with a focus on developing and deploying APIs for vending machines, covering fundamental concepts, control flow, data structures, and best practices in RESTful API design.
Ch4: Cloud Management
(6-8 hours)
Explores cloud computing concepts and the benefits of using cloud services for IoT applications, focusing on database setup, data management, security, and troubleshooting using platforms like Firebase and AWS.
Ch5: Chatbot Building
(6-8 hours)
Design and implement a GenAI chatbot system for student administration and content generation, exploring deployment, ethical considerations, and optimization for school-specific use cases, including smart vending machine applications.


Certified by
✅ STEM Mark Certification
This Smart Vending Machine course has been certified by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries for meeting the relevant STEM Mark requirements.
✅ Education Bureau Funding Eligibility
This course meets the funding requirements of the "Life-wide Learning Grant" (全方位學習津貼) and the "IT Innovation Lab in Schools" (IT創新實驗室計劃) programs under the Education Bureau.



Why Choose This Course?
It’s not just a school project – it’s a functioning tech product.
Post-Course: Add-ons
Customisation
Tailored features for your school’s needs
Need a specific application or function beyond the course? We offer customised software development to suit your post-course goals, charged on a case-by-case basis.

Funding
Free help with government funding applications
We assist schools in drafting proposals for the IT Innovation Lab and other local funding schemes — completely free of charge.

Media
Tell your innovation story to a wider audience
We offer professional videography, copywriting, and media publishing services (e.g. HK01, SingTao, Yahoo HK) to help your school showcase its achievements.

Hear what our student has to say
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Are there opportunities for students to share their learning and project presentations?Students will share their learning outcome by presenting their course-end projects.
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How to measure learning effectiveness from a teacher or parent perspective?Teachers and parents can monitor the learning progress by checking on the quality and efficiency of students completing assignments in the short term. Or check on the ability of students to apply learnt knowledge in real-life circumstances or inter-school competitions
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Are the courses online or offline?Some courses are available in both. Some are in person only.
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How are the courses conducted?Some are regular courses throughout the term or one-off courses within a few days of activities.
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Are there opportunities for students to collaborate on projects or work in teams?Yes, students will have the chance to discuss in-class exercises and work together on group projects.
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How to enroll into the courses?Fill in your email and class requirement at the bottom of the page to get quotations.
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Are the online courses graded?No, certificates will be sent based on completion. No gradings are applicable.
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Do I have to finish all materials all at once?No, you can progress through the course at your own pace and your learning progress will be saved automatically.
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How long is the available period after purchase?All online courses are a one-time payment, lifetime purchase. The invoice will be sent upon confirmation of payment within 1-3 working days.
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Is the online course available for unlimited viewing? Is it live?The online courses are pre-recorded which can be accessed through our website. Once purchased, students can view it without time constraints and at an unlimited number of times.
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Do I need any equipment before taking online courses?All you need is a laptop, access to the internet and a comfy study place. We would recommend trying out the tools introduced in specific courses when you come across those too!
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Are online courses as effective as in-person classes?As we provide online discussion forums and other supplementing materials, there will be no differences in terms of effectiveness and content. We offer online courses to particularly cater for individuals who want to minimize time investment but maximize learning output.
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Will I receive a certificate upon completing an online course? If so, how can I obtain it?Yes, upon finishing all materials, you will receive an electronic certificate automatically. Be sure that your name in profile matches your ID card name as it will be displayed on the certificate of completion. You can update your profile name in “Personal Info” if needed.
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How do I contact my instructor?Students will be added to the group discussion forum upon enrolment. Students can ask for help from other students who enrolled the class, and also the instructor of the course.
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What age groups and grade levels are the courses designed for?Our courses are primarily designed for secondary school students but are also available to any interested organizations and individuals from any levels.
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Are there any prerequisites or prior knowledge required for students to enroll in the courses?No, students do not need to have prior knowledge or experience before the courses.
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What kind of projects or practical applications will students engage in during the Generative AI courses?Students will be assigned small tasks each lesson to practice new knowledge and a group project to integrate all techniques.
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How do the Generative AI courses prepare students for future academic or career opportunities in AI and related fields?Generative AI courses equip students with the ability to research and generate ideas more efficiently which can be applied in their future academic paths for assignment inspiration or gain an edge in technology related disciplines.
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What are the exclusive takeaways that students can get from the course?Our Generative AI courses extract the most crucial component in navigating this new technology with current industrial usage. The highly compacted courses enhance students’ digital competencies by equipping them with a mastering skill set and ethical knowledge.
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Why is early exposure to Generative AI important?Generative AI is a revolutionary technology that allows limit breakthroughs due to its powerful content generation ability. It is essential to master it ethically which is best to be developed at a young age.
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What education institutions that Creato Academy has served?Our Generative AI courses are trusted by numerous secondary schools as well as teaching professionals in The University of Hong Kong.
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What differs STEAM curricula at Creato Academy from other STEAM curricula providers?Our courses are highly customizable according to each client’s need, timetable and budget. We provide rich learning content with professional tools for a high quality learning experience and engagement. Our course instructors from various industries are experienced who provide valuable insights to students.
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Can students earn certifications upon completion of the STEAM courses?A certificate will be awarded upon completion of the training.
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How to foster creativity and problem solving skills in teaching STEAM courses?Students are required to complete tasks independently or as a team. Through peer interactions, we aim to improve students’ hands-on ability and creativity.
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How do the videography courses prepare students for potential careers in media and content creation?Videography courses teach students to produce video from sketch to digital channel promotion, covering the whole essential skill set needed for a related career.
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Do I need to have my own gears and purchase the softwares, or will the instructors supply the equipment, either for free or for rent?Students do not have to bring their own devices nor gears to classes. Required equipment will be provided upon registration of the course.
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What are the most transferable skills from videography courses?The soft skills include, but not limited to generating an idea and putting it into action with the help of technology, as well as organizing massive content in a presentable manner.
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Which groups of students are this curricula for?Videography courses are primarily for students in campus TV team, videography or photography clubs.It also serves as an extra curricular activities for students. Besides, any organizations or individuals interested in digital content can also join the courses.
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Why would I go pay for videography courses if there are free online resources?Each videography course is tailored to students to maximize time and cost-effectiveness with access to professional gears. Our professional instructors share valuable insights about industry trends of videography, career advice and more while providing an interactive lesson mode and intriguing contents.
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What are the expected outcomes or projects students will complete by the end of the course?Students will be working on a videography production project in groups based on the course theme and school requirement.
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Are there opportunities for students to showcase their work to the school community or in public forums?Yes, students’ work will be presented to the school community or on our website.
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What is the daily schedule like for the summer programs?The courses start off with leadership theories and knowledge sessions for students to finish required projects. Presentation and more advanced knowledge of the theme will be covered in the next day with feedback and review sessions to wrap up.
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What types of projects or activities will students be engaged in during the summer programs?Students will be engaged in gamified challenges in the themes of Aviation Experience, Leadership Training, and Videography.
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What are the core features of summer programs?Our course curriculum is structured according to the needs of students, which includes gamified teamwork challenges apart from theories teaching which fuses creativity and polishes students’ interpersonal skills.
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How are the instructors for the summer programs selected and trained?Our instructors are certified Professional Behavioral and Motivators Analysts and hold certifications from The Institute of Life Space Crisis Intervention and TTI Success Insights.
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How long does a summer program lasts?1-3 days.
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Are there any free trial classes available before I decide to make a purchase?No, our GenAI Course does not offer a free trial class. Please check out the detailed description of our class content on our website.
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Are there any differences between online courses and face-to-face courses in GenAI?The GenAI online and face-to-face courses share the same teaching content. However, face-to-face courses are only available to educational institutions recently while online courses are available for both institutions and individuals.
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What tools do I need to prepare for the GenAI course?You do not need to prepare additional tools. Upon enrolment, instructor will provide you guidance of each software tool you will need.
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What skills will students acquire by the end of the GenAI course?Students will learn effective prompt engineering, master techniques for guiding generative AI tools to deliver precise responses for specific needs, and create professional multimedia content with AI.
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What are the special offers of enrolling in the GenAI course?Enrolled participants can enjoy free 1-month at "AI健身室".
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What equipment and software should I prepare in advance?For filming tools, it can be a smartphone, a camera, or an action camera etc. As long as it is convenient and accessible for you. For editing tools, this course will demonstrate with CapCut. However, the editing logic is universal and applicable to any other tools you have in hand.
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How will this course equip me with the skills of being a creator?This course primarily focuses on the production method of professional online multimedia content such as filming and editing.
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Will there be sample case studies of videography productions?Students will learn from peers' work on the online discussion platform. It is also encouraged to check out instructor's work through their social media channels as sample case studies.
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How will all the contents be covered in 0.75 hours?As videography production is most effective to be learnt case-by-case and through application, instructors will introduce concepts regarding the topic and be readily available to view your contents in the discussion forum and provide advice through the forum.
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Will I have the chance to interact with the instructor upon joining the course?Students can interact with the instructor through the online discussion forum that will be accessible upon enrolment.