BitLab: Crowdsourced Modules For LittleBits

Posted on 17/09/2014 by Stirling Matheson

LittleBits, the company that makes electronics kits for people who don’t know how to solder, is now opening up a new service called “BitLab.” It’s being pushed as an “app store for hardware” in which users can design modules for LittleBits and have them sold through the official store. Designers will get a royalty, geeky people with cool project ideas will have more toys to play with, and everybody will be happy. Well, I’d wager that there will be some cats, spouses, and parents who wont be happy about some of geekdom’s impending creations, but if you’re not offending anybody, you’re probably boring.

Right now, there aren’t many modules up there yet, but two have already been confirmed for production: a MaKey MaKey module than can turn everyday objects into touch pads, and an i10 touch sensor that can detect the proximity of fingers. I just upvoted the EMG SpikerBox, because, as an athlete, a module that can detect individual muscles tensing is just cool to me.

What kind of modules do you want to see? Why aren’t you designing them right now?

NASA And littleBits Create A Rover Building Set

Posted on 25/04/2014 by Kristin Silva

Whether you go to outer space or not depends sorely on you now, as littleBits and NASA provide you with the tools to build your own space explorer.

Ok, fine, going to space might be a stretch, but that doesn’t make this Space Kit created by littleBits and NASA any less impressive. This set has 12 modules, 10 STEAM activities, and five different plans designed by the NASA crew themselves that can be connected magnetically and made to perform different tasks. It’s a really clever way to bring space-like design to small scale module sets, and you can learn more about them by checking the video below these lines.

Source: Laughing Squid

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littleBits hands-on: LEGO blocks for future electrical engineers

Posted on 10/02/2013 by Terrence O'Brien

We haven't checked in with littleBits in quite some time and, honestly, it was a bit of a surprise to find the electronic tinker toys hiding in a quiet corner of the floor at Toy Fair this year. The property has grown quite a bit in the past few years. For one, it's no longer a "project" but an actual shipping product. And in the last year founder Ayah Bdeir has turned it from a great concept into an actual company with serious investors. For those of you unfamiliar with littleBits, the goal is to do for electronics what LEGO did for structural engineering. The small color coded "blocks" snap together with magnets allowing even a novice to create a functioning circuit in seconds. The magnets will only connect in one orientation, preventing you from pushing current through a component in the wrong direction and ruining it. Ayah's inspiration is not just LEGO, but object oriented programing languages that simplify building code, allowing developers to focus on the more creative aspects of software making. By doing some of the heavy logical lifting for you, littleBits hopes that potential electrical engineers and prototypers can focus on the goal rather than the minutia of laying out a breadboard or soldering resistors in place.

The latest version of the platform, v0.3, debuted just a couple of months ago and not only brings new pieces to the littleBits universe, but also adds legs to the blocks for improved stability when piecing together your projects. Currently there are four kits available: the three piece Teaser kit for $29, the seven piece Holiday kit for $49, the 10 piece Starter kit for $89 and the 14 piece Extended kit for $149. (You can also buy individual Bits for between $10 and $35.) If you're in need of inspiration there are a number of projects for you peruse on the site and the company is even considering packaging them up as pre-planned kits. Though, unlike other electronics project bundles (such as the ubiquitous BrushBot), the magnetic pieces can easily be disassembled and re-purposed if you tire of your creation. While the concept has its roots in brands like Snap Circuits, littleBits definitely provides more freedom than those single purpose offerings. For more, check out the video after the break.

Gallery: littleBits hands-on