Toys of the Future Are Here, littleBits Let You Build Your Own Electronics as Easily as LEGOs

Our prototype ideas will have to wait until they make a flux capacitor Bit.
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You know how in sci-fi stories, children of the future or alien races always seem to be building complex electronics with their toys (and sometimes even C-3PO. Grumble grumble)? Ayah Bdeir wants to make that a reality with modular, snap-together electronics parts called littleBits that allow anyone to easily construct electronics prototypes.

The goal of littleBits is to allow people with little electronics experience to build prototypes of ideas they might have themselves. The components are divided into easy to understand, color coded types like power sources, input devices, outputs like speakers and lights, or extender wires, and they snap together with magnets to form some pretty complex designs.

The littleBits have been called “LEGOs for the iPad generation” a whole lot, and you can see why when you look at how easy it is to mix and match them and create some really neat devices, which we absolutely would’ve sunk as much childhood time into as we did with our LEGOs. Take a look:

The best part is that this isn’t just a great Kickstarter like a lot of fun elecronics toys we see. This is a real product that you can buy right now, and then you or your kids (recommended 8 and up) can experiment and bring your own ideas to life.

You can also check out Bdeir’s TED talk on why it’s important for electronics, which are quickly becoming the basic building block of our society, to be accessible for all people and not just “experts.”

(MITNews via Phys.org, image via littleBits)

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Dan Van Winkle
Dan Van Winkle (he) is an editor and manager who has been working in digital media since 2013, first at now-defunct Geekosystem (RIP), and then at The Mary Sue starting in 2014, specializing in gaming, science, and technology. Outside of his professional experience, he has been active in video game modding and development as a hobby for many years. He lives in North Carolina with Lisa Brown (his wife) and Liz Lemon (their dog), both of whom are the best, and you will regret challenging him at Smash Bros.