GIZMOS & GADGETS KIT INVENTION GUIDE i
GIZMOS & GADGETS KIT INVENTION GUIDE 02 Start Here! 03 littleBits Basics 04–20 05 06 08 12 17 BIT TM INDEX POWER INPUT WIRE OUTPUT ACCESSO RIES 21 22 Helpful Tools & Materials 24–53 INVENTIONS PG 32 54–55 Start building creations with step-by-step instructions for 16 inventions. You’ll get ideas for how to put your own spin on each invention, and before you know it, you’ll be creating your own from scratch.
BUILD & PLAY WITH THIS CIRCUIT FIRST. 1 TURN POWER ON 2 SLIDE THE DIMMER BACK AND FORTH 3 EXTEND YOUR CIRCUIT WITH A WIRE 5 MAKE SOME NOISE WITH A BUZZER 4 WATCH THE BARGRAPH LIGHT UP CAUTION: Parental supervision and assistance may be required for safe use of components.
BASICS 1 ANATOMY OF A BIT TM Learn how you can tell top from bottom. BUILD DIRECTION BIT NAME TOP BITSNAPS (“X” ICONS) 2 COLOR-CODED BY FUNCTION Bits are grouped into four different categories, which are color-coded. TM POWER (BLUE) WIRE (ORANGE) INPUT (PINK) OUTPUT (GREEN) Power Bits, plus a power supply, run power through your circuit. Input Bits accept input from you or the environment and send signals that affect the Bits that follow.
BIT INDEX TM POWER 05 p1 power INPUT 06 07 i5 slide dimmer i13 light sensor WIRE 08 09 10 w1 wire w19 split w30 Bluetooth® Low Energy Bit OUTPUT 12 13 14 15 16 o6 buzzer o9 bargraph o11 servo o13 fan o25 DC motor ACCESSO RIES 17 18 19 20 a7 adhesive shoes a10 motorMate a19 servo hub a22 ball caster a23 mechanical arm a24 servo mount a25 wheel a26 mounting board Occasionally BitsTM and accessories get updated, so the features or appearance of your Bits may differ from those used in this guide.
p1 POWER SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS o9 BARGRAPH The power Bit converts the 9 volts of electricity in the battery to the 5 volts that littleBits circuits run on. The power Bit also sends a signal through your circuit. Controlling this signal with inputs is how you control your circuit. MEET THE BIT p1 POWER Every circuit starts with power. It provides the electricity that makes your Bits spin, buzz, blink, and shine.
i5 SLIDE DIMMER SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS When the slider is all the way to the left, it’s sending an off or 0 volt signal. When the slider is all the way to the right, it’s sending a 5 volt signal. The slider can be positioned to send any signal between 0 and 5 volts. o9 BARGRAPH i5 SLIDE DIMMER p1 POWER MEET THE BIT Slide this dimmer back and forth to control your circuit.
i13 LIGHT SENSOR SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS The light sensor measures how much light is shining on it. It has two modes. In LIGHT mode, as the light shining on the sensor gets brighter, more signal passes through it (making lights brighter or motors turn faster). In DARK mode, the signal increases as it gets darker. o9 BARGRAPH p1 POWER Use the purple screwdriver to turn the dial and adjust how much light it takes to change the signal. Clockwise increases sensitivity, counter clockwise decreases it.
w1 WIRE SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS The wire doesn’t change the signal in any way – it just carries it over from one Bit to another. o6 BUZZER w1 WIRE p1 POWER MEET THE BIT The wire Bit has a flexible wire running between its two bitSnaps . This allows you to place your Bits farther apart, turn corners, and make connections that can twist, turn, and spin.
w19 SPLIT SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS The split divides the incoming signal and sends it to the two output bitSnaps. o9 BARGRAPH o6 BUZZER w7 FORK p1 POWER MEET THE BIT The split lets you connect a single Bit to two others. If you place an input before the split, it will control the two outputs at once, like a single light sensor controlling two motors. The flexible wires on the split also allow you to place your Bits farther apart and position them how you like.
w30 LITTLEBITS BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY BIT ® SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS CONTROL YOUR BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY BIT USING THE LITTLEBITS INVENT APP o9 BARGRAPH i5 SLIDE DIMMER p1 POWER The Bluetooth Low Energy Bit can send and receive a signal from your smart device using Bluetooth Low Energy wireless technology, up to a distance of about 80ft (25m) indoors. To use the Bluetooth Low Energy Bit, you first need to connect it to your smart device (smartphone, tablet) through the littleBits Invent app.
USING THE BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY BIT WITH YOUR DEVICE TO GET STARTED WITH THE BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY BIT, download the Once connected, you can use the app’s controls to send signal information from your device to your circuit and vice versa. You can also create custom control dashboards for your inventions. Controls range from simple buttons and dimmers to accelerometers. You can communicate with up to two Bluetooth Low Energy Bits at the same time.
o6 BUZZER SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS The buzzer converts the electrical signal it receives into a vibration, which creates a buzzing sound. The higher the signal it receives, the more intense the vibration, and the louder the sound is. o6 BUZZER i5 SLIDE DIMMER p1 POWER MEET THE BIT The buzzer makes a sound no one can ignore. It's great at sounding the alarm or annoying those nearby.
o9 BARGRAPH SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS The bargraph uses five LEDs to turn electricity into light. Each LED on the board needs a certain amount of signal in order to light up. As you increase the signal sent to the bargraph, more LEDs will shine. o9 BARGRAPH i5 SLIDE DIMMER p1 POWER MEET THE BIT The bargraph shows you how much signal the Bit is receiving with a display of five light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in different colors. Try it with a dimmer to make your own adjustable lamp.
o11 SERVO SAMPLE CIRCUIT Attach the servo hub. See pg 18. i5 SLIDE DIMMER p1 POWER HOW IT WORKS The servo has two modes. In TURN mode, the input from other Bits determines the position of the hub – try using a slide dimmer to set the angle you want. In SWING mode, the servo will move back and forth on its own like a pair of windshield wipers – the input signal controls the speed of the swing. The servo's range of motion is about 110 degrees.
o13 FAN SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS Inside the fan is a tiny motor. When it receives a signal, it spins. The more signal it receives, the faster it spins. i5 SLIDE DIMMER p1 POWER MEET THE BIT Use the fan to create a gentle breeze, perfect for cooling things off. You can also try taping small things (like stickers or pieces of paper) to the center of the fan for some spinning visuals.
o25 DC MOTOR SAMPLE CIRCUIT HOW IT WORKS The DC (or “direct current”) motor rotates a shaft when it receives a signal. The more signal it receives, the faster the motor will spin. i5 SLIDE DIMMER p1 POWER A switch on the board lets you choose which direction the motor spins. CW spins clockwise and CCW spins counterclockwise.
a7 ADHESIVE SHOES a10 MOTORMATE MEET THE ACCESSORY MEET THE ACCESSORY Shoes slip onto your Bit feet and hold your circuit together. On the bottom of your shoes you'll find adhesive, which is great for securing your circuits to different surfaces. The motorMate makes it easy to attach paper, cardboard, LEGO axles, and lots of other materials to the DC motor. ® HOW IT WORKS Bit feet go in the shoes First, snap together your littleBits circuit.
a19 SERVO HUB a22 BALL CASTER MEET THE ACCESSORY MEET THE ACCESSORY The servo hub lets you eas ily attach materials to your servo motor and add more complex movements to your littleBits inventions. BE SURE TO ALIGN THE TEETH ON THE SHAFT WITH THE TEETH IN THE HUB HOLE Use the included #6 screws with any of these eight outer holes. 18 The ball caster works as a wheel, adding rolling support to your inventions. The ball can also be removed from the socket, so you can use it in games and contraptions.
a23 MECHANICAL ARM a24 SERVO MOUNT MEET THE ACCESSORY MEET THE ACCESSORY The mechanical arm attaches to both the servo hub and the DC motor shaft, and offers lots of leverage for pushing, pulling, and throwing. The servo mount lets you attach your servo to a mounting board or a pair of littleBits shoes. It's a great way to keep the servo steady so the arm can go wild.
a25 WHEEL a26 MOUNTING BOARD MEET THE ACCESSORY MEET THE ACCESSORY When used with a DC motor, this wheel is perfect for mak ing bots, cars, and all sorts of spinning inventions. The mounting board is like the backbone of some of your inventions. It allows you to keep your circuit intact and move it around with ease! It also provides structure, which is helpful for building out inventions like a vehicle.
HELPFUL TOOLS & MATERIALS paper or plastic cups scissors THE WORLD AROUND YOU IS FULL OF MATERIALS FOR PROTOTYPING AND CREATING INVENTIONS. At littleBits, we dig through our recycling bins all the time to collect stuff for our inventions. In fact, the very first prototype of a Bit was made with cardboard, copper tape, and a few electronic components like LEDs.
THE LITTLEBITS INVENTION CYCLE TM The littleBits Invention Cycle is a roadmap for your invention journey. Each phase is full of activities and questions that help you explore your ideas and develop your invention. DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE LITTLEBITS INVENTION CYCLE EXACTLY IN ORDER? Nope! If you want, you can remix while you play or share while you create. Each phase of the invention cycle represents a different way of thinking and making.
CREATE CREATE PLAY! PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER. You can build it from the instructions or make something from your imagination. Don't worry if it doesn't work or if it isn't perfect. The important thing is to create your first model so you have something to experiment with. SHARE PLAY THE LITTLEBITS INVENTION CYCLE REMIX Playing with what you've created is fun, but also an important part of inventing. Playing is like a test run.
SPINMATE 15 MINUTES (MINIMUM) INVENT A SPINNING SIGN FOR YOUR FORT, OR A CREATURE THAT DANCES DIZZILY ON YOUR DESK. TIME Create this versatile invention and let your imagination run wild.
1 BUILD YOUR CIRCUIT.
2 3 ATTACH A WHEEL TO THE DC MOTOR. LINE UP THE FLAT EDGE OF THE DC MOTOR SHAFT WITH THE FLAT EDGE OF THE CENTER HOLE IN THE WHEEL 025 DC motor: CW DC motor: Closeup 26 PRESS YOUR CIRCUIT ONTO THE MOUNTING BOARD.
4 5 PRESS YOUR DC MOTOR ONTO THE MOUNTING BOARD. ATTACH THE BATTERY TO THE MOUNTING BOARD.
6 SET THE DC MOTOR TO VAR (VARIABLE) MODE. 7 TEST YOUR CIRCUIT DIRECTION: 025 DC motor: VAR VAR POWER: ON 28 Set the wheel on a flat surface, turn power on and move the slide dimmer to set the turn direction and speed.
8 The back side of the mounting board is your canvas. Make it useful, playful or just plain weird using the provided stickers or any materials you’d like.
HOW IT WORKS o25 DC MOTOR This switch controls the direction the motor spins. Changing the mode on the switch will change how the Spinmate moves. p1 POWER sends a signal through the circuit. The i5 SLIDE DIMMER controls how much power goes to the DC motor. The speed and direction of the o25 DC MOTOR depends on how much signal it receives from the slide dimmer. Since the o25 DC motor is in variable (VAR) mode, its speed and direction is dependent upon how much signal it receives from the slide dimmer.
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C GIZMOS & GADGE TS 2 ND E D I T I O N
WE INVENT THE WORLD WE WANT TO LIVE IN.
TRY SOME OF THESE IDEAS TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR INVENTION. THEN COME UP WITH YOUR OWN! A GIVE YOUR SPINMATE SOME DEPTH. What twirling, 3D creature- contraption can you create? Use different materials to bring it to life! B C Use the two sides of the mounting board to animate an image, tell a story, or wave a flag. SPIN A NEW STORY. Add the bargraph and other Bits to make your Spinmate even more attentiongrabbing. TURN IT UP.
BUBBLEBOT 30 MINUTES (MINIMUM) INVENT A BOT THAT CREATES BIG, BEAUTIFUL BUBBLES using only a few Bits and some items from around the house. Slowly move the slide dimmer to control how quickly the bubble grows.
1 BUILD YOUR CIRCUIT.
2 PRESS YOUR CIRCUIT ONTO THE MOUNTING BOARD. 3 ATTACH THE BATTERY TO THE MOUNTING BOARD NEXT TO THE POWER BIT.
4 5 PRESS THE FAN ONTO THE MOUNTING BOARD. When you slide the dimmer, the bargraph should light up and the fan should spin. TURN POWER ON AND TEST YOUR CIRCUIT.
6 ASSEMBLE BUBBLEBOT TEMPLATE.
7 SLIDE THE TEMPLATE ONTO THE FAN. 8 TAPE THE TEMPLATE ONTO THE FAN.
9 POUR BUBBLE SOLUTION INTO A SMALL PLATE OR BOWL. 10 dip the tip of the Bubblebot template into the bubble solution. When you lift the tip of the bubble tube, you should see a thin film of bubble solution covering the opening.
11 WITH POWER ON , slowly use the slide dimmer to turn the fan on and start blowing bubbles.
HOW IT WORKS p1 POWER sends a signal through the circuit. The i5 SLIDE DIMMER controls how much signal moves through to the bargraph and fan. More LEDs on the o9 BARGRAPH light up as more signal passes through. The o13 FAN receives signal from the bargraph. The more signal it receives, the faster it spins, pushing more air into the bubble.
TRY SOME OF THESE IDEAS TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR INVENTION. your own! A TRY DIFFERENT CONTAINERS FOR BLOWING BUBBLES. Replace the paper bubble tube with plastic bottles you find around the house. Explore whether a yogurt cup works better than a milk carton! B Then come up with MODIFY THE BUBBLE TUBE! Cut fringe into the edge of the bubble tube. This helps it hold more bubble solution.
BUMPERBALL 30 MINUTES (MINIMUM) INVENT A GAME THAT PUTS A NEW SPIN ON AN OLD ARCADE FAVORITE: the pinball machine.
1 BUILD YOUR CIRCUIT.
2 3 PRESS THE SERVO HUB ONTO THE SERVO. YOU CAN SECURE THE HUB ON THE SERVO WITH THE INCLUDED SMALL SCREW THROUGH THE CENTER HOLE 44 PRESS YOUR CIRCUIT ONTO THE MOUNTING BOARD.
4 SET SERVO TO TURN MODE. 5 WITH THE POWER ON, MOVE THE SLIDE DIMMER TO THE MIDDLE POSITION AND ATTACH THE ARM TO THE SERVO HUB PARALLEL TO THE SERVO’S BODY AS SHOWN. USE PHILLIPS-HEAD SCREWDRIVER i12 temp. sensor: Fahrenheit mode MODE: i12 temp.
6 ATTACH THE SERVO TO YOUR GIZMOS & GADGETS, 2 ND EDITION BOX. Make sure it is centered. 7 Moving the slide dimmer should make the mechanical arm rotate side to side.
8 FOLD THE EDGES OF TEMPLATE B. THIS WILL BE THE BACK OF YOUR BUMPERBALL. 9 ATTACH BUMPERBALL TEMPLATES A AND C TO BUMPERBALL TEMPLATE B BY SLIDING THE TABS INTO THE MATCHING SLOTS.
10 FOLD THE SEMI-CIRCULAR TABS ON THE TEMPLATES INWARDS. on the top of the box. These will rest 11 12 48 These will bounce the ball towards the mechanical arm when you play. FOLD THE BUMPERS ON YOUR TEMPLATE. BUMPERS IN ACTION TAKE THE BALL OUT OF THE BALL CASTER.
13 ATTACH YOUR TEMPLATE TO THE TOP OF YOUR BOX.
HOW IT WORKS p1 POWER sends a signal through the circuit. The i5 SLIDE DIMMER controls how much power moves through to the servo. Since the o9 SERVO is in TURN mode, the position of the mechanical arm depends on how much signal it receives from the slide dimmer.
TRY SOME OF THESE IDEAS TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR INVENTION. Then come up with your own! A B Can you add lights and sounds to enhance your design? Try building a scoreboard! ADD SPECIAL EFFECTS. C MAKE AN AUTOMATIC SCOREBOARD! Connect the Bluetooth Low Energy Bit and light sensor to your circuit to make a scoreboard on your smart device. ® Use thumbtacks, rubber bands, and everyday objects to enhance your game. CREATE OBSTACLES.
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BITBOT 30 DOWNLOAD THE LITTLEBITS INVENT APP TO CREATE AND CONTROL YOUR BITBOT. MINUTES (MINIMUM) INVENT A ROVER THAT ROAMS YOUR WORLD WIRELESSLY.
ANIMATRONICS 30 CHALLENGE MINUTES (MINIMUM) TIME LEVEL Animatronics is the use of electronics to create lifelike animals, creatures, humans, aliens – you name it. Some of your favorite movies probably use animatronics! Your challenge is to invent an electronic creature or character using Bits, then film it in action. Make us believe that it’s real! Gather your friends and family to witness your extraordinary, aweinspiring, battery-powered menagerie of animatronic creatures.
1 2 3 4 CAN YOU CHANGE THE COLOR, ADD FUR, OR USE LIGHT TO CHANGE THE APPEARANCE? ENTER THIS CHALLENGE! Make ? feet wing s BRAINSTORM YOUR ELECTRONIC CREATURE. Is it an animal? A person? Does it move or speak or breathe? How do you want it to look? Bring your character to life. Build your circuit, then bring on the quirkiness. Remember: weirdness is wonderful. SHOW YOUR CREATURE TO YOUR FRIENDS.
FIND 12 MORE INVENTIONS ON THE LITTLEBITS INVENT APP. CONTROL THESE INVENTIONS USING THE LITTLEBITS INVENT APP MEGABLASTER It's a bird! It's a plane! It's super kid! If you could have one superpower, what would it be? With a few Bits and a little imagination, you can blast that power onto anything! 56 PRANK PACKAGE Invent a box that bursts open on command to surprise unsuspecting bystanders. Get ready to scare your sister and prank your parents with just one tap on your phone or tablet.
BREEZY BUDDY Whether your classroom feels like the surface of the sun or you want to bring the breeze with you on your next nature walk, this simple fan will keep you cool. INCHWORM Invent a creature that crawls across the carpet like a hungry inchworm racing for an apple. See how quickly it can creep around as you control it wirelessly from your device.
GLOSSARY BLUETOOTH ® LOW ENERGY TECHNOLOGY This technology sends a special kind of wireless signal that uses less power than things like wifi internet or wireless phones. It allows you to send and receive signals between your littleBits circuits and devices like mobile phones and tablets. BRAINSTORM Brainstorming is a creative activity that helps generate a large number of ideas. There are many variations on how to brainstorm. The important thing is to let your imagination run wild.
TROUBLESHOOTING 1 4 MAKE SURE YOUR POWER BIT TM IS ON. see a red LED illuminated on the board. You should MAKE SURE YOUR BITS ARE ARRANGED IN THE PROPER ORDER. Remember that you always need a power Bit & power supply at the beginning of each circuit, and an output Bit at the end. If the last Bit in your chain is an input, then it won’t do anything to affect your circuit. 2 5 IN-DEPTH TROUBLESHOOTING AVAILABLE AT LITTLEBITS.COM/FAQ OR ON THE LITTLEBITS INVENT APP.
DOWNLOAD THE APP SHARE DISCOVER MORE INVENTIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY TAKE SOME CHALLENGES WARNING • This product contains small magnets. Swallowed magnets can stick together across intestines causing serious infections and death. Seek immediate medical attention if magnets are swallowed or inhaled. • Most Bits are small parts. DO NOT allow children under 3 years old to play with or near this product. • NEVER connect any modules or circuits to any AC electrical outlet.
o13 FAN p1 POWER w30 o6 w1 o11 i13 i5 BARGRAPH BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY BIT w30 o9 ® BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY BIT ® w19 SPLIT WIRE LIGHT SENSOR BUZZER a19 SERVO HUB SERVO o25 SLIDE DIMMER DC MOTOR a24 SERVO MOUNT a1 62BATTERY 9V a1 BATTERY CABLE ball caster Glue Dots® (×24) mechanical arm motorMates (×2) mounting boards (×2) screws (×4) screwdrivers (×2) shoes, adhesive (×6) wheels (×2) sticker sheet servo accessories templates (×7) 700-0143 ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES
