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William Annin IDEA Lab Makerspace: Little Bits

Useful Resources

Basic Intro to Little Bits

Little Bits are electronic modules or "bits" that each perform a specific function.  Little Bits pieces can be put together to create simple or complex circuits that can do something as simple as turn on an LED light or as complex as remotely control a car built with Little Bits and other materials.  The key to inventing with Little Bits is to understand the color coding system and how the "bits" connect to each other.

 

COLOR CODING:

BLUE = Power

PINK = Inputs

GREEN = Outputs

ORANGE = Connectors

 

To create a basic circuit, you must have at a minimum 1 Power bit (BLUE) connected to a battery and 1 output bit (GREEN.)  This circuit will run without any input from you once the power bit is turned on.

More useful is a circuit which includes an Input bit (PINK) so that you can control the circuit.  Remember that the PINK input bit must come before the bits that you wish to control.  So the design of a basic circuit should look like this:

POWER bit + Input bit + Output bit = working circuit

 

Connector bits (ORANGE) allow you to connect input bits and output bits in complex and creative ways. These bits include wires to allow inputs to be at a distance from output bits as well as wireless receivers/transmitters that allow remote control of circuits.  

The sky's the limit with Little Bits!  Come to the makerspace and see what you can imagine and build with Little Bits!

Little Bits Challenges

Here are 2 creations made by 6th graders in 2016 as part of a challenge to design and build a creation with Little Bits that moves.

Revolving Robot - both his head and body can turn independently using 2 sets of wireless receiver/transmitter Little Bits.

Revolving robot

 

 

 

Tilt-A-Whirl Ride - built using LEGOs and Little Bits, this ride rotates in a circle and tilts!

Tilt-a-Whirl

Examples of Student Work

Little Bits Synth Keyboard and Light Show 

     

Little Bits Remote Control Car

 

How To Use This Page

Makers,

This page introduces you to Little Bits, modular electronic pieces that can be combined to create amazing new inventions!  

They are pretty sturdy but you MUST treat them with care as they are expensive to replace! Please return them in their proper white bin in the Little Bits cabinet.  The Little Bit white bins are organized by color and type and each type of bit has its own white bin in the cabinet.

They are simple to use once you understand the color coding scheme.  Take a few minutes to read about how they work, view some of the student projects on this page and then START CREATING!

Student Explains Design of Little Bits Revolving Robot