We know littleBits was intended to be a modular electronics kit for kids. The way it’s evolving, though, it’s turning into a product even grownups are going to find useful for a whole load of projects. Take the outfit’s new littleBits Smart Home Kit, for instance, which contains a selection of snap-on modules that you can use to automate plenty of functions inside the home.
Just like other littleBits modules, these ones require no wiring, no soldering, and no programming, making for an extremely accessible way to build your own internet of things. The kind of modules bundled in the set are quite sophisticated, too, allowing users to churn out genuinely useful solutions, such as wirelessly controlling existing appliances (e.g. AC, thermostat), automating your bedroom curtains to open at 6 every morning, and receiving alerts whenever your fridge door is accidentally left open.
The littleBits Smart Home Kit consists of 14 modules: USB power, lightsensor, button, servo, sound trigger, LED, split, synth speaker, MP3 player, IR transmitter, temperature sensor, cloudBit, threshold (a module that takes input from a sensor module and triggers a specific action when a threshold is reached), and number+ (a display module that receives input from other modules). Since there’s only one cloudBit (the module that connects the system to the internet), you can only use the kit to build one connected project at a time (which makes the kit more of a tool for playing around, rather than building permanent gizmos), although you could always buy additional cloudBits, in case you come upon a project that proves indispensable to your daily routine.
Now available for preorder, the littleBits Smart Home Kit is priced at $249.