We launched on Kickstarter, with four build-it-yourself kits in August 2021. We smashed our goal by nearly 2500% and our kits are now available to buy in our online shop!
Our kits are designed to help you understand microcontroller based circuits, as well as the peripherals that are commonly connected to them. You build each kit, then assemble them together to build a working device that looks awesome on your desk.
Microcontrollers are found in all sorts of consumer products: microwaves, smart plugs and lights, clocks, keyboards, mice, toys, your car, the list is near endless. They are able to read inputs from sensors, humans etc. and take action in a pre programmed way through the circuitry connected to them and the way they have been programmed.
Our designs are compatible with Arduino and the Arduino IDE, so if you’re curious about how they, or any of the appliances and gadgetry around your house work, then these kits have the answers. You don’t need any prior knowledge, just a soldering iron, solder, a screwdriver and an Alan key. We have loads of ideas for boards, so expect a large family of options to develop to help you learn this fun and fulfilling topic.
Here’s the initial line-up:
What sets us apart from the rest, you ask? Well, our boards panel and stack together to create a beautiful and functional device. They’re designed to be on show, proudly illustrating the circuitry that makes your device work, rather than hidden away behind a project box, or thrown in a drawer. We are very excited to see what the community comes up with. In the meantime, check out some of the devices we’ve built:
This is where our board designs originated. We wanted a way to stack boards on top of each other without dictating how many you can stack or in which order. This build uses parts that come with the kits, nothing added. Of course, you can design a funky case, or print one of our designs that will be free to download after launch.
This panel build has a DIGITISER and an RGB MATRIX on the front to act as two information displays. The SENSOR BOARD and MOTHERBOARD are on the back doing all the heavy lifting. The coloured wires show how each board is connected, which helps in understanding how it works. A great build for a desk clock and environment display.
The Cube! Resistance is useful! This build uses a small 3D printed cube in each corner to keep everything together, and a semi-transparent panel to show off the RGB effects. We’re looking forward to the release of our soundboard, which will make this a multifunctional device for any desk or bedside table. Who’s going to build a Borg version..?
This is where our board designs originated. We wanted a way to stack boards on top of each other without dictating how many you can stack or in which order. This build uses parts that come with the kits, nothing added. Of course, you can design a funky case, or print one of our designs that will be free to download after launch.
This panel build has a DIGITISER and an RGB MATRIX on the front to act as two information displays. The SENSOR BOARD and MOTHERBOARD are on the back doing all the heavy lifting. The coloured wires show how each board is connected, which helps in understanding how it works. A great build for a desk clock and environment display.
The Cube! Resistance is useful! This build uses a small 3D printed cube in each corner to keep everything together, and a semi-transparent panel to show off the RGB effects. We’re looking forward to the release of our soundboard, which will make this a multifunctional device for any desk or bedside table. Who’s going to build a Borg version..?
We’ve spent a lot of time designing our manuals to be as easy to understand as possible. We explain each part of the circuit in detail, making it easy for you to recreate them when you go it alone. We explain how every component works and give you tips on how to troubleshoot them.
We would love to see a community of people come together in our forums to help develop code and come up with cool new ways to put our kits together. We’ll have 3D printable designs to download, and we encourage you to come up with your own and share them with the community. Let’s learn together!
We aim to have as little plastic as possible in our packaging, as we believe it’s the retailer’s responsibility to minimise the use of plastics in their products and packaging, not the consumer. We will ship in cardboard, and bag your components in paper. Also, our manuals are online only, to reduce our environmental impact and give you the most versatile viewing experience.
We hope we’ve peeked your interest! The 4 kits are available now in the SHOP. We recommend starting with the Motherboard if you want to dip a toe in, or go for one of our combos if you want to build a working device out of the box. Join our mailing list to get updates on new kits and build ideas for the current kits. Happy Making!
