Interested in coding, but overwhelmed where to start? Looking to add cute, blinky LEDs to a paper craft project? The Love to Code (LTC) system from Chibitronics is designed for beginners of all ages and backgrounds to try out programming without the frustration of installing software.

The Chibi Chip Microcontroller Board & Cable kit comes with the Chibi Chip and a special power + programming cable.

Bring life to your Chibi Lights LED stickers by making them blink and fade. Add light and interactivity to your greeting cards and projects by connecting switches and sensors to your Chibi Chip! What is neat about the Chibi Chip is it's designed for crafting uses. With the optional (not included) Chibi Clip you can clip it onto a paper notebook and the flexible PCB will grip onto conductive tape or paint to electrify your paper art.

Pick how you want to code! Either by dragging-and-dropping blocks together using Microsoft’s MakeCode Editor, or by writing Arduino-style computer code using Chibitronics’ LTC Editor. The Chibi Chip features six independently programmable ports that can drive LED stickers. It can also drive chains of special LTC Rainbow stickers (known as WS2812B LEDs or NeoPixels) which unlock the full spectrum of rainbow color for your projects.

You'll need a regular USB port for power and a web-enabled device with a headphone jack. The Chibi Chip works with the latest Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer browsers on both mobile and desktop devices. This is one of the few microcontroller platforms where you can use it on any mobile/tablet/phone.

If you have any doubt your browser is compatible with the Love to Code system, just visit https://ltc.chibitronics.com/test and follow the instructions. When you tap “Test Audio”, the test site will generate a short tune using the same technology used to program the Chibi Chip. If you can hear the tune, you’re good to go!

Chibitronics is a collaboration between bunnie Huang and Jie Qi. Jie is a PhD student at the MIT Media Lab, and her research is all about combining arts and crafts with electronics and programming. bunnie is the Director of Studio Kosagi and is a hacker who designs and manufactures hardware.