As parents, we all want our children to succeed in life. We want them to be happy and healthy and to have the skills they need to achieve their dreams. Investing in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) toys is essential.

At CircuitMess, we believe that STEM toys are the key to unlocking your child’s full potential. Our range of fun, engaging, and educational toys are designed to help children develop critical skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Here’s why STEM toys are essential for your child’s development:

1. STEM Toys Teach Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills
2. STEM Toys Improve Concentration and Focus
3. STEM Toys Teach Teamwork and Collaboration
4. STEM Toys Develop Critical Skills for the Future

1. STEM Toys Teach Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills

STEM toys are designed to be both fun and educational. They encourage children to think creatively, use their imagination, and solve problems. CircuitMess's toys allow children to explore, experiment, and build their gadgets, fostering creativity and problem-solving skills.

For example, children can learn about robotics and programming with Armstrong by building their robotic arm. They can use their imagination to design and program Armstrong for specific tasks, fostering their creativity and problem-solving skills. However, they must also be cautious while building and programming it to ensure it functions properly.

2. STEM Toys Improve Concentration and Focus

STEM toys require children to focus on the task, improving their concentration. Children learn to concentrate better, block out distractions, and complete tasks by dedicating their attention to a particular project. CircuitMess toys are designed to keep children engaged and focused on the project.

3. STEM Toys Teach Teamwork and Collaboration

STEM toys encourage teamwork, and children work together to solve problems. In doing so, they learn how to collaborate, communicate and compromise with others. CircuitMess toys provide an excellent opportunity for children to work together and learn from each other.

CircuitMess kit bundles are an excellent option for parents looking to promote teamwork and collaboration among their children. With multiple products included, the bundles allow more kids to work together on projects, fostering their communication and cooperation skills. This can make for a fun and educational next play date activity. The children can learn from each other and work towards a common goal with the help of CircuitMess STEM toys. Find the perfect bundle for the next play date here!

4. STEM Toys Develop Critical Skills for the Future

STEM skills are in high demand in the workforce. STEM toys help children develop skills that they will need in the future, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and logical reasoning. They also teach children to learn from failure, think outside the box, and adapt to new situations. CircuitMess toys are designed to develop these critical skills in children, preparing them for a bright future.

Why Choose CircuitMess STEM Toys?

CircuitMess STEM toys are an excellent investment for parents who want to help their children develop critical skills for the future. These toys are fun and engaging and provide children with the tools they need to succeed in the future.

With CircuitMess STEM toys, children can foster a love for learning and prepare themselves for a bright future. Invest in CircuitMess STEM toys today and give your child the gift of education and play! 

====Long version:

The goods news

1. The Batmobile's molds for injection molding are at 50% completion. The supplier is having some difficulties due to peak season, but we will start receiving the first batches of injection-molded plastic casings in the next week or so.

2. We have received most of the critical semiconductors, such as the microcontrollers

3. All of the critical components have been ordered

4. We received the entire quantity of li-po batteries for the Batmobile and the controller last week - this one was critical due to the Lithium shortage

5. All of the LCD displays for the controllers have arrived at our HQ

6. The controller’s casings are at 80% completion - we’re manufacturing this in-house on our laser cutter

7. We’ve designed the test jigs for the circuit boards.
The test jigs are used for loading firmware and testing the boards once they’re finished with production.

This is what they usually look like:

We’re going to have two jigs - one for the car’s board, the other one for the controller’s board:

8. We’ve started manufacturing and assembling the boards for the car’s taillights - these circuit boards have five red LEDs on the back that create the “fire” effect on the exhausts.

9. We’ll soon receive all of the circuit boards needed to start with the assembly. We can assemble the boards fairly quickly - in 7 - 10 days after we receive them.

The bad news

1. We see the logistics and shipping chains worldwide worsening every week.
This is partially caused by the peak season (Black Friday, Christmas) and partially because of the ongoing logistic crisis building up (covid, political tensions, the war).

This is going to get better, especially after Christmas.

But promising a pre-Christmas delivery date to all of our backers right now is impossible.

2. There is one crucial component that we’re still waiting for - the electromotors.

Four motors go into your Batmobile, and we’ve been having a hard time sourcing them.
The suppliers have been citing supply chain issues and the lack of raw materials (steel) for their inability to supply them.
The problem was that no supplier in the world had the whole amount of motors we needed (we’re ordering 14000 motors), and they were giving us lead times of around 40 - 60 days.

We’ve found a reliable supplier and negotiated a 35-day lead time.
This interfered with our plans and is preventing us from shipping the product.

3. We’ve been having trouble with Warner approving the Batmobile’s packaging.

What puzzles me is that getting the approval for the product itself was a straightforward process, but the packaging was a process that took us two months to get approved.

Warner is just doing their best to protect its intellectual property, we understand that, and they’re one of our most valued partners.

But I wish we could’ve gotten the packaging approved earlier.

Apparently, they’re seeing an increased demand for product approvals, and they had internal delays.

The good news is that we have gotten the approval for the packaging today, and we’ve already sent it to the print shop.

We’re almost there, thank you for sticking with us

I understand your disappointment with the news, and I am not happy with the situation.

But simply being unhappy is not going to deliver your Batmobiles.
Therefore, we’ll continue giving our maximum to deliver a truly fantastic product as soon as possible.

Providing hard delivery dates for a product that is being manufactured is a very tough job right now.

The plan remains the same - we’ll start shipping the Batmobile as soon as possible, most likely in December.

We’ll choose the best shipping option to deliver this to your location as quickly as possible.

But, unfortunately, we cannot guarantee Christmas delivery to every one of you.

Thank you for understanding our position, and I’m looking forward to seeing Batmobiles finally delivered to all of you loyal supporters.

This product would not be possible without your support and patience.

I’ll keep writing weekly updates on our progress.

Thanks

We made significant progress in the last week.

First of all, we received final approval for the molds and designs of the Batmobile and Batcontroller, which are currently being manufactured.

Here are a few photos of what the final geometry is going to look like (the paint job is not final).

                                                        Batcontroller silicone controller case

The other thing we are working on is laser-cutting Batmobile’s and Batcontroller’s casings.

And, last but not least - Batmobile’s booklet!

Each kit will include a booklet that will tell you more about Batmobile, its development, features, and CircuitMess.

We completed it and received final approval from Warner, and it’s currently being printed.

Here is a sneak-peak of what it will look like:

We are getting back to laser-cutting and Batmobile production.

Stay tuned for more updates,
 Albert and the CM team

Also, we finished redesigning the Batmobile controller, and here is the final version:

We love the new look and can’t wait to hear your feedback.

More updates coming soon, so stay tuned!

-Albert and the CM team

For the past two months, the entire team has been very busy working on the Batmobile,

The ongoing worldwide logistics and semiconductor crisis remains our main fun-generators.

We had to perform some product changes and tweaks; thus, here’s a detailed update on what’s happening.

Batmobile’s controller changes (stronger CPU for the same price)

The initial BatController design ran on an ESP8266 module (single-core CPU with WiFi).

We had to replace it with a stronger CPU - the ESP32.

Unfortunately, during the development of the final firmware version, we concluded that we couldn’t cram all of the software caboodles while still maintaining satisfactory performance.

The initial prototype on Kickstarter didn’t have all of the controller’s software features we had planned, and it was running fine.

Initially, the plan was to include extra software features by doing software optimizations.

It turns out things are not working out the way we planned, and, unfortunately, the device was operating with too much lag after all of the added changes and optimizations.

Therefore, we’ve concluded that the only proper way forward is to swap the ESP8266 for a stronger CPU - a dual-core ESP32.

We’ve already gotten the controller's new version, and the performance is superb.

What’s not superb is that this will raise the overall cost of goods for the device by 7%, but we’ll cover that since making a good product is our #1 priority.

Just a short comparison - ESP8266 vs. ESP32:

• ESP32: a dual-core processor that runs at 160MHz to 240MHz, whereas the ESP8266 is a single-core processor that runs at 80MHz.
• The ESP32 includes an extra CPU core, faster Wi-Fi, more GPIOs, and supports Bluetooth 4.2 and Bluetooth low energy

Inventor’s Pack modules

Another change we had to make was to replace the magnetic connectors on the Inventor’s pack modules with nonmagnetic ones.

Unfortunately, due to the component shortage, our supplier gave us a three months+ lead time for the magnetic connectors, which would result in an unacceptable production delay.

We had to make the difficult decision of replacing the connectors with a different non-magnetic model.

However, this change will not affect the module's functionality and will provide you with a fun and exciting learning experience.

This is what the new modules look like:

Overall progress so far

I’m happy to announce that we’ve gotten the final approval for Batmobile’s packaging from Warner.

The boxes are currently being manufactured and we’ll receive them on October 17th.

We’ve settled for a slightly more futuristic box design compared to the initial one shown in the Kickstarter campaign:

Other notable milestones include:

• We’ve ordered 60% of the electronic and mechanical components needed to build the Batmobile, and we’ll receive them by mid-October. The rest of of the components will be ordered by October 12th, and we’re planning to have everything in our warehouse by the end of October
• We’ve managed to source all of the Li-Po batteries for the Batmobile and the controller, which proved to be a tricky task due to the shortages
  
• We’ve received all of the Bat-merch, such as t-shirts, keychains, etc.:

What happens next

We have to finalize the following tasks before shipping the product to your addresses:

• Order the final PCBs (planned for October 15th)
• Finalize and polish the firmware (planned for late November)
• Print out all of the boxes and purchase the rest of the electronic components (by October 15th)
• Assemble and test the circuit boards and have them delivered to you before Christmas.

The Batmobile’s final casing had to be slightly changed due to a few final requests from Warner:

Covid lockdowns in China and supply chain issues

These are the two main issues we’re facing now that have been messing with our plans for the past year.

The current economic and logistical situation has not made things easy for us. Constant shipping delays and lockdowns in China have made our development process longer and more challenging than anticipated.

New estimated shipping date - end of November / beginning of December

Unfortunately, the shipping date was pushed to the end of November and the beginning of December for all orders.

I understand the situation isn’t ideal with constant delivery pushbacks.

Rest assured that we’re doing everything we can to deliver a truly fantastic product.

I am also aware a lot of you are counting on this as a Christmas gift, and I will do everything in my power to get your Batmobiles delivered to you before Christmas.

======

We expect to have all the components needed to begin production of the Batmobile by the end of the month, giving us enough time to start shipping the first boxes at the end of November.

We take delays seriously and will continue to work hard to deliver the product to all of you as soon as possible.

Please note that we have paused all of our other projects to deliver the best possible version of Batmobile as soon as possible and that delivering this to your chimneys before Christmas is our #1 priority.

To keep all of you informed, we will make sure to post updates more frequently.

Thank you all for sticking with us and helping us make this amazing project happen.

If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message - I read and reply to all of the messages I get.

- Albert and the rest of the CM team

CircuitPets are currently being shipped, and you should receive them in the next two weeks.

If you haven’t received a confirmation mail with the tracking link yet, don’t worry; your CircuitPet is on its way, and everyone will receive the mail by the end of the next week.

We changed the shipping order

Another important piece of information is that instead of Clockstar, the next STEM Box you’ll get will be Armstrong.

Why did we change the shipping order?

The main issue we faced during the last year and a half was the ongoing semiconductor shortage and general supply chain problems.

We'd develop a product just to figure out that a critical component such as a processor completely disappeared from the market.

As a solution to this issue, we decided to switch the shipping order while we continue to search for a solution to the chip sourcing issue.

So, Clockstar will be shipped right after Armstrong.

This is the new shipping schedule:

What is Armstrong?

Armstrong is a DIY robotic arm that looks like this:

Armstrong can be programmed to perform different tasks - a perfect help for the upcoming lazy winter days.

With Armstrong, you’ll learn about:

• Soldering and hardware assembly
• Robotic arms and industrial automation
• Reflective color sensors
•  Microcomputers and other electronic components
• Coding in C++
• Controlling servo motors using a microcomputer
• Embedded programming
• Coding IFTT tasks
   

One other cool thing about Armstrong is the ability to connect it to Wheelson and ByteBoi.
You’ll use Wheelson as a super-smart robotic car and ByteBoi as a controller for Wheelson.

The estimated shipping date for Armstrong is in December.

Thank you for your understanding, and keep making!
-Albert and the CM team

We started shipping your next STEM Box kits and are working during the weekends and around the clock to deliver the kits to your doorstep as soon as possible. We can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Here's a quick look at what the shipping process looks like :

The excitement is real; get ready to build and code your virtual pet.

Stay tuned for more updates!

- Albert & the CircuitMess team

We've spent the last two weeks producing CircuitPet's PCBs.

Both hardware and software are finished, and the final version looks fantastic!

We've also begun packing your orders, and here's a photo of our warehouse (yes, all of these boxes are CircuitPet kits!).

Also, we are currently working on a Coding guide to assist you in programming all sorts of cool things on your virtual pet.

The good news is that CircuitPet’s delivery will start next week, and you will receive a confirmation email with the tracking number once it is shipped.

Take a look at the fun times we had during CircuitPet’s photoshoot:

And last but not least, the CircuitPet usage guide is finished, and you can check what cool games and features it will have.

Here is a sneak peek:

Stay tuned for more info soon.

You'll soon start receiving your tracking numbers.

As always, thank you for your support, and keep making 👋

-Albert and the CM team

We were busy working on CircuitPet’s software this month, and it is finally done!

Here is a sneak peek of what you’ll see once you assemble and turn your CircuitPet on:

As always, we've created a very detailed build guide that will help make the assembly process as fun and easy as possible, and it's now online.

You can find the build guide at the following link:

https://learn.circuitmess.com/resources/guides/en/circuitpet-build-guide

Also, we prepared an anatomy guide that’ll introduce you to all the components and chips used for making CircuitPet.

Here is the link to the anatomy guide:

https://learn.circuitmess.com/resources/guides/en/circuitpet-anatomy-guide

Take a look at the assembly process:

• There’ll be soldering

• A lot of small components

• Tricky parts

• Cool add-ons

Now that you have seen everything, you must wonder, when will you ship my package?

Well, great news! We are in the final stages of producing CircuitPet,

and are starting to pack everything.

We’ll ship your next STEM Box in the following two weeks.

You’ll be informed when the shipping starts - we’ll post an update once again, and you’ll get an email with the tracking link.

Thank you for your support,

Albert and the CM team

As we mentioned in one of our past updates, we finished Batmobile's casing design and have ordered prototype versions of it to test out.  The prototype arrived this week and it's looking good. 

Batmobile's casing will be injection molded and will look something like this: 

Stay tuned for more updates!

-Albert & the CircuitMess team

Synthia's coding guide is now online! You can find it here.

We've prepared a few short tutorials to guide you through the basics of coding your Synthia in CircuitBlocks. We'll show you have to do some cool things on the LED matrix and how to use inputs in a fun way.

Here's a sneak peek at one of the sketches from the guide:

We hope you’ll have a lot of fun coding your Synthia.

Keep making!

- Albert & the CircuitMess Team

This week we received the final versions of CircuitPet's PCBs. Check them out: 

Now, we're working on finalizing its software. We're really excited about CircuitPet and can't wait for you to receive it! 

More updates are coming soon. 

-Albert & the CircuitMess team

This week we received Batmobile's PCBs. Now, we have to assemble them and test them out to make sure they're all good. 

The PCB is looking pretty snazzy. Check it out: 

Stay tuned for more updates!

-Albert & the CircutiMess Team

This week, we worked on Batmobile's casing and have ordered prototype versions to test and check before moving forward. 

Here's a sneak peek:

Other than that, we finished designing the silicone soldering mat you were able to get as an add-on during the campaign. 

Besides its main purpose of protecting the surface you're working on, this mat will have different indented sections where you'll be able to organize all the components to help stay on top of things while assembling a project.  

Check it out: 

More updates are coming soon! 

- Albert & the CircuitMess team

We started shipping out Synthias this week.

We're working double shifts, producing them as fast as we can.

We estimate to have them all shipped to you in the next 7 - 10 days. You'll start getting tracking numbers to your email inbox as we ship out the orders.

Here are a few behind the scenes photos: 

Thanks to your amazing help and support, CircuitMess STEM Box was funded almost two years ago. Since then, we have successfully fulfilled five unique STEM Boxes Spencer, Jay-D, Wheelson, ByteBoi and Chatter. 

While developing these products, we had a lot of fun, and we learned so much. None of that would be possible without the support from all of you amazing backers! So, thank you for everything! 

Clockstar was scheduled as the seventh STEM Box we'd fulfil, but unfortunately, we had to change this.

Clockstar's fulfilment will be pushed to a later date, and the seventh STEM Box will be a brand new product called Circuitpet. 

This is the current STEM Box shipping order: 

 Why are you making this change?

The main issue we faced during the last year and a half was the ongoing semiconductor shortage and general supply chain problems. 

We'd develop a product just to figure out that a critical component such as a processor completely disappeared from the market.

As a solution to this issue, we decided to switch the shipping order while we continue to search for a solution to the chip sourcing issue.

So, Clockstar will be shipped as the eighth box, right after Circuitpet. 

Circuitpet is a product we're very proud of and are sure it will be a worthy and fun replacement for Clockstar in the seventh STEM Box.

CircuitPet - build your own Tamagotchi

Circuitpet is a DIY virtual pet game similar to Tamagotchi.

With Circuitpet, you'll bring your own digital pet duck to life. Just like with any other pet, you can play with it, take care of it, love it and help it grow! 

This pet duck is actually a mechanical duck that you have to keep alive and safe from rust. To do that,  you'll play six preloaded minigames and collect XP to help your pet grow and keep it happy and safe from rusting.

Circuitpet will teach you about always-on technology, RTC (real-time clocks), coding, microcomputers, electronic components and much more.

Circuitpet is equipped with: 

• 160x128 display 
• Li-Po battery
• piezzo buzzer
• four pushbuttons
• flashy LEDs

We're looking forward to you all raising your own pet duck with Circuitpet and learning about new technological topics along the way.

If you have any questions regarding this change, please reach out to us at contact@circuitmess.com, and we'll help you out  :)

Stay tuned for more updates!

- Albert & the CircuitMess team

We are very fortunate to be sharing another amazing initiative from our partners at  Shiny Gloves Club- a non-profit organization committed to providing free education to children in impoverished communities in Africa.

Their latest initiative is a GoFundMe campaign to help one of their students, Blessing Yohanna, attend an engineering university in Nigeria.

Help make her dream come true and donate here ➡️ https://www.gofundme.com/f/byf-a-fund-to-help-lowincome-girls-study-stem

Watch Blessing's full story here.

Meet Blessing Yohana - an electronics inventor and one of the best students in Shiny Gloves Club's engineering program.

She graduated from high school two years ago and wants to study engineering, but her family cannot afford to send her to university. 

Blessing's father was initially unwilling to support her wish to become an engineer, not only due to their family's economic conditions but also because of her gender.

In Nigeria, where Blessing is from, gender discrimination often keeps girls out of school. According to UNICEF's research, more than half of the girls in northern Nigeria are not in school.

To help with this, Shiny Gloves Club set up a GoFundMe campaign to help fund Blessing's education at an engineering university in Nigeria.

Let's make Blessing's dream come true 👉 donate here & help support Blessing's education and girls in STEM.

Coding for Kids - First Steps

Let’s start with the basics. There are two types of coding: text-based coding and block-based coding. The easiest way to differentiate the two, if you have never come in contact with either type of coding, is to look at how they look on the screen.

To someone who has never coded before, text-based coding basically looks like a bunch of random letters, numbers and brackets on a black screen. On the other hand, when you look at block-based coding on the screen, you’ll see many different colorful blocks similar to puzzle pieces.

Looking at text-based coding can quickly discourage you from even trying to teach your child to code, as it might look impossible to figure out which is why most parents opt for block coding. However, that’s precisely why companies have figured out creative ways to show that learning how to code doesn’t have to be difficult, regardless if your child wants to start learning how to code with a text-based or block-based interface.

Coding Apps and Websites for Kids

Block coding does not only look more simple than text-based coding; it actually is easier to figure out and master. Also, because block coding does not require any knowledge of programming languages and syntaxes, it can be introduced to kids as young as 5 years old.

However, some apps and websites have found unique approaches to teaching text-based coding in beginner-friendly ways. Here is a list of a few websites and apps kids can use to get started with coding.

Scratch and ScratchJr

When you think of block coding you will most likely think of Scratch and ScratchJr. They are one of the most popular block coding apps. What makes them special is that they encourage kids to use their imagination and creativity while learning to code.

With these apps, kids create interactive stories and practice teamwork skills through working collaboratively with each other. Another awesome feature of thes apps is that users can look at guides and ideas if they get stuck while creating games and stories.

To make it more accessible, not only is the app free, it’s available in over 60 languages and it can be both, downloaded onto a computer or used in a web browser.

Tynker

Tynker is an online coding platform that teaches kids about programming and helps them develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Tynker lessons feature different challenges that introduce kids to block coding. As children learn and acquire more and more knowledge, these blocks turn into JavaScript and Python commands. The game-like approach Tynker has helps to keep kid engaged at the task at hand.

CircuitBlocks

CircuitBlocks is our own beginner-friendly programming interface that teaches kids how to code and requires no prior coding experience whatsoever. CircuitBlocks has to be paired with one of our CircuitMess STEM kits in order to code new functions, games and apps for the chosen kit.

These STEM kits come disassembled so your child will also develop fine motor skills, learn about electronics and components that make an electronic device come to life. They will also get a sense of accomplishment after assembling the device on their own which will encourage them to continue tinkering with it and modify it with code.

Once the device is assembled, it can be connected to a computer and programmed in CircuitBlocks by simply dragging and dropping colorful blocks on the screen. Depending on the CircuitMess kit your kid chooses, they will be able to code games, apps, light shows, sound effects, and much more.

Another great thing is that, while using blocks to code on one side of the screen, your child will see code in C generated in real time. This will help them get a better understanding of how real code is written.

Codeable Crafts

Codeable Crafts is an app for Android devices and iPads that welcomes kids to the world of coding through their imagination. With this app, kids can use drawings and storytelling to experiment with coding. This is fun because kids can use coding blocks to bring their stories to life by animating their drawings.

CodeCombat

CodeCombat uses a gaming platform to teach kids how to code in programming languages like Python and JavaScript. With this game-based approach, kids are virtually taught how to code by teachers. To make things even more fun, kids can join a competitive AI coding league to put their coding skills to the test.

Code.org

Code.org is a nonprofit organization that wants to make coding education more accessible to students around the world. They facilitate in-person classes and you can also find a variety of online courses on their website so that your kids can get started with coding from home.

Hopscotch

Hopscotch is an app that teaches kids how to build code with blocks through creating animated stories, games, and art. Another great aspect of this app is that it teaches kids about entrepreneurship skills.

SpriteBox Coding

SpriteBox Coding is great for teaching kids different functions like like sequencing, parameters, loops, procedures, and basic Swift and Java syntax. The app is basically an adventure game that teaches kids coding through different icons that turn into textual commands.

If you can’t make up your mind on which of these apps and programs is the best for your child to get started with coding, let your child choose their favorite. Your child is the one who will use it to learn so it’s important to listen to their thoughts and let them choose the one that’s most interesting for them as that will ultimately keep them engaged the longest.

In any case, it is great that there are so many different options to choose from because if one of these apps and programs doesn’t work out it is super easy to switch to another one until you and your child find the perfect one.

Step 1: What Are Electronics?

Even if you’re not aware, electronics are all around us. In fact, thanks to electronics, most innovations of the previous century such as computers, television, video games and smartphones came to be.

So, let’s start with a basic definition. Electronics is the science and technology concerned with the design of circuits using transistors and microchips, and with the behaviour and movement of electrons.

Sounds complicated? To put it simply, electronics lets you move electrons around. Still sounds complicated? Don’t worry, keep reading and by the end of this article you should get a basic understanding that will allow you to tackle simple electronics projects.

Step 2: Learn To Read Schematics and Symbols

Electronic schematics can look confusing at first but they are actually pretty easy to understand and read. The ability to read them will help you when working on electronic projects and, if you move on to more serious projects, you will need to know how to draw a schematic in order to move on to circuit board design.

The easiest way to go about this is to take a look at a schematics guide that will show you what each line and symbol on the schematic means. Once you get acquainted with the basics, you’ll be able to read more complex schematic drawings.

Step 3: Get The Basic Materials and Tools

Having the right tools for the job will help you complete any DIY electronic projects with ease. However, finding the right tools can be a tough task. There are so many different tools from different suppliers to choose from and you might get lost and not know where to start, especially if you’re a beginner.

Our recommendation is that a beginner’s tools pack should include:

1. Soldering iron
2. Solder sucker
3. Phillips Screwdriver
4. Needle nose pliers
5. Diagonal cutter pliers
6. Metal soldering iron stand
7. Solder
8. Sponge

Step 4: Get a Basic Understanding of the Components

There are a lot of different components that appear in electronics projects but there are a few components that appear in almost all projects. They are:

1. LEDs
2. Capacitors
3. Resistors
4. Transistor

We suggest checking out any guide to the basics of electronics to get acquainted with these components because you’ll be coming in contact with them often.

If you’re one of those people who learn better through a hands-on approach, there are a lot of great kits out there that will help you understand how these components work together to create a functioning device. A simple Google search should suffice to find these DIY electronic projects for beginners.

Step 5: Learn How to Solder

Once you gather all the tools and understand how the components interact with each other, you can move on to the next step - learning how to solder. Most electronics projects require soldering the parts together so, it’s important to learn how to solder and anyone can learn how to do it.

If you have no experience with electronics or soldering, our recommendation is to get beginner-friendly soldering practice kits. Most of these kits already come with all the components and the circuit board which will help you shift focus on only learning how to solder rather than worrying about gathering all the supplies first.

In case you’ve never soldered before, it might be a good idea to look at a few how-to-solder guides. You can check out any of these:

• Adafruit’s video tutorial featuring Collin Cunningham – a tutorial featuring Collin Cunningham, a super charismatic electronics guru.
• Adafruit’s standard soldering tutorial – A great and thorough video tutorial. An absolute must-read, even if you know how to solder. Make sure to check the “common soldering mistakes” section at the end.
• Sparkfun’s video soldering tutorial – Another well made how-to-solder video tutorial.
• Sparkfun’s standard soldering tutorial – Well written tutorial made by Sparkfun

1. Never inhale the dust and the fumes that can be produced by the soldering iron! These can be hazardous so please don't inhale them.
2. Never touch the tip of the soldering iron! Even if the soldering iron is turned off or completely disconnected from the power source, there is still a possibility that it’s very hot and therefore can cause very uncomfortable pain if touched.
3. Clean the soldering iron! The sponge is your best friend while soldering. Make sure to use it often to clean your soldering iron if you wish to have an easy and simple soldering experience!
4. Check your solder joints twice (at least)! Most of the malfunctions in the world of electronics are due to bad solder joints, so regardless if this is your first or 100th soldering project, always make sure to inspect your joints multiple times before proceeding to the next step.
5. Know how much solder is needed! Make sure to put just enough solder, not too much, and not too little, since both can cause the device to malfunction.
6. Don’t leave any residual solder on the board! The solder should only be on the parts of the console where the pins connect to the board and everything else should be clean. Little pieces of solder all over the board are a big no-no.

Since soldering irons deal with high temperatures it’s very important to adhere to these safety rules. If you need to, read through these rules a couple of more times to make sure you don’t forget them.

Once they are engraved in your memory, your soldering experience will be like a stroll in the park - nice and easy!

Step 6: Discover Integrated Circuits

Up until now, we’ve covered using simple components that will help you build simple circuits. Although simple is fun, it’s likely that you’ll like to move on to more complex projects soon after mastering the basics.

Adding different functionalities to your project such as sound, memory, intelligence, etc. requires using Integrated Circuits. As with everything in electronics, Integrated Circuits can look very complicated in the beginning but once you learn how to use them, you’ll have access to endless possibilities.

A great way to discover Integrated Circuits is to complete a few simple electronics projects that already have Integrated Circuits. One tip here is to find a project that has detailed guides on all the components and boards included in the project to help you understand how everything works together.

Step 7: Design Your Own Circuit Board

After completing the previous steps you should have all the basic knowledge required to design your own circuit board. Once again, this is easier than you’d think. Especially because you can find numerous guides online that cover the basics of getting started with Circuit Board design.

Step 8: Discover Microcontrollers

Understanding Integrated Circuits and being able to design your own Circuit Board is already pretty advanced knowledge. However, there’s still a big area you can explore to use in your electronic projects - Microcontrollers.

As with all the steps before, it’s best to find a guide that will teach you about the basics of Microcontrollers. Then, once you learn how to use a Microcontroller, you’ll be able to create advanced functionalities for your project by simply writing a few lines of code instead of figuring out how to create a circuit of components that would perform the same function.

Conclusion

It’s important to understand that not all these steps can be learned in a day. Even though we said getting started in electronics is simple, if you try to understand all these steps at the same time, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

So, give yourself enough time to master each step before moving on to the next one and you’ll be a pro in no time. You can do it!

We're currently working on Batmobile's electronics and are examining them for any errors in order to remove them all before production.

Check out the schemes below to see what Batmobile's electronics look like currently. 

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Don't forget to fill out your shipping address survey. We won't be able to ship out your Kickstarter reward without your shipping information.

If you haven't received your survey or need help with filling it out, reach out to us at contact@circuitmess.com, and we'll help you out.

Stay tuned for more updates!

- Albert

That being said, recognizing a good science kit is actually not that hard. Ultimately, the best STEM kits are the ones that meet the following three requirements.

1. Science kit should contain the best quality equipment

 Imagine getting an educational science kit for your kid, only to realize that some of the included components are easily breakable, non-durable, and of poor quality. 

Unfortunately, some manufacturers think they don’t need to ensure the best quality of the components because the product is intended for STEM beginners or kids. 

What you should always do before purchasing a kit is pay attention to the quality of the equipment. You can do this by checking the product reviews or contacting the producer. 

Simply try to make sure that the components contained in the kit are genuine and not low-quality versions of the elements that are used for actual scientific purposes.

2. Science kit should contain relevant learning materials

While the main point of a science kit is its hands-on experience, it is also essential to understand the theoretical concepts and facts regarding the activity you’re performing.

E.g., if you’re building an AI-powered DIY robot car, it would be beneficial to get some offline or online learning materials that will help you understand how this technology works.

Ensure that the kit you’re about to purchase provides you with more than just a cool experience without any scientific context. 

 3. Science kit should contain fun & simple instructions

It is crucial for any child or adult facing their first STEM project to have very engaging and easy-to-follow instructions. A poor build guide that lacks images or doesn’t explain all the steps adequately could ultimately discourage any beginner. It may even demotivate them from continuing their journey through the world of DIY.

One of the most important things you should check when choosing your kit is if it contains straightforward instructions. Make sure that those guidelines include lots of pictures, information about every component contained in the kit, and clear explanations of all the functions you need to perform throughout your build. 

If you’re getting this kit for your kid, you might also check whether the design, colors, and the form of the instructions are something that would keep them engaged and interested.  

Requirements for a fun activity

So to recap, a proper science kit that will provide you with the best learning experience is one that has quality components, suitable learning materials, and easy-to-follow build instructions. 

All things considered, if the science kit you’re checking out ticks all the mentioned boxes, we guarantee you that both you and your kid are in for a great learning experience.

1. Your child's age
2. Your child's interests
3. Which STEM subjects your child likes

Now, let's explain each of these factors in more detail. 

1. Your child’s age

Not all STEM toys are suitable for every age range so the easiest way to start is to look at kits suitable for your child’s age and experience level.

For example, if your child is 7 you might look into kits that don’t require a long assembly time as their attention span might run out before they finish the project.

For the older kids (9-11+ years old) you can start looking into more complex projects. With developed abstract thinking, your child will be able to grasp the concepts such as Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and more.

2. Your child’s interests

Obviously, not all kids like the same things. So, it’s important to find a project that will keep them engaged. Being engaged with what they’re doing will encourage them to go in-depth about how the toy works, what each part of it does, and how it all fits together to make a working device.

If you’re not sure what science project your kid will like, you can try a STEM subscription box. Subscriptions are a great way to let your child try out different things and find what interests them the most. 

3. Which STEM subjects your child likes

STEM is a very broad term so it’s best to figure out which STEM topic your child responds best to so as not to overwhelm them with too much information.

For example, if your child can’t stop asking how things work or taking things apart and putting them back together, look into DIY electronics projects. There’s no better way to encourage a kid's curiosity than to give them a kit they have to assemble themselves.

With the hands-on approach they’ll learn while having fun, and more importantly, get a sense of accomplishment and be proud of what they’ve done once they complete a project.

If your child likes computers and you’d like to get them started off with programming from an early age, you might want to look into projects including block coding.

Block coding is beginner-friendly and will give your child a basic understanding of how coding works and encourage them to keep exploring what they can do with programming.

Hopefully, these tips will help you make the decision on which STEM kit to get for your child a little bit easier.

Don’t forget to keep the focus on your child’s interests and always encourage them to be curious and you'll both have a great time exploring STEM.

Exciting news this week - we've received Synthia's parts and have started its production process.

Take a sneak peek at our production space filled with shelves and boxes of bits and pieces we'll use to produce Synthia:

While producing Synthia, we're simultaneously working on its software and making progress.

Stay tuned for more updates!

- Albert & the CircuitMess team

While working on Batmobile, we've simultaneously started the production of Synthia. Synthia is one of the items included in the Collector's Pack that was available as an add-on in our campaign. 

Here's a sneak peek at our production space filled with shelves and boxes of bits and pieces we'll use to produce Synthia:

While producing Synthia, we're simultaneously working on its software and making progress.

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If you haven't already, please fill out the shipping survey, we sent to the email address associated with your Kickstarter account. 

Kickstarter does not collect your shipping address when you back a project.  Instead, we have to send out a survey that collects addresses from all you amazing backers. 

Also, Kickstarter didn't collect the shipping costs for your pledge, so you will be charged for the shipping costs in the survey as well. 

Please fill out the survey as soon as you can in order to receive your pledge, as we can't ship out your Kickstarter reward without your shipping information.

If you haven't received your survey yet, email us at contact@circuimess.com, and we'll help you out!

Stay tuned for more updates!

- Albert

Unfortunately, this week has been full of inconveniences that are impacting our development. 

Global transport slowed down due to geopolitical conflicts and increased gas prices. The current lockdown in China closed down all the hardware factories in Shenzhen, which also significantly impacts us and our ability to obtain the parts we need to continue the development. 

Development is still going forward, but these events are not making it any easier. 

An interesting change is that we're testing out the new version of the ESP32 chip released this year. 

ESP32 is the main processor used on the Batmobile. It's basically Batmobile's brain that handles all the bit crunching related to camera recognition and wireless communication. 

The new version we're testing is called  ESP-S3-12K. It has new functions, more CPU speed and more memory.

If you want to learn more about ESP-S3-12K, check this out: https://hitechchain.se/startsida/ai-thinker-esp-s3-12k-wi-fible-module

Even with these challenges, we're still pushing through and giving it our all to continue the development.

As always, we'll keep you posted, so stay tuned. 

-Albert

CircuitMess STEM Box was successfully funded 18 months ago thanks to your fantastic help and support.

Since then, we have successfully fulfilled five unique STEM Boxes:

- Spencer

- Jay-D

- Wheelson

- ByteBoi

- Chatter 

While designing every box, we've learned a lot and had so much fun. 

Thanks to your amazing support, all of these products were made possible (you rock!).

Clockstar - a DIY Smartwatch - was scheduled as the sixth STEM Box.

Unfortunately, we had to change this.

Clockstar will be pushed to a later date, and the sixth STEM Box will be Synthia instead.

 Why are you performing this change?

Due to the ongoing semiconductor and supply chain shortage, we've faced development issues.

The past year was the best year for CircuitMess so far and the most challenging one.

We'd develop a product just to figure out that a critical component such as a processor disappeared from the market.

These situations required us to scrap months worth of valuable development time and find a new solution available on the market.


Mislav - one of the hardware devs here at CircuitMess - praying to the semiconductor gods during these challenging times

This is what happened with Clockastar's development right now - the initial design shown in the Kickstarter campaign proved to be unproducable in the current environment.

Specific chips such as the accelerometer and gyroscope chip vanished from the market.

This required us to search for alternatives, which caused a significant development setback.

As a solution to this issue, we've decided to go with Snythia instead while we search for a solution to the chip sourcing issue.

We will eventually ship Clockstar in one of the following boxes, but we need more time to make it happen. 

Synthia is a product that I'm very proud of, and I am confident it will be a worthy replacement for Clockstar for the sixth STEM Box.

When will it be shipped?

STEM Box #6 (Synthia) will be shipped in April.

What the quack is Synthia? 

We've introduced Syntia in one of our previous Kickstarter updates, but here's a brief overview to refresh your memory. 

Synthia is a DIY digital musical sampler. 

It combines some functions of a sampler, drum machine, sequencer, and synthesizer.

With Synthia, you'll learn how microcomputers and other electronic components are used for sound production.

You will be able to create unique music by playing with the pre-loaded sound samples or recording your own sound samples with the built-in MEMS microphone.

Synthia is equipped with:

• A dual-core CPU (ESP32)
• Five pushbuttons
• Two encoder knobs
• Two slider potentiometers
• MEMS microphone for recording samples
• A dedicated DAC with a Class-D amplifier
• 1W speaker
• USB-C
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 121 flashy LEDs
  
  

Check out the latest circuit board silkscreen design - this will be on the back of the device explaining the different functions it has



We're looking forward to you all creating your own music with Synthia! 

If you have any questions regarding this change, please reach out to us at contact@circuitmess.com, and we'll help you out  :)

Stay tuned for more updates!

- Albert & the CircuitMess team

All the shipping information surveys have now been sent out, so you all should have received it inbox by now.  

About 48% of you filled it out, so please fill yours out as soon as possible if you haven't already. 

If you haven't received the survey yet, we've sent it to the email address associated with your Kickstarter account so be sure to check your inbox and the spam folder.  

If you still can't find it or if you need the survey sent to a different email address, please get in touch with us at contact@circuitmess.com.

This survey will collect your shipping information as we can't ship out your Batmobile without it. 

The shipping cost will also be charged with this survey, so here's the shipping cost table as a reminder: 

If you need help filling out the survey, check out the videos below. 

If you've pledged the CircuitMess Batmobile Exclusive Option, check this video.

If you've selected any other perk (that is not a $1 exclusive option), check this video.

Here's a quick update on Batmobile's development.

As you might remember from our previous update, we decided to use a different CPU model from the one we were hoping to use as it vanished from the market. The chip we'll in Batmobile use is called ESP32-S3. We added 4MB RAM and 16MB flash memory to it. We also added 3 light sensors for line following.

Check it out below:

Here are a few rendered images of the PCB. It's not entirely finished yet, but it's looking good so far: 

Thank you so much for your support so far. 

Stay tuned for more updates.

- Albert & the CircuitMess team

Chatter's coding guide is now online! You can find it here. 

As for the Anatomy guide, it’s live as well. Check it out here and learn about the components on Chatter’s board.

We've prepared a few short tutorials that will guide you through the basics of coding your Chatter in CircuitBlocks. We'll show you have to do some cool things like display text and icons & play different sounds.

Here's a sneak peek at one of the sketches from the guide:

We hope you’ll have a lot of fun customizing your Chatter.

Keep making!

- Albert & the CircuitMess Team

This is a quick update to let you know that your shipping address surveys are being sent out.

Why do I need to fill out this survey?

Kickstarter does not collect your address when you back a project.  Instead, we have to send out a survey that collects addresses from all you amazing backers. 

Also, Kickstarter didn't collect the shipping costs for your pledge. 

You will be charged for the shipping costs in the survey. 

Here's the shipping cost table as a quick reminder: 

How will I receive the survey? 

You will get an email with a link to the survey in the following days.

Please check your email inbox and the spam folder. 

We will use the email associated with your Kickstarter account.

If you need the survey sent to a different email address, please contact us via contact@circuitmess.com

We are using a service called Backerkit for sending out the survey.

Until when do I have to do it? 

Please fill them out as soon as you can in order to receive your pledge as we can't ship out your Kickstarter reward without your shipping information. 

Add-ons available at an exclusive price

When filling out the survey, you'll also have the possibility to add additional add-ons for a special price if you missed out on getting something that you wanted during the campaign. 

How do I fill out the survey? 

Here's a video that will guide you through the process of filling out the survey. 

The survey is a bit different depending on your pledge.

If you've pledged the CircuitMess Batmobile Exclusive Option, check this video.

If you've selected any other perk (that is not a $1 exclusive option), check this video.

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In other news, we displayed our Batmobile at the new Batman movie premiere. It feels surreal but the event was tons of fun. The movie was awesome as well. Have you had a chance to watch it yet? 

Check out a few photos from the event below: 

Please fill out the survey as soon as possible!

Stay tuned for more updates!

-Albert 

All Chatter kits have now been shipped, and you should be getting them shortly if you haven't received them yet. So, we're sure you're very excited to build them as soon as possible. :)

As always, we've created a very detailed build guide that will help make the assembly process a breeze, and it's now online.

You can find the build guide at the following link: https://learn.circuitmess.com/resources/guides/en/chatter-build-guide

Here's a quick sneak peek of a few assembly steps from the build guide: 

Once you're done assembling, you can immediately start texting and playing around with your Chatters, so be sure to check out the usage guide if you need any help with how to do this.

Find Chatter's usage guide here: https://learn.circuitmess.com/resources/guides/en/chatter-usage-guide

Stay tuned for more updates as Chatter's coding guide is coming soon!

- Albert & the CircuitMess team