The MINI.MU is an exciting do-it-yourself musical glove crafted for young engineering enthusiasts. It's the result of a great collaboration between Grammy Award-winning musician Imogen Heap, creative technologist and children’s author Helen Leigh, Pimoroni, and the MI.MU glove team. Using the micro:bit, this kit offers a friendly, simple, and fun coding experience. These gloves are a kid-friendly, simplified version of Imogen's advanced MiMu gloves used in her performances. Unlike the advanced ones, the MINI.MU gloves are low-cost and easy to build, so any child can create their own. They come with a speaker that makes sounds on its own. You can also use the micro:bit's built-in Bluetooth LE radio to send motion data from the glove to a computer, tablet, or phone. Playing with MINI.MU promotes creative coding and helps kids progress from simple block code and 8-bit tunes to more advanced maker projects. The kit includes felt with screen-printed glove patterns, a MINI.MU sewable speaker, a needle and thread, alligator clips, a battery pack, 2 x AAA batteries, a USB data cable, and instructions on making, wiring, coding, and playing. Note that this package doesn't include a micro:bit, but you can get one in our shop. Pimoroni recommends this kit based on age: Ages 6 and up need full adult assistance for sewing and coding; Ages 8 and up need some adult assistance; Ages 10+ need minimal adult assistance to start. It's not recommended for makers aged 5 and below.
Using the MINI.MU glove kit is a breeze. First, use the felt with screen - printed glove patterns to sew the glove with the provided needle and thread. Attach the MINI.MU sewable speaker using alligator clips. Then, insert the 2 AAA batteries into the battery pack. Connect the micro:bit (which you need to buy separately) with the USB data cable. You can follow the instructions to start coding on the micro:bit. You can either let the speaker on the glove make sounds directly or use the micro:bit's Bluetooth LE radio to send motion data to your computer, tablet, or phone. When it comes to safety, make sure kids are supervised by adults during the sewing and coding process, especially for younger ones. Also, keep the small parts like the batteries and alligator clips away from small children to avoid choking hazards. For maintenance, store the kit in a dry place. If the speaker or other components get dirty, use a soft, dry cloth to clean them gently. Don't expose the kit to extreme temperatures or moisture, as this may damage the components.
