SparkFun Launches LilyPad Expansion to Celebrate a Decade of Innovation in Sewable Electronics

Boulder, Colo., Oct. 06, 2017 -- To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the LilyPad (www.sparkfun.com/lilypad) sewable electronics ecosystem, SparkFun is releasing the groundbreaking ProtoSnap Plus. This board expands the possibilities for crafters, artists, costume designers, performers and DIYers to easily explore embedding new layers of functionality and creativity into interactive, expressive projects.

Leah Buechley, original creator of the LilyPad sewable electronics line of products, celebrates ten years of innovation in soft circuits and wearables for makers. The LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus features multiple LilyPad components including the LilyPad USB Plus, a light sensor, buzzer, button board, four pairs of colored LEDs, and a slide switch. The board represents the latest iteration of sewable electronics technology.

Developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively designed with SparkFun Electronics in 2007, LilyPad was a first-of-its-kind commercial product for embedding electronics in fabrics, allowing makers to explore light, sound and motion functionality in their textile projects. SparkFun’s newest board, the LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus, boosts the performance of the entire LilyPad product catalog by incorporating technology that speeds up the prototyping process and facilitates easy implementation of the LilyPad in classrooms as an instructional tool for STEAM education.

“The LilyPad tool has shown time and time again that playing with electronics doesn’t have to be a hardware-first endeavor,” said Glenn Samala, SparkFun CEO. “With LilyPad, users take advantage of soft circuitry to bring new functionality to sewing and wearables. We’re excited to see how the addition makes it even easier to prototype new projects.”

As a beginner-friendly tool, the newly redesigned LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus builds on the brand’s track record in education with a lower price point, more durable hardware and online resources to help students develop beginner and intermediate e-sewing, programming, design and construction skills. Everything is wired together on a single ProtoSnap board, which makes it easy to explore coding with the components before snapping them apart and building the individual pieces into a project using conductive thread.

“I have been absolutely amazed by the beauty and ingenuity of all the LilyPad projects people have made in the last 10 years,” said Leah Buechley, the product’s original creator,“I'm so excited for the next 10!”

The Arduino-based LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus allows users to prototype electronics projects without any stitching, soldering or use of clips by including pre-wired connections. The new LilyPad USB Plus board at the center of the ProtoSnap Plus has a microUSB connector, six built-in LEDs and an RGB LED, all controllable by the user. The LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus features five expansion ports connected to sew tabs on the LilyPad USB Plus. These allow you to easily attach external components to the board, including LilyPad and non-LilyPad boards. The expansion ports can accommodate alligator clips, IC clips and other temporary attachment cables.

Activities and tutorials for LilyPad projects can be found in SparkFun’s online catalog of LilyPad projects and instructional tools for crafting and electronics. As one of the most versatile electronics tools in the crafting industry, over the past decade the LilyPad line has served as an effective entry point for crafters into the world of electronics and wearable technology.

The LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus will be available at www.sparkfun.com/lilypad starting October 6.

About SparkFun Electronics (www.sparkfun.com)

In 2003, CU student Nate Seidle blew a power supply in his dorm room and, in lieu of a way to order easy replacements, decided to start his own. Since then, SparkFun has been committed to sustainably helping our world achieve electronics literacy from our headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. No matter your vision, SparkFun's products and resources are designed to make the world of electronics more accessible. In addition to more than 2,000 open source components and widgets, SparkFun offers curriculum, training and online tutorials designed to help demystify the wonderful world of embedded electronics. We're here to help you start something!

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Megan Arnold
SparkFun Electronics
847-924-7305
[email protected]