Wearable fashion toy Linkitz teaches girls how to program | TechCrunch

by Hallie Siegel

25 July 2014

share this:

MIT PhD Lyssa Neel is using socializing and accessorizing to get get girls interested in programming. Neel’s invention, Linkitz, is a wearable electronic toy that allows kids to rearrange, take apart and snap together electronic blocks that blink and buzz to change their behavior. This teaches them programming in a fun way, says Neel.

Both boys and girls can play with Linkitz, but Neel, who was the 10th woman to earn a PhD in computer science at MIT and fell in love with computer programming in the sixth grade, says she was inspired by her own three daughters to design the product.

Robot Talk Episode 140 – Robot balance and agility, with Amir Patel

Robot Talk 16 Jan 2026

In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Amir Patel from University College London about designing robots with the agility and manoeuvrability of a cheetah.

Taking humanoid soccer to the next level: An interview with RoboCup trustee Alessandra Rossi

AIhub and Lucy Smith 14 Jan 2026

Find out more about the forthcoming changes to the RoboCup soccer leagues.

Robots to navigate hiking trails

Christopher Tatsch 12 Jan 2026

Find out more about work presented at IROS 2025 on autonomous hiking trail navigation via semantic segmentation and geometric analysis.

Robot Talk Episode 139 – Advanced robot hearing, with Christine Evers

Robot Talk 09 Jan 2026

In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Christine Evers from University of Southampton about helping robots understand the world around them through sound.

Meet the AI-powered robotic dog ready to help with emergency response

Texas A&M University 07 Jan 2026

Built by Texas A&M engineering students, this four-legged robot could be a powerful ally in search-and-rescue missions.

MIT engineers design an aerial microrobot that can fly as fast as a bumblebee

MIT News 31 Dec 2025

With insect-like speed and agility, the tiny robot could someday aid in search-and-rescue missions.

Robohub highlights 2025

Lucy Smith 29 Dec 2025

We take a look back at some of the interesting blog posts, interviews and podcasts that we've published over the course of the year.

The science of human touch – and why it’s so hard to replicate in robots

The Conversation 24 Dec 2025

Trying to give robots a sense of touch forces us to confront just how astonishingly sophisticated human touch really is.