LEGO asked us to imagine a digital LEGO experience. We added questions of our own: could the plain brick become popular again? Could a toy speak to every kid, regardless of gender? Could it spark creativity and support learning? Could LEGO become a medium for sharing stories and emotions?
In the long run, we imagined a smart base plate that directly connects to devices like smartwatches or picture frames, and an online community trading inspiration and building instructions.
We built the prototype with Arduino and Processing: a camera detects the bricks on a 16×16 base plate and mirrors them on screen in real time. A controller with five LEGO-brick buttons lets players change the background color, add or delete frames (up to eight), and save their design as an image or an animation.
Testing with kids aged 7–12 at Bjørns International School confirmed their excitement about combining physical and digital building, but also challenged our open-ended premise: while some kids thrived on a blank plate, others missed guidance on what to build and how, so we added building instructions.
