Cyber Monday Gift Ideas Hatch’d at MIT

Thanksgiving has passed and now its holiday shopping season. And no shopping season is complete without Slice’s roundup of gift ideas created by the MIT community.

Thanks to the MIT Museum Store, it’s now easier to find those unique-to-MIT gifts. Earlier this month, the store unveiled MIT Hatch’d, a selection of products designed or developed by MIT alumni, students, staff, and researchers.

The Hatch’d line, which is available on the museum’s newly-designed online store, focuses on STEM products whose primary content or design was developed by members of the MIT community.

It’s no surprise that many of these gifts—like an invention kit that turns a banana into a keyboard spacebar—were born at MIT or created by MIT alumni.

Take a look at the growing list of MIT Hatch’d products below then visit the MIT Museum Store for more information.

Amoeba, a jigsaw puzzle with amoeba-style pieces that has no edge pieces or image to guide assembly. Designed and produced by Nervous System, a design studio founded by Jessica Rosenkrantz ’05 and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg ’08.

Clocky, an alarm clock on wheels designed by Gauri Nanda SM ’05. The only way to shut it off is to catch it first.

The Defender, a Batman-inspired aluminum LED bicycle light that combats bicycle light theft and requires a special tool to lock and unlock. Created by Bradley Geswein SM ’11, MBA ’11 and Slava Menn MBA ’11. (Available in-store only.)

Hacked Mugs, color-changing mugs that, when filled with hot liquid, reveal an iconic MIT hack like the CalTech cannon heist or the police car on the Great Dome. Created in the spring 2010 course 2.744 by Ming Leon ’09, SM ’11; Benjamin Pope ’09, SM ’11; Paula Te ’11; Mindy Eng ’10; and Sarah Reed SM ’11.

littlebits, an open source library of color-coded bricks that snap together to create circuits with sensors, switches, and motors, founded by Ayah Bdeir SM ’06.

MaKey MaKey, an electronics kit that lets users reassign a computer's arrow keys, space bar, and left mouse click to any object—like a banana—that can conduct at least a small amount of electricity. Created by Jay Silver SM ’08 and Eric Rosenbaum SM ’09.

Nervous System jewelry, inspired by complex patterns generated by computation and nature, designed by Rosenkrantz and Rosenberg.

Roominate, a STEM-infused dollhouse construction kit that aims to girls ages 6–10 excied about math and science. Co-created by Alice Brooks ’10.

Open Sesame Ring, an MIT logo-emblazoned ring, embedded with an MBTA's Charlie Card's RFID tag, that saves T riders from fishing for their wallets in crowded train stations. Co-founded by Chris Benson ’10, SM ’12.

Sprout, a cedar-body pencil that can be planted in soil and grown into flowers, herbs, or vegetables after it’s used up. Created by Democratech, a design collaborative that includes Mario Bollini ’09, SM ’12; Lauren Hernley ’11; Steven Keating SM ’12; Benjamin Judge ’11, MNG ’12; and Benjamin Peters ’11.

Happy shopping! For more information on MIT Hatch’d line, visit the museum’s website, call 617-158-9118, or email museumstore@mit.edu.

Bonus: Check out Slice's archive of holiday gift ideas from 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009.