Lighting words (part 1)

In the following weeks, I will be busy traveling due to work.
Now, I do not have time neither, but I want to do this, otherwise we will not move forward. So against the clock let's start the project: Lighting words utilizing my Lilipad. (note: I confess, I am also thinking how to re-use my Lilipad as I only have one).

The first plan towards the lighting words is to create the "hardware" where the advertisement will be. In this case, I use an empty box where my business cards were delivered, that is, it is a relatively small box. 

So from that box, I cut a rectangle from the cover (see next photo). In this hole I will  put the paper with the word I want to light.

Next I test 4 LEDs (next photo), which were programmed according on how I want them to turn my lighting words on and off. 

Once I was happy with the sequence of my LEDs, then I transfer them to the box. Each LED was firmly glued to its corresponding location inside the box as it is shown in the picture:

Afterwards with conductive ink, I made the connections between the LEDs

Behind the box (next photo) I connect the corresponding elements to the Lilipad via a conductive thread.

You can see in the next photo how the thread is sew to the ends of the LEDs as it corresponds (+) and (-)

Next, with vellum paper (i.e. translucent paper) to write the words to illuminate: 

 

After writing the words I located the paper behind the whole of the box. 

to be able to close the leap of the box and let the LEDs to illuminate the sign.

Then I turn the Lilipad on and voilà! the words get inluminated. 

Need to work with balancing  the impedance of the LEDs, but that will be done in my return.
Great I was able to do this in short period of time!

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F4E by CAIS

LEDs at the supermaket

Interesting enough, after our firs session turning on-off LEDs I went to the supermarket and look what I found:

This work can, potentially, be done with a Lilipad, what do you think?

F4E by CAIS

Starting with Lilipads (aka arduino)

Finally we started!

On Sunday 21.9. we got together and we started to use our Lilipads. HURRAY!!!!


Honestly, we always have  NO time, but one has to make the time. We purchased our equipment slowly and over time - due to resources - and its is until this Sunday when we got together for a couple of hours and put our hands on our Lilipads.

We started with the basics, as shown in the photo:

1. Alligators cables
2. FTDI board
3. Lilipad
4. Power suply
5. FTDI Cable  








In this first day  we download the arduino programming environment. We are testing in two operating systems: OSX and windows.

Following the instructions of the installation website was easy. Once we have the programming environment in our personal laptops, we connect our lilipad. Next, we made two basic exercises, one from the examples given by the installation website and a second one we decided to explore.

The first contact with Lilipads was smooth and useful. In this session we mainly turn on -off LEDs in addition to explore a fade function.  Now, in the next session, we have to build our first project with what we learned about the Lilipads today. 

It is getting exciting!






F4E by CAIS

SciFest 2014

"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done."

 Bruce Lee

We have been thinking a lot and time is passing by quickly. 

Then one day, without thinking much we decided to build our Swan for SciFest. A research goal was to hear the understanding of newer generations about climate change. To link the research topic with the vision of F4E we requested our workshop participants to answer a questionnaire after they had built a swam, which had a LED as crown in its head. 

 

We should confess that our workshop was very successful ;) we even ran out of material!

PRO
- It was fun to do the origami
- Happiness was expressed when the swam had its LED, e.g. "it is alive"

CONS
- We ran out of batteries! :(

COULD IMPROVE:
We could not use the conductive ink, there was not time. So we "handicraft" how to connect the battery with the LEDs even creating a switch.  Additionally, we explained briefly how to connect the + & - of the battery and the LEDs, however we could improve this explanation by creating proper learning material. Easy to use and understand but clear! 

F4E

LEDs and Cards

It is time to start to refresh our basics in electronics, so the first step was to play with LEDs.

In our exploration we found the company Bare Conductive and we bought some material to make cards with LEDs. 

Here an example of a card:

 Cutting material and letting the ink dry

 Once the ink is dried, decorate the card and ready to send :)


PROS:
- Very easy to use

CONS:
- It takes a time to the ink to dry
- Follow only the predefine drawings can be boring

COULD IMPROVE:
It would be ideal to have an explanation of what is a diode.
Start to build a concept and understanding of what we are doing.


However, as a first experiment it was a good experience and we got that existed that we bought a bunch of LEDs

Until the next time 

F4E

The beginning

Once upon a time  in 2012 Liisa and Carolina were in the Pikkujoulu of the Science Society. Then we started to disuss about why not do more things with technology which include more women.

In Joensuu, where we live, we can find different types of technology clubs and education, but how involve the how old and new crafts together? this is one of the our wishing list. For example learning to do clothing and involve e-textiles, or building the electricity of a dolls's house (actually that is how I , Carolina, started with technology)....

After bouncing ideas for a long time we decided to build our own club, our hobby. Each one of us have different reason to pursuit this activity, however we have the same goal: merge different type of crafts, work with different type of people (ages and backgrounds) to learn together and deliver innovation.

Next was to create the name. We decided for the name fear4electronics, because it is actually a playful sentence. Be ready of what we are able to do with electronics! 

Thus let the journey beginning,

F4E