We’ve been experimenting with other heating elements to visualize patterns on thermochromic fabric. In our past tests we used conductive thread as the heating element, but find it does not carry enough current over longer distances to sufficiently heat the fabric.
Here are some tests we did with creating heating elements with normal resistors and muscle wire. Muscle wire so far seems like the best best to create the most dynamic wearable.
GreenFab Leson Plan: Switches
Prepared by: Susan Ngo and Macaulay Campbell
Class description and objectives:
The aim of this tutorial is to identify simple switches in everyday products and explain how they work. Students will break apart toys/electronics to identify the switches and discuss how they work. In groups, the students will make their own switches to create a game controller to play old NES games online.
Material needed:
• Demonstration
– Found electronics
• Materials for Making Switches
- Copper foil
- Steel Wool
- Conductive foam
- brass tubes / exposed wire (whisker switches)
• Switch construction
- LEDs
- Wire
- breadboard
- Batteries
- Solder
• Tools
- Wirestrippers
- Wirecutters
- Soldering iron
• Displaying game
- IPAC (Interface for PC to Arcade Controls) console
- laptop
- 1 projector
INTRODUCTION (5-10 minutes)
Introduce the activity plan and discuss what needs to happen over the course of the workshop. Present students with a timeline (with times written on board) so they know what needs to happen in the allotted time. Depending on class size, break student into smaller groups so that all participants have access to all electronics and tools.
Discuss the Concepts of Electricity and Circuits
ACTIVITY 1: Explaining switches (20 minutes)
For the first part of this workshop we will review the basic function of a switch.
Activity & discussion
• Introduction: What is a switch? An electrical switch is any device used to interrupt the flow of electrons in a circuit. Switches are essentially binary devices: they are either completely on (“closed”) or completely off (“open”).
• Different types of electronic switches (slide show): (https://wiki.sfu.ca/public/images/5/59/Lab_week3.pdf)
– Toggle switch
– Pushbutton switch
– Selector switch
– Joystick switches
– Rocker switches
– Slider switches
– Switches for handicap users (button, finger, grip, string)
• Describe basic functions of a switch
• Have students identify different types of switches around them in the classroom.
(Good lead-in to next activity)
ACTIVITY 2: Electronics break down (20 minutes)
Students will be given a few electronics to break open and identify switches. Possible items could be keyboards, games, old phones, etc. To help the groups along instructors will walk around to the different groups to help the get the electronics open and/or offer some insight as to which components are switches. Instructors can also help identify other components. (Resistors, capacitors, etc.)
Activity & discussion
- Introduce activity, time check
- Present previously dismantled electronics and identify switches
- Pass out electronics and tools to students
- Safety: suggest best ways of dismantling electronics
- Identify switches and discuss their function
- Identify other components
- Discuss concepts of resistance, current, voltage, capacitance, inductance, electrical power
ACTIVITY 3: DIY switches (40 minutes)
For this part of the tutorial we will begin making our very own switches. With the basic knowledge of the circuitry we will encourage the students to think creatively when making their own switches using non-traditional materials and exploring non-traditional means of interacting with them.
Activity and discussion
- Introduce activity, time check
- Pass out materials
- Explain prototyping device.
Device is a simple, pre-assembled (by instructors) prototyping tool made up of a battery and an LED that will give students an easy way to test their switches. Description to come.
- Encourage students to come up with clever ways to create switches (hand clapping, tapping shoes, books, jumping up and down, etc).
- Test circuits at designated station.
ACTIVITY 4: Let’s play! (60 minutes / remainder of class)
Using the students’ switches we will create a game controller using a keyboard emulator (IPAC) plugged into a computer to play old NES games.
Activity and discussion
- Introduce activity, time check (make sure computer and projector are running properly)
- Introduce/explain the IPAC
- Demonstrate how to plug switches into IPAC using device.
To streamline the process, instructors will have already built a “device” similar to prototyping tool that will all students to easily plug switches into IPAC without having to acces the IPAC terminals.
- Have class decide on a game from tested set of games online
- Chose the correct number of students to control the corresponding buttons on an NES game controller (Up, down, left, right, A, B)
- Plug in student switches
- Play!
- Rotate students so that all have a chance to play with remaining time.
Video tessellation
Concept: Finding cohesion in disparate found videos. Creating layers of imagery and sound that will blend ultimately into one composition with a meaning removed from any of its individual parts.
Execution: Have 9 different videos interacting with each other. The sense of time in each video will be treated to weave together into a coherent narrative.
Parameters: Use of video and the idea of water
Inspiration:
Marco Brambilla
For my tutorial, I decided read through Mustafa and Diego’s FSR sandwich instructable.
Recommended Materials:
Copper PCB ($7ish from radioshack)
Conductive foam ($7+shipping from altex. $13 total)
Wires
Gaffers tape
Tools
Scissors/Shears/Wire cutters
Soldering kit
Their Instructions:
step 1: Cutting
We made 1″x1″ squares from the conductive foam and copper board. A manual shear was used to cut the copper squares and regular pair of scissors for the foam.
step 2: Soldering
When you are soldering the wire to the copper board make sure you have enough wire to cover at least half of the square. Make sure your wire is long enough. You need to do this for each piece. The copper PCB is perfect for an sturdy solder.
step 3: Sandwich
We used gaffers tape to secure the board and foam sandwich. Cut a 2.5″ strip and wrap it around, then cut any excess. And you are done!
Making them:
I used some copper mesh I had to spare and followed the instructions, which were quick and straightforward and took about a half hour to complete.
What I felt was lacking about this tutorial were a few things: It never get into how an FSR works [FSR's are basically a resistor that changes its resistive value (in ohms) depending on how much its pressed] or next steps, how to get readings and how to interpret them.
The fabric:
We are experimenting with NOVACHROMIC thermochromatic fabric. The color of the fabric will appear brown when cool but will change to yellow when touched or heated at the point of contact.
The form:
We are choosing to make a hoodie to afford us more room to work with and is a commonly worn daily outerwear. We integrating the thermachromatic fabric with regular fabric.
The desired visualization:
We want to create a visualization on the fabric using conductive yarn, fabric, and possibly different inks (as seen in the video below)
Sensing for Volatile Organic Compounds:
Carbon Monoxide Sensor – MQ-7
Methane CNG Gas Sensor – MQ-4
Gas Sensor Break-out board
Theragrip Thermal Tape
All week I’ve had a cold, but I still had a lot to work to do that forced me outside my apartment. I wanted to come up with a wearable that allows you to be out in public without spreading your germs, but still feeding your body with what it needed to get healthier.
In my research, I found inspiration for my project:
Bioaccessories. A wearable with living plant matter to stimulate the wearer and mask out unpleasant city smells.
Emergency Bra. A bra that doubles as a gas mask.
My concept is to create a mask filled with some common herbal remedies for cold/flu:
Asian Ginseng, oregano and echinacea to stimulate the immune system
Peppermint for nasal Stuffiness
Sage for sore throat relief
The wearer would be able to keep their germs to themselves while still healing.
Final Result:
