Tilt Sensing Illuminated Tunnel Book (with Chibitronics LED Stickers)

 

The idea for designing a tilt sensing illuminated tunnel book has been one of my favorites this year.

To learn how to build your own, please visit my tutorial over on the Chibitronics blog.  There, you'll find a circuit diagram, cut file, and several different examples.

Reed Switch Shadow Box

Wanting to create an interactive shadow box that could look different with different LED configurations, I came up with an idea for a shadow box triggered by one or two reed switches.

To learn how I did this (and to access the circuit diagrams and cut files), please check out my tutorial, Reed Switch Shadow Box, over on the Chibitronics blog.

Carousel Book Light (Featuring Chibitronics)

Carousel Book Light

Wanting to figure out an easy way to add light to a handmade carousel book, I had the opportunity to do some prototyping during an extended power outage.  

This was my first prototype of the Carousel Book Light.

The results turned into my latest tutorial for Chibitronics, the Carousel Book Light (featuring Chibitronics LED stickers, of course).

Carousel Book Light with Shamrocks

To learn how to make your own, please visit my tutorial on the Chibitronics website or my Instructable.  

Flying Concertina Accordion Book Tutorial

 

If you'd like to learn how to make a fluttering, light-up accordion book like mine, I've created a couple of different tutorials to help you get started.

The prettiest tutorial lives on the Chibitronics website, along with a multitude of resources related to paper circuits!

A version with more photos, and a downloadable PDF, lives at Instructables.

I hope you'll give this project a try and let me know what you think!

Light-up Australian Piano Hinge (Accordion) Book Instructable

It's been a while since I've added anything to this blog!  I've been binding a lot of books, some containing circuitry; but, I haven't been great about documenting my process!

One of my newest electronic experiements adds LED goodness to the "Flat-Style Australian Reverse Piano Hinge" binding, more easily referred to as an "Australian Hinge" or "Australian Piano Hinge" structure.

If you'd like to learn more, you can view my latest Instructable!

Electronic Notebooks and the Internet of Things: Capstone

I recently shared my electronic, internet-connected, physical story book at Marlboro College.  The video below tells the story of my process.  

Special thanks go to Lucie deLaBruere, David Cole, Natalie Freed, Jie Qi, Silvia Libow Martinez, and Gary Stager for their inspiration and/ or encouragement.

Wifi-Connected Book Model 2: Featuring Particle Photon

Internet Connected Book Model 2

I recently completed my second internet connected book, embedded with a Photon microcontroller.

The conductive fabric on this iteration has a more uniform look, because I made an effort to cut all of the strips the same width.  

Like the first model, I embedded a Particle Photon, LilyPad Simple Power, and an 850 mAh lithium polymer battery.  Prior to binding the book, I tested each of the copper leads with a multimeter.

I used a paper circuit, clipped to the conductive fabric with an alligator clip, to test each connection.

One significant change that I made was using stranded wire instead of copper craft wire.  I found that it was less prone to breakage, as well as being easier to twist and solder.

While I started out using the same code that I composed for my first book, I've tweaked it in a variety of ways, to achieve different effects and play different music.

Nine pages of this book are illustrated/ animated with the help of paper circuits, compared with only six in my previous model.

My First Wifi-Connected Book is Complete!

Hello World!  

Electronic, Internet-enabled, Physical Story Book

To learn more about this book, visit my Instructable.

My First Wifi-connected Book 

Hand-bound, wifi-connected journal...prototype one.

Prep the covers & lay the copper leads between the holes in the spine

I twisted copper wire around the pads of the Photon & Lily Simple Power,
but I switched to stranded wire in a later iteration!

Solder the wire to the copper leads

Use a multimeter on continuity mode to identify shorts

Solder conductive fabric tape (adhesive up) to the copper leads

Sew signatures, adhering conductive fabric leads as you go

Insulate the conductive fabric on the spine using clear nail polish

Apply thin Velcro to back of battery; consider insulating back cover

Complete circuits & program Photon functions to tell your story

Add artwork & text