Statue of Liberty: Illuminated Pop-Up

Statue of Liberty 

I've been experimenting with creating light-up pop-ups, in a book controlled via a Photon microcontroller. I initially tried to light up both sides of the statue (and both sides of the book in her arms), but I ended up abandoning the idea after several failed attempts (and lots of short circuits).  It had seemed easy in theory, but it was far more fiddly than I expected.  

The copper tape, connected to the Photon, runs from the center of the book up the pop-up's arm.

Only one side of the statue lights up.

I used conductive fabric tape in the gutter.

In the end, I decided to illuminate one side the torch and a border around the pop-up.  The torch flickers like a candle, while the border glows steadily.

I overlaid a fresh piece of paper with a cut-out for the pop-up.

I haven't decided whether I want to write on this or just leave it the way it is.

How to Solder Surface Mounted LEDs in Paper Circuits

Soldering has brought me so much unexpected happiness, that it's hard for me to believe that I didn't learn how to do it until two summers ago. Better late than never! Thank you, +Craig Lyndes, for teaching me how to solder!

Since a lot of people have asked me how I solder surface mounted LEDs in my projects, I decided to create this video for a class I'm taking.

If you haven't yet tried your hand at soldering, I hope this will motivate you to grab a soldering iron, crack a window and a smile, and have fun!  (You may need to change the video settings to HD 720 once it starts.)

Tall Journal with Wooden Covers and Blinking Lights

Like my other creations, I have been working on this book in stages.

This book is 6" X 9", featuring wooden covers, blinking LEDs, and artwork fashioned from copper tape and hand-sewn paper cloth.

While I don't typically use cutesy hearts in my work, I felt compelled to use them for this project. The copper tape on the cover is purely decorative, with the exception of a small piece of foil that triggers the switch.

The signatures are made from lined paper, up-cycled from old student journals.   The end papers are copper-colored.  The front cover currently has a switch that is activated by a clip (the right-most heart).

I have had quite a few little issues come up with this model, which has been a good learning experience. Since I used round LEDs, instead of Lilypad LEDs, I had to drill four holes in the wood and push them all through. As a result, the wires are quite bulky.

When I originally set out to make this book, I'd envisioned the switch being on the inside.  Because the battery is thicker than the switch, I couldn't get enough tension to make it work without a whole lot of fumbling around.

I eventually drilled a hole through the cover, pulled the switch through the front, and soldered it back together.  This works well with the addition of a clip (see below) for added tension.

My favorite feature of this book is the spine, which was fashioned by covering a strip of plywood with hand-sewn paper cloth wrapped with copper tape.

My father cut the boards and spine piece for me back in 2008, so I was thinking about him while I made this.

I initially tried adhering green paper to the inside covers, but the more I worked, the more I disliked the color for this project.  (You'll notice here that a thin piece of paper does not begin to disguise the wires).

I created a clip to help hold the switch connection.


When the heart attached to the blue wire makes contact with the copper on the center right edge of the cover ,the LEDS light up.

 The wires on the inside of the book look bulky (compared with the smooth look of the back cover), even after I applied a layer of felt.




The copper-shaped heart is part of the switch.

I would like to figure out a more elegant way to make a switch, and a way to incorporate the electronics so that the inside of my books look more polished.

How can I make a more elegant switch?

NGSS Framework Practices Addressed

1.  Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)

2.  Developing and using models

3.  Planning and carrying out investigations

4.  Analyzing and interpreting data

6.  Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)

7.  Engaging in argument from evidence

8.  Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information