Build fabulous, futuristic, and adjustable wearable lights with just a few inexpensive (and deliverable) parts! Attach to to all sorts of accoutrements and swap out colors to match outfits/feelings/holidays/all the things! Difficulty: Beginner+ Read time: 5 min Build Time: 30 – 60 min Cost: ~ $5 Materials One (1) coin cell battery One (1) coin…
Do your pets trap themselves in rooms? Do you wish you could make your home more accessible for your furry* friends?? Now you can, hooray!! This project uses a micro:bit microcontroller to pull open a door when a (pet-friendly) switch is pushed. We’ll need a micro:bit (probably helpful), a high-torque motor, and some mechanical parts…
What’s better than a table with wheels? A table that you can drive around! This tutorial will teach you how to build your very own Mini Robotic Table, a project that was conceived and designed by one of my students (she was 10 when we started). We built this table because, in the words of…
While it is a bit tricky for us non-magical humans to levitate objects with our minds, words, or wands, we can use technology to do (basically) the same things! This project uses two micro:bits, a few small electronic parts, and some everyday objects from around the house to create our very own magical wand….
The household floor piano is a dream no more! The Makey Makey microcontroller makes it super easy (and affordable) to build your very own “foot-strument” out of common household materials. Grab a Makey Makey kit, some cardboard, and your musician shoes and let’s get building! Difficulty Level: Easy Estimated Build Time: 60 minutes Cost: $50 (for Makey Makey…
Intro Nearly all of our wireless communication is done using radio waves*, including phone calls, text messages, and WiFi. With its built-in radio transmitters and receivers, the Micro:Bit microcontroller makes it super easy to build all sorts of projects with radio communication. This particular project is a simple & quick way to send text messages…
Create, build, and play with your very own LEGO-inspired circuit blocks! Explore the basics of electricity and circuits, discover how sensors work and use ’em to design your own experiments, and incorporate upcycled materials to improve on your materials-sourcing & MacGuyver-ing skills! That old gum wrapper? Make it into a resistor or a switch! But…
This is a minimalistic design for a proximity sensor glove: a light-up glove that dims in brightness when an object, or person, is close to the sensor. This project costs less than $10, although it does take some time to build (1 – 2 hrs). This is also a modular design, meaning that it is…
Wearables (aka Wearable Technology) are a new & insanely awesome extension of electronics. These minimalistic, versatile, and detachable lights are designed to allow for a wide variety of creative possibilities and to be accessible to makers of all ages and backgrounds. The process takes about an hour and materials costs are less than $10 per…
Portable USB chargers are incredibly useful for adventures in the great outdoors, festivals, traveling, or if you are out-and-about all day. Adding in a solar panel provides an additional source of portable power useable (nearly) everywhere. The whole project can be built for ~ $20, even if you don’t have a soldering iron! Parts 1.5W…
