It is during Spring Break. But never fear, we WILL be celebrating Pi Day – just on March 21 not March 14!
Come to our Pi Day Celebration from 3:14 until 5:00 p.m. on March 21st in the Seamans Center Student Commons and enjoy free pie bites, lemonade, and coffee!
Then get a team together – or pull in spectators – and compete in trivia contests! Show off your knowledge of Pi and pie!!
Pi is one of the most famous and mysterious of numbers. Defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to it’s diameter, Pi seems simple. However, it turns out to be an irrational number. Because it is irrational it cannot be expressed exactly as a fraction and the decimal representation therefore never ends, nor does it ever settle into a permanent repeating pattern. Scientists have calculated billions of digits of Pi, starting with 3.14159265358979323…. with no end in sight. It could be calculated to infinity and there would be absolutely no way to know which number would come next.
Want to see what 100,00 digits of Pi look like? Go here.
Mark your calendar and come to Pi Day – March 21st, 3:14 to 5:00 p.m. in the Seamans Center Student Commons. Don’t forget we have free apple pie bites (while supplies last), lemonade, and trivia contests!
Take a break on the first day back from spring break – you don’t want to miss out on all the fun!
Be there or be square!!
Happy Pi Day Domino Spiral, 10,059 dominoes were used in this Pi Day Spiral.
Resources:
Adrian, Y. E. O.. The pleasures of pi,e and other interesting numbers. 2006. Singapore : World Scientific. Engineering Library QA95 .A2 2006
Happy Pi Day (3.14) Domino Spiral. March 13, 2011. youtube.com
Other Resources:
Stunning images transform Pi into circular rainbow-hued works of art. March 3, 2016. dailymail.com
Do you feel like adding another layer (or more) of fat? Do you feel like sleeping the winter away or maybe just lying on the couch? Would you rather be a bear and just hibernate? If so, you could have Seasonal Affect Disorder or SAD.
So, what is SAD and how can technology help?
SAD is a type of depression that occurs during the same season every year – usually during the winter months. Symptoms include feeling sad, grumpy, moody, losing interest in normal activities, eating more (remember the urge to hibernate?) and often craving carbohydrates. Other symptoms including gaining weight, sleeping more (but still feeling tired), and having trouble concentrating…
SAD is caused by a lack of sunlight which upsets the sleep/awake pattern and other circadian rhythms. Briefly, a circadian rhythm is the 24-hour cycle of physical and mental changes that happen because of your “biological clock.” Lack of sunlight can also cause problems with the brain chemical, serotonin, which helps regulate moods. Seratonin is a neurotransmitter, which is a chemical produced by nerve cells in the brain. If the normal balance of the neurotransmitters is upset, the result can be headaches, depression and other mental health issues.
Although SAD usually occurs in winter, it may also happen when one lives in a city where the skyscrapers keep natural light from reaching the sidewalks. It also happens in offices where the staff are located in the center of the building away from windows and natural light.
Now you can have sunlight all winter long!
Most of us have heard of “light therapy,” and “sun lamps,” and think of them as a relatively new phenomena. However, as far back as 1929 Eveready was one company promoting a sun lamp. The quality of the early sunlamps varied from company to company and what sort of diodes were used. As it became more accepted that sunlight was important for health reasons, researchers also investigated clothing material that was the most beneficial for sunlight (linen and artificial silk) and vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) began to be added to food,
The American Psychiatric Association has recognized the role that lack of sunlight plays in SAD and the treatment recommended? Much the same as the products in the 1930s – light boxes!
Replacing lost sunlight exposure resets the body’s internal clock. A light box emits light that is brighter than indoor lighting, but not as bright as direct sunlight. The many types of sun lamps have different purposes. Some are made to treat skin disorders and they emit more ultraviotet (UV) light. Light boxes for SAD should emit as little UV light as possible. Light boxes often use fluorescent or incandescent bulbs, but many now use LEDs. Most use white light, but there are also some that use the shorter wavelength blue light. Warning: tanning beds are not the same as a light box and should not be used as such.
Discussion over the benefits light therapy has included the worry that sun exposure contributes to skin cancer. There are now studies that suggest that some sunlight exposure will do more good than harm. Some researchers believe that exposure to sunlight and vitamin D might help with osteoporosis, and may help prevent many cancers, most of which are more deadly than skin cancer.
Interesting fact: Not only humans suffer from a lack of sunlight. In the late 1920s zoos began placing panes of glass in the animal cages. The result? Animals gravitated towards the natural light and began to have better appetites, fuller coats and better spirits.
So, instead of being a bear and hibernating this winter – find a way to soak up some vitamin D!
Resources:
Rreund, Daniel. American sunshine: diseases of darkness and the quest for natural light. 2012. Chicago : London : University of Chicago Press. Engineering Library QC911 .F83 2012.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – Topic Overview.WebMD. Date accessed February 10, 2016.
Depression Health Center : Light Therapy – Topic Overview. November 14, 2014. WebMD.
Most everyone is following, liking and tweeting these days, so why would you add the Lichtenberger Engineering Library to your already full feeds? Well, it is the quickest way to stay up-to-date on all that we have to offer!
Like us on Facebook and find out about special, don’t-want-to-miss events – like Pi Day (coming March 21, 2016 at 3:14 p.m. Stay tuned for more information!). We regularly #Spotlight resources we have, on both Facebook and Twitter (#UIEngLib). You may discover resources you didn’t know we had – and maybe some you didn’t even know you need!
We keep track of special “National Holidays” – like National Umbrella Day, National Roof Over Your Head Day, and National Chocolate Day, to name just a few. You’ll be amazed at how many holidays there are! (And yes, we do have resources dealing with chocolate!)
#Whatwilltheythinkofnext is posted on both Facebook and Twitter on Tuesdays. These posts highlight new and innovative uses of engineering and technology and will help you find the resources we have that are directly related to these innovations. That innovation and our resources could spark your next idea!
#Spotlight is posted Wednesdays and highlights one aspect of our many resources. Check it out each week and you never know what you’ll find! Did you know about all the DVDs that are in our collection? Or all the tools that are available to check out from our Tool Library? One of our many journals is Make: Technology on Your Time. Let #Spotlight point you toward a resource and then come in and browse our collection to find more!
Don’t forget to check Pinterest, too! You’ll find new posts when we get new books, DVDs, or tools. You’ll see images of the book and DVD covers and pictures of the tools. You’ll also find some brief information about the new resource and the ability to link directly to the record in the libraries online catalog. We also now have an e-book board where you’ll find about our new e-resources!
We are part of the University of Iowa Libraries Instagram account. Not only will you get interesting and (often fun!) photos from the Engineering Library, you’ll be able to keep up with what the other libraries on campus are doing!
And, you certainly don’t want to miss the blog (you know, the one you are reading right now….) Regularly we post a new blog! You can find the link on our homepage under ‘Engineering Library News.’ You’ll find that we cover lots of different topics – including DIY projects, exciting new resources, special events, exhibits….. There is a list of archived blogs, too, in case you’ve missed one, or just want to go back and re-read one.
There’s something new on Facebook and Twitter almost every day – so click, like, and follow us! You never know what you’ll find out!
Valentine’s Day isn’t just for people – it is time to Love Your Data, too!
Love Your Data Week (LYD) is about recognizing the ways in which individuals and institutions can care for their data – by adopting consistent practices, and then modeling and implementing those practices. Federal funding agencies have more and more requirements with which researchers must comply. More public access to research results – including data – is one of those requirements. Love Your Data week will help researchers, libraries, and students look at how to be responsible stewards of their work. The LYD website provides tips and tricks for managing research data, resources to help with data management, and daily activities.
According to the LYD website, “Loving your data means investing in it, taking care of it for the future. Over the five day event, we will guide you through five activities to help get your data organized, secure, and ready for write-up, sharing and reuse.”
Each day of LYD week has a different theme:
Monday, Feb. 8: “Data: Keep It Safe”
Tuesday, Feb. 9: “It’s the 21st Century — Do You Know Where Your Data Is?”
Involvement across social media platforms is encouraged, and to be involved in the conversation use #LYD16 for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For Pinterest use Resources to help you LYD, and The changing face of data. Unsure about how best to get involved? Check out the logistical details link for all you need to know! Join in the conversation, share your experiences and connect with others in data management!
The University of Iowa Libraries also has a thorough Resource Data Services guide to help you with your data management. There is information on organizing and documenting your data, creating a data management plan and other resources. If you have any questions you may email Qianjin (Marina) Zhang, the Licthenberger Engineering & Informatics Librarian at qianjin-zhang@uiowa.edu; Sara Sheib, University of Iowa Sciences Library Reference & Instruction Librarian at sara-scheib@uiowa.edu, or by emailing lib-data@uiowa.edu
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (#UIEngLib), and Pinterest to keep up-to-date on all our activities and resources.
Have fun checking out all the data resource management tools we have available and learn to Love Your Data!
We have a brand new exhibit honoring Thomas Edison’s 169th Birthday!
Thomas Alva Edison was born February 11, 1847 and died October 18, 1931 at the age of 84. Even though his primary school teacher, Rev. G.B. Engle, believed him to be “addled,” Edison went on to be awarded 1,093 U.S. Patents. When his foreign patents are included, he was received a total of 2,332! Our new display honoring him highlights some of those inventions.
To say he was creative and inventive seems well, obvious. However, much of that comes from his ability to learn from his failures and re-use and refine ideas and machinery. This ability is summed up in this famous quote:
I haven’t failed.
I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
— Thomas Edison
The fact that Edison and his team of researchers tested more than 3,000 designs for the light bulb between 1878 and 1880 is evidence of his persistence and ability to learn from his failures. In 1879 he filed for a patent for an electric lamp with a carbon filament. But even after the patent was awarded, he continued to test over 6,000 plants until it was discovered that a carbonized bamboo filament could burn for more that 1,200 hours.
It is reported that Edison’s favorite invention was the phonograph. He developed a way to record sound on tinfoil-covered cylinders. The first thing that Edison recorded? “Mary had a little lamb!” He suggested there were many other uses for the phonograph, such as books for the blind music boxes and toys, and a connection with the telephone so messages could be recorded, So many are now reality!
Acme Motion Picture Projector. Patented in 1922.
From 1888 to 1893 Edison worked with William Dickson on a motion picture camera. Edison always worked with very capable assistants, but this is the first really clear case where Edison took sole credit for a joint project. Dickson was a photographer and provided the photographic knowledge and Edison worked on the electromechanical parts. Edison and Dickson were only some of the many inventors who were working on motion pictures at the time but Edison is credited with introducing the first commercially viable system.
Even though the first projector used by the Edison film company was called the Edison Vitascope, Edison really didn’t have much to do with projector technology. Edwin S. Porter, a former Edison Studios cameraman, directed The Great Train Robbery, in 1903. He used innovative techniques which included composite editing, location shooting, and cross cutting. And some, but not all, of the prints from The Great Train Robbery were hand colored. This was the also the first movie that presented a story and not short skits. The Great Train Robbery is now largely considered to be the first American action film.
Our thanks to The University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections for the loan of several books for this exhibit. Thanks also to The University of Iowa Libraries Main Media Collection for lending us a copy of The Great Train Robbery. The University of Iowa Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering donated the motion picture projector and the film reels. Our thanks to them, also. Their contributions are invaluable to the exhibit.
So stop by and see our latest exhibit!!
Our exhibit celebrating Thomas Edison
Interesting facts:
Edison had 3 children with his first wife, Mary Stillwell: Marion Estelle Edison was nicknamed ‘Dot,’ and Thomas Alva Edison, Jr. was nicknamed ‘Dash.’ The 3rd child, William Leslie Edison was also an inventor, but had no nickname…
Edison developed “foam concrete” which was used in building concrete homes. These homes were inexpensive, and easier to heat and cool. Ten of the 11 homes were still standing and occupied in 2009.
Edison also invented a ‘spirit phone.’ It was intended to open the lines of communications with the spirit world…
Resources:
Jonnes, Jill. 2003. Empires of light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the race to electrify the world. New York : Random House. Engineering Library TK18 .J66 2003.
After a Schoolteacher Called Thomas Edison “Addled,”….TurthOrFiction.com Accessed Jan. 12, 2016.
Edison’s concrete piano : flying tanks, six-nippled sheep, walk-on-water shoes, and 12 other flops from great inventors. 2009. Toronto : ECW Press. Engineering Library T47 .W42 2009.
10 Inventions by Thomas Edison (That You’ve Never Heard Of).HowStuffWorks. Accessed January 13, 2016.
We have just added an exciting new resource to our collection!!
With over 100 years of history, IHS Jane’s is the most trusted and respected public source of defense and security information in the world!
And we now have five of the Jane’s Online Products!
Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft: Development & Production
Ion 100 prototype, flanked by second and third trials aircraft
Jane’s All the World Aircraft: Development and Production is the standard in aviation reference, providing exhaustive technical detail on civil and military aircraft that are both in production or are under development around the world. The information provided includes:
Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft: In Service is a comprehensive reference resource on both military and commercial aircraft upgrade programs from around the world. It includes:
Platforms in service but which are no longer in production
Upgrade programs by aircraft type
Technical descriptions
Manufacturers and upgrade companies
A BQM-167X aerial target being launched at USN’s Point Mugu Test Range in 2008
Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft: Unmanned
Jane’s all the World’s Aircraft: Unmanned is the leading resource for information on hundreds of UAVs, aerial targets and related subsystems that are either in service or under development around the world. It includes information on:
Technical details and specifications
Payloads
Guidance and control systems
Customers and contractors
DALLAS (with DDS) (US Navy)
Jane’s Fighting Ships
The world’s most comprehensive and reliable open-source naval reference resource available, Jane’s Fighting Ships covers the navies and coast guards of 165 nations worldwide and provides detailed information on war ships, submarines, aircraft, weapon and sensor systems, both in service and under construction.
It includes information covering:
Military vessels in service and under development around the world
Detailed platform and subsystem technical data
Vessel photographs, drawings, and silhouettes
Jane’s Aero Engines
Carbon titanium fan (Rolls-Royce)
Jane’s Aero Engines delivers comprehensive profiles of civil and military gas-turbine engines both in production and in service, for air platforms around the world. It provides A&D businesses with critical independent technical and market intelligence to support effective business development, strategy and product development activity, and giving military and security organizations the information they need to support analysis, planning and procurement activities.
Our subscriptions are only available to on-campus users.
Explore this comprehensive new resource. The sky’s the limit!
It’s here…..are you ready? We’ve already had to scrape the frost from our car windows and shovel our driveways and sidewalks… And meteorological winter is upon us.
This is beautiful, right? photo by Carol Johnk
If you can look past the cold and the shoveling and scraping, snow and frost can really be quite beautiful. Really.
“Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty, and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design, and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind.” — Wilson Bentley (1865-1931)
We know there are different types of precipitation. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, hail, and graupel. (Seriously, there is a form of precipitation called graupel).
What is the difference between how sleet and freezing rain are formed?
We all know what sleet is when we are walking or driving in it. But what is sleet? Sleet forms when raindrops freeze in the air while they are falling. The raindrop then has to encounter warmer air, which again melts it and turns it into a raindrop again. Then, if the raindrop encounters another layer of air where the temperature is below 32°F it can refreeze and form sleet. However, while freezing rain looks like a gentle rain, when a raindrop is cooled to 32°F and then hits a surface it forms a thin film of water which quickly turns into a continuous sheet of ice. Freezing rain can cause more problems than sleet or snow because it makes travel more treacherous and can coat power lines and tree branches causing them break from the weight..
So, now, what the heck is graupel? In Understanding Weather and Climate, the authors state that graupel is formed, “When an ice crystal takes on additional mass by riming, its original six-sided structure becomes obscured and its sharp edges are smoothed out.” This new ice may have small air bubbles which can give it a milky-white appearance. (Riming is when ice crystals fall through a cloud and collide with super-cooled droplets and those droplets freezes on the ice crystals.) So, now when you are being bombarded by little ice pellets, you’ll know that is graupel! If graupel remains in the clouds, it provides the nuclei from which hail is formed. An updraft carries the groupel pellet above the freezing level, which forms the core of the hailstone. The pellet falls from the updraft, collides with liquid droplets that coat it in a film of water. If the pellet is caught in another updraft, the layer of water freezes, creating another coat of ice…..
A mini-snow person! Photo by Carol Johnk
Skiers love powder and kids love snow ball fights. Why are there different types of snow? Snow results from the growth of ice crystals from several different methods. If a crystal from the cold, upper reaches of a cloud falls through to a warmer environment, the combination of moisture and temperature will create a particular structure at its core and other structures will layer on it. If riming is the dominant growth process, the crystals form a dense, wet snow pack – perfect for snowball fights, forts and snow people. That wet snowfall is heavy and not much fun for snowblowers and those who must shovel. Powder is formed when very cold snow falls and has smaller snowflakes than the more dense snowfall. Because they have a lower density the crystals have less adhesion and don’t pack well. Skiers love to ski this powder snow!
Frosty windowpane. Photo by Carol Johnk.
And then we come to frost….and frozen dew….and black ice…
Briefly, frost is when the temperature is lowered to 32°F and very small ice crystals are deposited onto solid surfaces giving them a white appearance. That type of frost (sometimes called hoar frost) happens with the transformation of water vapor directly into ice. Frost is easy to remove with window scraper (or a credit card!)
White frost, also known as Hoar frost. Photo by Carol Johnk.
Frozen dew, on the other hand, begins when the temperatures are slightly above 32°F and then cool to below freezing, which causes a thin, continuous layer of ice to form. This is what is difficult to remove from your windshield, get your key into your car door, or even open the door…. of course, the advantage of not being able to get into your car means you won’t be out driving on black ice (the frozen dew that forms on road surfaces and is nearly impossible to see).
Now, as you slip, slide, shovel, and ski your way through the winter, you’ll know why! Be careful out there!!
Black Ice: How to Spot This Winter Driving Danger. 2015. AccuWeather, Inc.
Guide to Frost. February 1, 1999. Accessed November 24, 2015. SnowCrystals.com
Rauber, Robert M. 2002. Severe and hazardous weather. Dubuque, IA : Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co.
Resources about the uniqueness of snowflakes:
It’s True That No Two Snowflakes Are Alike, But not For The Reason You Think. by Cate Matthews, January 10, 2014. HuffPost Science. TheHuffingtonPost.com Inc.
The Science of Snowflakes, and Why No Two Are Alike. by Julia Griffin, December 22, 2011. PBS Newshour. NewsHour Productions LLC.
Snowflakes All Fall In One of 35 Different Shapes. by Marissa Fessenden, December 30, 2014. Smithsonian.com.
Opening a bag of cranberries can take you right back to Thanksgiving with your loved ones and that traditional cranberry dish. But have you ever wondered about how cranberries became associated with holidays? Wondered how they are grown? Or thought about their health benefits?
Cranberries are well known for helping to prevent UTIs.
The simple cranberry is one of the few fruits that is native to North America. No one knows for sure how it became associated with the holidays, but it is believed it goes back to the Native Americans and the first Thanksgiving meals. Cranberries are generally harvested between Labor Day and Halloween and they store well, all of which makes them a perfect fruit for the holidays.
Native Americans also used the cranberry as a source of red dye for decorations, and also medicinally. Cranberries have an astringent tannis and therefore can help stop wounds from bleeding. Cranberries also have an antibiotic effect.
There are some species of cranberries that grow wild in Europe, but the cranberry most cultivated as a commercial crop is the one that is native to America. Cranberry cultivation began in 1840 in Massachusetts when Henry Hall noticed that the cranberries were most abundant where the ground was sandiest. From there the cultivation spread through Wisconsin, Washington, and Oregon. The cultivation of cranberries also spread to Scandinavia and Great Britain. Interestingly, they arrived in Holland as a result of a shipwreck of an American ship. The crates washed ashore on the small island of Terschelling and cranberries have been cultivated there ever since!
The cranberry is often considered a “super food,” due to their high nutrient and antioxidant content. And the fact that a half a cup of cranberries only has 25 calories! Cranberries have several important health benefits. They are known to help prevent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). There is evidence that the polyphenols in cranberries may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing platelet build-up and anti-inflammatory mechanisms help reduce blood pressure. It has also been shown that the humble cranberry may slow tumor progression and to have positive effects against prostate, liver, breast, ovarian and colon cancers. They are a great source of vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin E. They also contain vitamin K, manganese and naturally occurring plant chemicals that help protect the body from free radicals. A lot of health benefits for such a little berry!
A worker in a cranberry bog.
And yes, the TV commercial is accurate – the farmers really do stand in the cranberry bogs in hip waders. However, cranberries don’t grow in water, they grow on long-running vines in sandy bogs and marshes.
The harvesting process is quite fascinating! In late September, when the berries ripen, the bogs are flooded with water and the berries want to float to the surface. Since they are still tethered by their long vines, the farmers take machines, sometimes called “Beaters,” into the bog. The Beaters create underwater turbulence which pulls the berries from the stem. Then farmers wade in and corral the freed berries into a corner of the bog. A pump then sucks the berries out of the bog and transfers them to a truck. They are taken to a factory where they undergo several cleaning stations, including one in which workers use brooms and water jets to clear away remaining branches and leaves.
If the cranberries are destined to become juice, part of the process includes them moving through 216 filters which remove any plant particles and bacteria that are larger than a micron. A micron is about 25,000 times smaller than an inch… The presses can make almost 9 tons of puree at a time – that’s about the weight of 11/2 elephants…
Cranberries that don’t become juice go through a grading process which includes workers removing substandard berries – by hand. A sorting machine then scans the berries for color and substandard berries are blown off the production line with an air gun. Those that make it through these tests go on to either be packaged or dried. Dried cranberries are cut in half, seeded, pressed and then soaked in a sugar and water solution before they are dried.
The cranberry is quite versatile – there are many different cranberry recipes, including cranberry relish, cranberry sauce, cranberry bread, cranberry bars, cranberry jelly, cranberry pies, cranberry punch… And, yes, recipes for “white chocolate, macadamia and cranberry cookies”…
Now, when you gather for Thanksgiving, whether it be with friends or family, you can prepare a unique cranberry dish – one that may become a new tradition. You’ll also be able to share your new knowledge of the humble cranberry.
USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 28. Basic Report: 09078, Cranberries, raw. Accessed November 18, 2015.
Have you ever wanted to know how ‘electric’ or ‘resistive’ you really are? Have a wall of dancing dolphins or a talking puppet? Whatever electronics project you’d like to try – we’ve got the resources you need!
Making Everyday Electronics Work: a Do-It-Yourself Guide will help you learn the basics of electricity, about everyday electronics, and what makes them work – or not. Author Stan Gibilisco starts with the basics by explaining direct current, alternative current, working his way through magnetic force, semiconductors and vacuum tubes. Each section has “Did you know?”, “Fact or Myth?” and “For Nerds Only” boxes and sidebars. And, since I’m sure you don’t want to be electrocuted, there are also warnings about dangers of which you will want to be aware!
Multimeter available in our Tool Library
Gibilisco talks about building and stocking your workbench. He includes a detailed list of what you’ll need to have a well-stocked place to experiment. One of the items mentioned is a multimeter. We have one in our Tool Library – ready for you to check out!
Now that you are ‘grounded’ in the basics of electricity and everyday electronics, you can move on to the experiments that Gibilisco provides.. You can start by building a wet cell using distilled white vinegar, table salt and other items from your workbench. And, once you’ve created the wet cell, Gibilisco will walk you through using the left-over items to test both how electric and resistive you are!
Dancing Dolphins. Electronics Projects for Dummies
Or maybe you’d like to have a wall of Dancing Dolphins….or birds…. or spaceships…. Using the dancing dolphins as an example, Electronics Projects for Dummies will teach you everything you need to know about putting the schematic together and building “a circuit with a porpoise.” (their words, not mine. Really). From making the circuit, the dolphins and the lighting, Electronics Projects for Dummies walks you through each of the steps, complete with photos to help you through the process.
Murmuring Merlin. Electronics Projects for Dummies
Talking puppets (or just about anything else) more your style? You can learn about working with sound synthesizer chips and have fun making a “Murmuring Merlin” puppet. The project that is demonstrated in Electronics Projects for Dummies uses a wizard hand puppet. You can program the synthesizer chip to say anything you’d like. Have anything you’d like to say to your roommate?
If you want to try your hand at making light dance to music, controlling a Go-Kart “infrared style,” or making your own metal detector, Electronics Projects for Dummies will help you through.
Have fun using these projects and your new knowledge as a jumping off point for your own projects and ideas!
Resources:
Gibilisco, Stan. 2014. Making everyday electronics work: a do-it-yourself guide. New York : McGraw-Hill Education. Engineering Library TK7819 .G37 2014.
Okay, so Halloween is tomorrow and you still don’t have any really good ideas for a costume…
Want a costume that lights up? LED eyelashes? Or maybe a mask that will control your music wirelessly? We have the resources to help you turn your bright idea into the perfect costume.
You are a Super Hero and need to contact your Super Hero partner. Make: Wearable Electronics will help you learn the skills necessary to create your own super hero communicator cuffs. Each pair of cuffs has an electronic switch and when the wrists are crossed, a wireless signal is sent to your partner’s cuffs. The transmitted signal causes the cuffs to light up, letting your partner know you need them. Or maybe you want to let them know you found the best Halloween candy at the party….
“Dream Squawk” mask created by Amy Khoshbi.
Make: Wearable Electronics will help you learn Lilypad Arduino and Xbee – which are used to make the cuffs – and so much more. Maybe you want to make a “Dream Squawk” mask which allows you to control music and sound wirelessly. That could really amp up your party…..
“Tron: Quorra Costume” by Syuzi Pakchyan
How about Quorra from Tron: Legacy? This costume also uses LilyPad and Cool Neon‘s LED ribbon. LilyPad was designed specifically for e-textiles and clothing and Make: Wearable Electronics provides experiments so you are able to try those new LilyPad skills.
Starboards are flexible circuits that can be sewn directly into garments. Creator Meredith Scheff also offers low resistance (2.5 ohms per yard) solderable conductive thread. It is a conductive thread that is also solderable and it strong enough to be used like regular sewing thread.
Space Face LED Galaxy Makeup
Wear Space Face Galaxy Light Up Makeup, inspired by the constellation Cassiopeia, and you could be the star of the evening. This spacey headpiece uses 5 FLORA NeoPixels.Make:Wearable Electronics has an example to help you get started using this versatile module. It is wearable, sewable, easily wired, individually addressable, ultra-bright, multicolored LEDs – what’s not to love?
Butterfly Dress designed by Alexander Reeder
Perhaps you are going dressed as a “social butterfly.” What could be better than a dress with butterflies that actually flap their wings? If you are interested in wearable tech that utilizes motors, both Make: Wearable Electronics andMaking Things Move: DIY Mechanisms for Inventors, Hobbyists, and Artistscan help you learn to do just that!
LED Eyelashes by Soomi Park
How about LED eyelashes to go with your butterfly dress? Again, LillyPad is used to build those LED eyelashes that will brighten your eyes! Make: Wearable Electronics also also explains how to work with Aniomagic – an e-textile toolkit that is similar to LilyPad and FLORA. Use Aniomagic to create a light-up bracelet, belts and almost anything else you can dream up to go with those bright eyes and butterfly wings!
Want to have the brightest brain in the room? Create your own “Thinking Cap.” It is biometric-data-driven, and responds to fluctuations in EEG signals.
Whatever bright idea you have about a wearable tech costume – we’ve got the resources – information on everything from circuits and batteries to conductive materials and how to make your ideas wearable!
Light Up Your Life With LEDs, Sewable Circuitry. May 29, 2011. Wired.
Roberts, Dustyn. 2011. Making things move: DIY mechanisms for inventors, hobbyists, and artists. New York : McGraw-Hill. Engineering Library TJ147 .R56 2011
