Sometimes finding your thoughts can seem like an impossible task.
A challenge we as designers take seriously when in a job, a class, and not to mention a life where you find that a simple brain storming exercise turns into this vast exploration of space and getting lost.
When was the last time you ever got stuck in your thoughts when brain storming for new ideas?
“La tete dans les nuages” the French say.
“Your head is in the clouds!”, my teachers would repeat.
WiBi the Winky Brain has found a way to embrace the cloud he has been paying visits to. He took on some of the storm’s characteristics such as lightning – is working on thunder – and redesigned himself to become a brainstorming session must have!
Well let me show you his first transformation and also how to make BrainStormers of your own…
They are your thoughts, your designs and most importantly your life’s story…
So have fun!
WiBi in the Cloud _V1
What you need?
Electronic parts:
- Adafruit MPR121 12-Key Capacitive Touch Sensor and 9V battery
- Arduino Uno and breadholder mounted on arduino Holder
- Regular breadboard mounted into arduino holder
- Solid core wires in different colors
- 6 x 560 Ohm resistors
- 6 x LEDs ———- Experiment with colors!
Plush Cloud:
- Choose your fabric: I chose white felt
- Conductive fabric
- Cotton or stuffing fabric. Experiment your light diffusions!
Tools:
- Soldering iron & solder
- Wire snippers/strippers
- Box cutter/Multi-tool
- Sewing tools/machine
Figure out your code and mount your circuit on your Arduino first
If you are not yet acquainted with coding – like me – experimenting, experimenting, experimenting is the best way to learn!
You can find below a presentation from Adafruit that helped me understand MPR121 and of course the great resource that is Adarfuit:
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-mpr121-12-key-capacitive-touch-sensor-breakout-tutorial?view=all
Try to experiment how a storm would be and visualize it with LED lights in a cloud… How would it look to you?
Click to access adafruit-mpr121-12-key-capacitive-touch-sensor-breakout-tutorial.pdf
I am using a regular breadboard and so to minimize risks of wires getting loose I would recommend you replace loose wires with stronger well fitted customized wires that you would cut and then insert and mount. Also it would help you when soldering!
Draw your Brain/Cloud and this is where WiBi will wink back at you!
Solder your LEDs and Resistors and connect them to your Arduino board as shown here:
Depending on your cloud size think your wires size through
Once you figure out where each LED goes and where you want your push buttons ( conductive fabric ) to go, start sewing!
Let’ s make BrainClouds!
Make holes inside the fabric to fuse your pins and Arduino boards with your LEDs and your conductive fabric…
Isolate your conductive fabric so they don’t touch when you squoo000sh them…
Don’t forget to mimic a semi brainy cloud!
The Code:
This is V1: Concept and Ideation. Later stages would involve High Resolution and High Tech more fun innovations to experiment with. I highly recommend you start with “old fashion tech” and retrace the history of products for better understanding of firstly your hands, your mind and how what you have in your hands and take from the shelves – or would like to put on the shelves – would interact with you to begin with and with the rest of the world.
Watch…
Find it also at:
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Brain-StormerVersion1-Brain-Cloud/