Testing for halloween and FREE shipping till Oct 31!!!

December 06, 2013
Tags: sparkle, etextiles, halloween



 
 
 

Light-sensitive mini-tree for halloween

October 08, 2013
Tags: sensors, etextiles, conductive thread, halloween


The kids and I wanted to decorate a little wooden tree for halloween. They painted the tree, bats, owls, etc. and I added some etextile components to make the tree light up in the dark.

I used adhesive tape to attach the conductive thread to Chiclet, sensors and lightboards. I was going to use conductive paint, but the adhesive works in a pinch and is easy to remove ^_^


 
 
 

Burning man Award for Excellence

September 26, 2013
Tags: burning man, awards, sound sensing medal



I would like to express my thanks to Ty Eckley, for this Award for Excellence, in recognition of our efforts at Burning Man 2013. This medal means quite a lot to me, and I was very touched when it arrived. You see, we participated in its design and production, and yesterday I lovingly welcomed back this particular medal, one of many that had been partially crafted by my hands only a few months ago in preparation for the Festival.

The medal, shaped like this year's Art Theme: (Cargo Cult), has a sound sensor, and flickers with blue lights when the wearer speaks, and I am grateful to be among an august group of international artists. May all the awardees be inspired to continue to *SHINE*

*Burning effigy photo credits: "The Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival, on August 31, 2013." (Reuters/Jim Urquhart)


 
 
 
Craftopolis: Blending Tangible, Informal Construction into Virtual Multiuser Communities

September 20, 2013
Tags: tangible construction kits, ctg



I wanted to tell you about this paper by former colleagues (Jane Meyers, Jeffrey LaMarche, and Michael Eisenberg) at the CU Craft Technology Group. This was presented at Interaction Design and Children (IDC) 2010, and suggests how we might bridge tangible construction kits with shared online spaces.

Craftopolis(pdf) is an exploration of a shared online children's "world" in which the basic elements are tangible constructions that can be controlled computationally and accessed over the WWW. With it, users make their own computationally-enriched physical models (e.g., of dollhouse rooms, dioramas, game boards, etc), and can link those rooms into a shared online space. Within this shared online space, users can make lights turn on/off, play melodies, move motors, and sense the environment.

The idea of creative shared spaces already exists (multiplayer games, social networks, shared programming environments), but they all share the limitation of being exclusively "virtual" in their design: children can play in virtual worlds, create virtual buildings and farms, or design programs, but they cannot experiment or create with tangible materials in these activities. Craftopolis makes it possible to press a switch in your diorama, and have it turn on a light on your friend's, anywhere in the world.


 
 
 

 
 
 
 
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