button schemer

Button-schemer is such an amazing little widget. The size of a nickel, it makes this possible: the world's thinnest, programmable bracelet.

It makes me visible during night bike rides on the way home; it makes an awesome raver strobelight (I have a special accelerometer built into mine); I can set it to count down how many minutes I have left during a presentation; it reminds me to move my car after two hours so I don't get a parking ticket ; and it makes a handy flashlight in a pinch.

And the really cool thing is, if I need to change its behavior, I can do so really quickly and easily whether I'm at my desk, or on the go.

learning sensors

See how he seems to look down, wearing a slight smile? That's because he gets happy and blinks his lights when you tickle his feet... or when I get a hug :-)

The touch-sensitive learning sensor can be calibrated to detect direct contact, or proximity to another person.

Apparently I am a "nekojita," (Japanese for a person who can't handle hot food). Cats don't like high temperature food (they say), so a person who doesn't fancy molten bits in their mouth is called nekojita (cat tongue).

This smart coaster monitors drink temperatures: green means it's just right, red means it's way too hot, and white means it needs reheating.

The wonderful thing about the learning sensor is that you don't have to hook it up to a computer to use it for other temperature ranges.

I got inspired when I saw this really beautiful patterned cloth while browsing at Joann's here in Boulder. I thought it would be nice if I could take a quick glance and get a sense of the outside temperature.

The emerald lightboards come on if the weather outside is comfortable. Otherwise, the ruby lights come on if it's hot, and the diamonds if it's cold.

This is a simpler version of the tapestry example above. It has only 3 lightboards and uses a tilt switch as the calibrate button.

We've also put all the pieces together into one kit so it's now easier to get started.

This project shows how to sew a learning sensor into a shirt. Different colored lightboards come on depending on the ambient temperature.

I still get a kick out of the cool racing effect when I press the calibrate switch :-)

mimeolight

Isn't this the cutest cellphone cozy ever? I got the entire kit from Yuzawaya crafts in Kobe Japan (think Joann's or Michael's on seven! floors. This store had a whole floor dedicated to beads!)

The white flower centers twinkle when I close the case, thanks to the mimeolight and magnetic snap.

As the title suggests, you can make this leather band in under 10 minutes. To change the flashing pattern, simply aim a flashlight.

I probably should have used a better battery holder than the paper clip, eh?

electronic sewing kit

There's nothing worse than having a wonderfully soft, washable, and slim e-textile project than having to use an ugly, thick, plastic battery holder.

This is a quick tutorial on how to make your own cute battery holder from felt and conductive fabric. Get yours here.

This is a rather straightforward tutorial on the sewing kit. The turtle (tortoise?) is gazing at a pair of mangoes(?) which light up when the sun is pressed.

We love to show this in our children's craft and circuits workshops, as it gets the imagination going, yet still easy to understand.

Avast ye! Dis 'ere be a pulse warrmarrr fer ye lilly livr'd landlubbers wot need to keep ye 'rist waarm d'rin' d' colde hallow'eenin'. Hiz eyes be glow'in' if ye push 'im, aye!

Argh!!!!

Instead of a candle in a carved-out pumpkin, you can embed led sequins into the eyes of this laser-cut jack'o'lantern.

Making this was plenty fun and I got lots of attention showing it off.

I normally decorate my bookbag with all sorts of trinkets and dangly things, and saw this cute dragonly while perusing the aisles of Joann's. I was going to put this on a t-shirt, but it ended up looking pretty nice on the bookbag.

If I was to do it again, I'd use a tilt switch instead, so it would flash as I walked.

Wow... seeing this makes me nostalgic... this is where it all began: our very first commercial kit. We spent many months developing this for our research and thought, "hey, some folks would love to get their hands on this!"

I still have this example hanging from my workstation in the lab, and press it once in a while just to feel that emotion.

Thank you guys for all your support through the years!

from our friends

I know this is supposed to be abstract art, but I can't help seeing a frog's face and bubbles everywhere. 11 year old. She still draws, and someday, it would be awesome to have this on a huge canvass.

Check out the use of texture and relief in both paintings.

Another 11 year old. I wish I was half as talented at that age... even now, all I can draw are trees and stick figures <sniff...>

I always enjoy when our students "get it" during the workshops. This is a pair of t-shirts that twinkle and shine in customizable patterns, thanks to the mimeolight. There is a hidden magnetic snap that acts as a quick on-off switch.

Looks amazing in the dark. I wish we could have found some "glow-in-the-dark" ink to complete the effect.

Now here's a great way to impress your significant other: make them a t-shirt with a huge shining heart. Neat! And to think he had no prior experience with circuits, leds, or programming.

Check out the video.