Fire-free LED Matchstick

video Fire-free LED Matchstick

I just completed a new project: a fire-free and fire-safe LED matchstick. To light this matchstick you strike it against a normal matchbox filled with neodymium magnets. The LED matchstick has an inductive sensor that detects the magnetic field as you strike the matchstick against the matchbox and it lights up a LED in a flickering fashion. The power to the matchstick is through a 3F/2.7V supercapacitor and a DC-DC converter. As the LED lights up, the supercapacitor discharges and eventually the matchstick splutters off just like a normal matchstick.

The matchstick is controlled by a Tiny13 microcontroller. Still need to put it in a perspex tube so that its easy to handle and is not damaged.

blinkyblinky says: Apr 16, 2012. 12:45 PM

Very nice. All you need now is a sensor that will turn it off when it hits wind...

mrmerino says: Dec 19, 2012. 8:06 AM

Or the slightest change in air pressure...

Bot1398 says: Feb 15, 2012. 8:59 PM

Cool! great work.

gunspyop2 says: Jul 24, 2011. 8:13 PM

asome ooooooooooooooooooo

nicwitzke says: Jul 24, 2011. 6:15 PM

cool

axeman911 says: Jul 23, 2011. 8:53 PM

that is awesome!!!!!!!!!!

MatchstalkMan says: Jul 17, 2011. 5:13 PM

That is a very cool project.

soulinstructar223 says: Jun 30, 2011. 4:49 PM

So you put up a picture and video of a project you made from a book? Am I missing something? Where is the Instructable?

Gadre (author) says: Jul 1, 2011. 11:09 AM

I wrote that book long after I put up the Instructable video. The book was published recently.

Gadre (author) says: Jun 4, 2011. 9:52 PM

This and other 34 projects are now available in a book, published by McGraw Hill International: TinyAVR Microcontroller Projects for the Evil Genius.

robbert229 says: Oct 19, 2010. 10:05 PM

Guys that was simple. He had a micro controller mounted with a super capacitor as its power source and then had a reed swich and an led. a reed switch is basically a swich that is closed unless a magnet is placed next to it.

agis68 says: Oct 9, 2010. 12:59 PM

man this is awosome!!!!!!

Give us instructions!!!!

ryahe says: Oct 5, 2010. 2:34 PM

are u planning on posting this?? plz do it is awesome

bbuuggmmeennoott22 says: May 26, 2010. 7:49 AM

we want instructables

basqueman says: Feb 14, 2010. 6:23 AM

Still waiting for an instructable. Puuuhleeeeze? Pretty please? :-)

Earths_hope says: Nov 20, 2009. 11:42 PM

INSTRUCTABLE!!!

boston09 says: Oct 30, 2009. 2:04 PM

please make an instructable. pleasee!

w0rm5 says: Oct 14, 2009. 9:53 PM

Are u gonna post the sitructables or not?? the way it is, it´s useless

crazyhalofreak says: Aug 14, 2009. 8:53 PM

cool! you sound like fez from that 70s show

robo_bob says: Jun 11, 2009. 2:55 PM

dude plzzzzzz make an instructable this is so cool man

boyrock375 says: Mar 25, 2009. 9:22 AM

could you please make an Instructable on how to make one

matroska says: Mar 17, 2009. 7:02 PM

Wow that's just a brilliant idea! A very nice DIY project! Will interest others too, as I strike a .. PCB match against a box and when it will light!

matroska says: Mar 17, 2009. 7:02 PM

However, I think the Instructables community would like more info about this, and on how to do it.

redbird01 says: Feb 11, 2009. 2:15 PM

Ditto to what NoBonus said! And I would add that this is a very imaginative use of the technology. I haven't figured out any practical application for this yet; But I'm sure that there are some very clever people out there who will. Very cool!