Introduction: A Magical Paint for an Interactive Panel With Makey Makey

By apprenderedigitando.wordpress.co
About: Teacher trainer on digital teaching skills. Since 2007 he has been teaching an indeterminate time in a secondary school in the province of Catania. Passionate about innovative methodologies, she recently deals…
Makey Makey Projects »

Users will build an interactive panel painted with conductive paint that will interact with makey makey through the scratch program. They will learn how to assemble different materials, program in block language and use the makey makey board as an interface between the panel and the program.

Supplies

Makey Makey Classic, Alligator Clips, paper or cardboard, conductive paint.

Step 1: Panel Construction

  1. Apply the stencil on a white cardboard panel and plug all the acetate sheet ttrough a sponge soaked with conductive paint. (Picture 1).
  2. Once the paint is dry, gently remove the acetate sheet and you will get your drawing made up of conductive paint wich portrays some elements of a house: the entrance door, the stairs, the door bell, the car in the garage and some of its inhabitants: the dog, the cat. (Picture 2).
  3. Decorate the drawing with shapes of coloured cardboard which represent the house and some trees in the garden. Stick all the shapes on your panel. Your panel is ready to become sonorous. (Picture 3).

Step 2: We Build the Program With Scratch

By the Scratch blocks "when ...... .key pressed" assigns a sound to each arrow key (UP DOWN, RIGHT AND LEFT) and to the keys of to the letters "w", "a", "s", "d", "f" and "g" . Whenever you press one of those keys, you will hear the corresponding sound. For example, if you assign the the miaowing of a cat to the UP arrow keym everytime you press the UP arrow key you will hear the miaowing of a cat. (Picture 1).

Step 3: We Connect Makey Makey to the Panel

  1. Connect a crocodile clip to each entry on the front of the Makey Makey where the lees are shown (Picture 1).
  2. Plug an alligator clip anywhere along the EARTH strip on the bottom of the Makey MakeyTurn the Makey Makey tab from the back. (Picture 2).
  3. Take 6 jumpers and insert one end of each cable into the peg corresponding to the letters "w", "a", "s", "d", "f", and "g" the other end must be attached to a clip crocodile (Picture 3, 4).

Step 4: Connect the Panel to the Makey Makey

  1. Connect all the crocodile clips with the elements of the interactive panel making sure that the conductive paint is in direct contact with clips. (Picture 1)
  2. Connect the red USB cable to Makey Makey and to the computer. (Picture 2)
  3. With one hand touch the grounding cable and touch each element of the panel with one finger of the other hand and for each object you will hear the corresponding sound. Test! (Video)