Hungry LED's Arduino Plate

As a graphic designer and illustrator I aim to veer all of my pieces towards a light hearted feeling. When presented with the opportunity to create anything I wished using an Arduino, the path I chose was not easy as there are so many fascinating things that could have been produced between the combination of the material requirement and my head. The long yet productive journey led me to the concept and idea for the 'Hungry Plate'. Keeping in mind the broad audience being exposed to my creation, I choose to direct my target market towards everyone! Everyone who has ever enjoyed in fine cuisine always touches a moment of disappointment when their plate is empty. The Hungry Plate demonstrates that it is disappointed too, and as you take more delicious goods away from its surface a face od sadness lights up in the center. Once refilled, the face disappears with nothing but a rim of color and a center of absolute pleasure!

Step 1: Project Parts

-Arduino

-Bread board

-PCB Board

-Force Sensor

-LED's (however many you need)

-147 ohm resistor (may vary depending on the weight you want to apply)

-Equal number of 160 ohm resistor's as LED's

-Jumper Wires

-Plate

-Vellum Paper

-Paints (if wanted, not a necessity)

-9 Volt Battery and Plugin

-Sprains for Support

-Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

-Any other various forms of needed support materials

-Soldering Iron with solder

-Motivation

Step 2: Wiring

Connecting from your breadboard to the Arduino, first establish your ground, power, and a component (I suggest using A0 as it is the easiest to keep track of). Seconding, insert the force sensor into the ground and another in any desired row. Connect a jumper from that same input from the force sensor in a random row with the power. Next using your 47 ohm resistor connect within the same row of the jumper next the force sensor and again into the ground. From here you have your major roles communicating the Arduino to the force sensor.

From here on using 160 ohm resistors one end in line with the of the first jumper and 47 resistor to connect another jumper into the same row the other end going to any number of your Arduino. In the row above you will insert the negative side of your LED to the resistor side, and the positive to the jumper. Make sure one of your ends on all of your resistors go to the ground. Repeating hook up between an LED, jumper and resistor will create as many lights as you want.

Thus when standing alone the LED's are light to full potential, and dim when written pressure from your code is applied to force sensor.

Step 3: Code

Now its time to insert your code. Be sure to alter the code to meet with each port you use to mesh with the same numbers as place in the row of the Arduino.

Step 4: Soldering

Using the soldering iron and connecting all of your LED's shaped appropriately selecting a same emotion, carefully solder LED's place onto PCB board in order to reduce chance of destruction. Once completed, you will solder your ends to a connecting wire to the breadboard to replace original placement of the LED;s.

Be sure to connect negative ends to resistor and positives to jumper other LED's will not light up.

Step 5: Assembly Part 1

Glue all pieces onto a chosen base for your structure avoiding movement or change of getting knocked out of place.

Step 6: Assembly Part 2

Create a physical communication with your supper system between the PCB Board and force sensor to pick up changes in pressure & weight.

Step 7: Assembly Part 3

Incorporating your Plate, cut out vellum to proper diameter same as the bottom platform to surface. Glue with extremely strong security your springs to opposite sides of plate bottom platform at the edge of the vellum. This will allow for your LED's to appear more appealing as lights forming a sad face verses straight-up LED's underneath an eating surface.

Step 8: Plugin & Display

Place plate securing to endings of PCB board on top of the entire structure created with each spring acting as a support for the plates weight. Plug in your 9 volt and LED's should light and remain lit until plate is filled with more weight sending enough pressure to sensor causing lights to dim until completely off.