Introduction: Making Paper Circuit Art Interactive With the Chibi Chip & a Reed Switch

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About: Chibitronics is the evolution of Jie Qi’s PhD research at the MIT Media Lab. Exploring the intersection of technology and art, as well as her passion for papercraft, Jie focused her research on paper circuits,…

In this Instructable, artist/educator Celeste Moreno shares her process for creating interactive paper circuit art using the Chibi Chip microcontroller, Chibitronics LED stickers, and public domain artwork.

I love the process of collaging and augmenting existing images, especially using paper circuit materials. Paper circuits can add a magical touch to any project and using the Chibi Chip opens up even more possibilities for interactivity and storytelling with lights and paper.

Supplies

  1. Chibi Chip / Clip with Cable
  2. Conductive Fabric Tape
  3. Chibitronics LED Lights
  4. Reed Switch – Magnet On
  5. Small magnet

Step 1: View Video

Before diving in, it's helpful to view the video to see a detailed demonstration of how to transform a piece of public domain artwork into an interactive piece of art.

Step 2: Create or Choose Artwork

One of my favorite places to find open source images is the Smithsonian’s digital collections. For this project, I used this fantastic image called, “Beautiful exotic bees from Curiosities of entomology“.

Step 3: Create a Circuit Template

Something different I did for this project was use the online tool circuitsketcher.com to plan my design in advance and create a “template” for myself. I printed this image and used it as my base. I then printed another copy of the image (without the circuit elements) and layered it on top of my circuit.

I made this image interactive by creating a circuit with the Chibi Chip that turns the LED stickers on when I move a magnet close to the reed sensor in the upper left corner of the image.

For me, using code and sensors is a way to extend storytelling. When I create a program, I try to create something that looks fun or interesting, but also tells a story. The story I told here was about busy bees communicating with each other. As I move a cut-out of a bee closer to the image, the rest of the bees appear to light up and flicker, almost like they’re greeting each other!

Step 4: Program the Chibi Chip

To program the Chibi Chip, I used the Microsoft MakeCode online coding editor, a block code editor.

Here’s what my code looked like, and a link to the program: https://makecode.com/_cmrW7wRyaiwx