Electronic devices are all around us! Millions of everyday objects are controlled by electric circuits. And the electronic circuitry seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Mobile phones are a good example; if they get any smaller they’d slip through the fibres of your jeans! Then there are walkmans, mini-disc players, palm-tops and calculators. Even a lot of car keys these days have a small electric circuit so you can ‘bleep’ and open the door. Are we becoming that lazy?
Have you ever wondered how to make your own electronic device?
You might like to …
• find out about electronic devices (you’ll need to know about power supplies, input devices, processors and output devices)
• decide on a use for your electronic device (some examples are: rain alarm, automatic night light, strain gauge)
• design and make your electronic device (you’ll have to find out about techniques such as soldering or making printed circuit boards. You’ll also have to think about how to shape, cut and join materials to make a case to house your device)
• think about how your device could be mass-produced
NOTE: The level of this project can increase by introducing more variables and more complex electrical circuitry; the things an electronic device can do are almost limitless!