Tinkercad & Chibi Chip Electronic Cards – SCOPES-DF
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Lesson Details

Subjects *
Arts, Design
Age Ranges *
11-14
Fab Tools *
electronics, 2D design software, 3D Design Software, Laser cutter
Standards
Fab-Programming.2, Fab-Electronics.2, Fab-Modeling.2, Fab-Fabrication.2, MS-ETS1-1, 8.G.A3
Author
Nettrice Gaskins

Author

Nettrice Gaskins
Nettrice Gaskins
Other
Dr. Nettrice Gaskins has worked for several years in K-12 and post-secondary education, community media and technology before receiving a doctorate in Digital Media from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2014. She has focused on the application of cultural art… Read More

Summary

This “Hour of Code” project is part of Computer Science Education Week from December 3 – 7 but the lesson can be done any time of the year. Students explore art (printmaking), computation and physical computing by creating an electronic postcard or greeting card using Tinkercad Codeblocks (for coding the design) and the Love to Code Chibi Chip (for adding electronics).

What You'll Need

For coding the design (Hour of Code activity):

 

Note: The following materials and supplies are for creating the electronic postcard or greeting card using the Tinkercad Codeblocks design.

 

For laser etching the raster image:

  • Wood, cardboard, or 100% linoleum for etching
  • Laser cutter
  • Block printing ink
  • Rubber roller
  • Tray (for rolling ink)
  • Printing paper

 

For adding the electronics (additional Hour of Code activity w/ laser etching):

 

Total time for the entire project: around 2 hours

Lesson Materials

The Instructions

Play With Variables by Engineering a Personalized Snow Flake - 1 hour

Quickly engage students in problem-solving, while also exposing them to the concepts of control structures and parameters through playing with variables and other components of an algorithm.

For Hour of Code (Computer Science Education Week), try the Designing Algorithms with Tinkercad activity.

 

Log in to Tinkercad and choose Codeblocks from below your profile image on the main homepage. On the next screen, choose “New Design.” Create a snowflake design or kind of design for the postcard.

 

 

Click “Export” (top right) as an STL file for Tinkercad (and additional 3D designing), or

Click “Share” (next to Export) and save the screenshot for laser etching using a laser cutter.

 

 

More advanced method:

Import Codeblocks STL file into Tinkercad 3D Design and create a 3D object by copying and translating (flipping, turning or rotating) the original object (see above).

 

 

Note: These methods also meet Common Core math requirements (CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.3).

Laser Etch the Codeblocks Design - 10-20 min

Learn how to use relief printmaking techniques in which the Tinkercad Codeblocks image is incised into wood using a laser cutter.

Basic method:

Save the screenshot image as a PDF, then send directly to the laser cutter to etch the image into a piece of wood. For Epilog laser cutters (ex. Zing, Fusion), use the following recommended settings:

 

Raster Setting – 100% Speed; 100% Power

Vector Setting – 10% Speed; 100% Power; 20% Freq.

 

 

More advanced method (optional):

Add additional graphics in Inkscape, then create a vectorized halftone of the image (see instructions here), flip and invert the image and save as a PDF file (see sample file attachments). Send PDFs to the laser cutter and etch the image into a piece of wood or other printable material.

Make a Relief Print Using Laser Etched Wood - 10-15 min

Explore relief printing (in art printmaking), which a process consisting of cutting or etching a printing surface in such a way that all that remains of the original surface is the design to be printed. Examples of relief-printing processes include woodcut and linocut (using 100% linoleum).

Get your water-soluble block printing ink ready (using a tray)

Apply ink to the laser etched wood block

 

 

Place the block ink side down onto the paper

Press the block down, flip the block and paper carefully, then rub the surface of the paper to transfer the ink (from the block to the paper)

Peel off the paper to reveal the print

 

 

Add the Electronics - 30 mins

Embed electronics into the postcard using the Chibi Chip to bring life to the image by making LEDs blink and fade. This step requires coding.

Follow these instructions to prep the Chibi Chip: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/getting-started-with-chibi-chip-and-clip?_ga=2.259068682.1835772651.1544020194-1370435768.1544020194

 

Activity: Use copper tape and LEDs to create a circuit on the chipboard or cardboard and light an area of the postcard. Make a small hole in the top of the postcard where the LED will show through.