I am a huge fan of entomology displays, and wanted to create one that is interactive. When the copper tape on the surface of the frame is touched, the butterflies illuminate through a capacitive touch sensor. The blank white strip of paper to the side of each butterfly shows the name, scientific and common, for a bit of unexpected learning.
I created a box frame that is deep enough to house the paper butterflies along with the Arduino and breadboard. I would liked to have made a larger version with a ton of insects but three ended up being a challenge in itself.
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Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell with Google Hangouts On-Air is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
