Light Stitches Dancing Toy Project with Book and CD

This exciting smart textiles and electronics project provides a fun way of using and understanding the properties of two smart materials, muscle wire and polymorph.

A polymorph or MDF model is constructed by the student. This is suspended by the muscle wire and via a set of levers. On passing a current through the wire the composition of the wire changes which makes it contract, the toy will then move its limbs and the spring will move them back.

• History of muscle wire, how muscle wire is crimped, underlying technology, contraction time
• Useful benefits, future research, sample applications, Frequently Asked Questions
• Four muscle wire projects
• Scheme of work, lesson plans, brief, design specification, product analysis
• Levers and linkages
• High-medium-low ability worksheets, assessment sheets, etc.