This document provides instructions for a SparkFun Electronics workshop on creating paper circuits and pop-up engineering. It introduces basic circuit concepts using copper tape on paper and light emitting diodes. It then explains how to construct different types of pop-ups cuts and uses for paper engineering. The document concludes by thanking contributors and providing resources for templates.

1. SparkFun Electronics:
Pop-up Paper Engineering
http://bit.ly/CentaurusPaperEng
Brian Huang
Education
Engineer
Angela Sheehan
Education
Outreach
Linz Craig
Education
Outreach

2. About us...
SparkFun Electronics
Boulder, CO
● Founded in 2003 by Nathan Seidle
● Focus in shortcuts to engineering design
● Design / Develop Electronics for Building,
Tinkering, Making
● Rooted in Open Source Hardware
Community

3. Today
You will learn what makes a circuit work and
apply this to create/make something novel and
unique.
You will apply the engineering design process
you’ve practiced in school on today’s design
task.

4. Basic Circuits
`
+
Circuit → Circle

5. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are simple, low-cost
semiconductor devices that produce light when
voltage is applied in the correct polarity.

6. Modifications to the LED

7. Using Copper Tape on Paper

8. Copper Tape is Conductive
...but sticky stuff isn’t!!!
Try to use one
continuous piece of tape
for each section (grey
parts).
Fold, crease through
each corner.
Or - make sure shiny
part is touching shiny.

9. Adhesive is non-conductive…
Making Corners with one piece of tape
FOLD
DIAGONAL
TO MAKE A
CORNER
FOLD
FOLD
FORWARD
to CREASE
(Sticky side
exposed)
DONE!
Try to keep the piece of tape continuous across
corners and through-out the circuit.

10. But, what about when you run out of tape??
Joining Traces
Overlap
Shiny-side
to Shinyside
BREAK
FOLD
BACK
JOINING
PIECE
FOLD
1/2
AGAIN
Joining by touching the SHINY-SIDE to the SHINY-SIDE of
each section. Secure with Clear Tape.

11. A few definitions...
We said copper
tape is conductive,
but the sticky stuff
is not.
Define the word
conductive.
The flap is down, and shiny is touching shiny.
This is called a closed circuit.

12. And a few more...
This is called an
open-circuit.
Define “opencircuit”
The flap is up.

13. A few template ideas
Push button
Drawings and designs courtesy of Jie Qi at
MIT Media Lab: http://hlt.media.mit.edu/?p=2505

14. A few template ideas
Pull-Tab Switch
Drawings and designs courtesy of Jie Qi at
MIT Media Lab: http://hlt.media.mit.edu/?p=2505

15. How else can you make a switch?

16. A little inspiration??

17. Draw, sketch, make something unique!
Your turn...

18. Design Process
Problem Statement

19. Design Process
Planning….
Sketch, write, doodle… think about
the following:
•WHO IS IT FOR?
•WHAT SHOULD IT DO?
•WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE?

20. Phase II -- Adding pop-up Paper
Engineering to Paper Circuits

21. Pop-up Cuts
V-Mouth Cut
Place a dot near the
center of the new
rectangle.
Draw a perpendicular
line to the folded
edge of the
cardstock.
Folded Edge

22. Pop-up Cuts
V-Mouth Cut
Cut along the line to
the dot.
Folded Edge

23. Pop-up Cuts
V-Mouth Cut
Fold the right-hand
side to form a
triangular flap and
crease.
Flip the card over and
crease the triangle
over on the other side
as well.

24. Pop-up Cuts
V-Mouth Cut
Repeat for the left
flap. Fold the lefthand side to form a
triangular flap and
crease.
Flip the card over and
crease the triangle
over on the other
side.

25. Opening the Mouth
Open the card up like a
tent.
Using your thumb or
fingers, push the top
triangle and bottom
triangle through to the
inside.

26. Finally
Close the card and press firmly.
Re-open to work the mouth-action.

27. Variations? What other ideas do you have?
Add LEDs, switches, push buttons...
Draw a jagged line instead of a straight one
and you have a mouth with teeth!
Concepts, images, and credit to Robert Sabuda:
http://wp.robertsabuda.com/how-to-make-a-v-fold-mouth-pop-up/

28. Resources, Credits, and Thank yous
Thank you to Jie Qi and the High-Low Tech Lab at MIT for
the concepts, designs, and artwork for these paper circuits.
Thank you to Robert Sabuda for his pivotal work in pop-up
books and pop-up art.
Full-scale templates can be downloaded as a PowerPoint
file here. If you need a PDF, please e-mail me at brian.
huang@sparkfun.com

29. Thank you!

30. Thanks!
http://bit.ly/CentaurusPaperEng
Brian Huang
Education
Engineer
Angela Sheehan
Education
Outreach
email: education@sparkfun.com
Linz Craig
Education
Outreach