Concept
I decided to create a ‘black-box’ type switch. The switch consists of two jumper cables which are connected to the insides of a small box. The box is filled with a few metal sheets and balls of copper tape — essentially a few separate pieces of conductive material.
The switch is initially open. It can be closed by shaking or moving around the box. This causes the contents of the box to move around chaotically. With enough movement, they will connect in such a way that the current from one jumper cable can move to the other one, closing the switch and completing the circuit.
However, by deliberate design, the switch is difficult to control. It isn’t easy to close it immediately, or open it afterwards. Also, often, while moving around the box, it closes for only a brief moment, sending a short signal but then stopping. This creates a kind of controlled chaos and I can imagine using it to create interesting effects using Arduino in the future.
Finally, although the switch can be used most easily with hands, it works with any parts of your limbs, as long as you can move the box.
Pictures and video demo
I created a simple circuit to test that the switch works. It looks like this: Arduino 5 Volts -> first jumper cable -> box -> second jumper cable -> LED light -> 300 Ohm resistor -> Arduino ground. The LED light turns on when the switch is closed.
