concept:
These days, there is this board in D2 with cardboard cutouts that mention ways to eat sustainably. I coincidentally happened to pay attention to the board right after our last IM class, which gave me an idea – a switch that lights up when the cutlery touches the plate. The premise is that if you get a portion proportional to your appetite, and are then able to finish your food (the cutlery touching the plate), the LED lights up.
process:
It is a simple series circuit consisting of an LED and a resistor. I used aluminum foil on the base of the plate and the spoon so that a larger surface area is conductive. whenever the spoon makes contact with the plate, the circuit completes and the LED lights up. I used a green LED to indicate successful completion of a meal.
reflections:
There is certainly room for improvement. I didn’t try it out with actual food, so I’m not sure if the food content would actually affect the way the switch works. Also, the foil doesn’t actually cover the length of the plate. Because of this, even though it technically *works* it doesn’t capture the essence of the concept fully. In addition, I’d also love to improve the visuals of the project, because the aluminum foil and tape do make it look a bit tacky.