19. Led Sign: Flippy

This project is simple to create, but the functionality is interesting to operate. Its basically an LED sign that changes color based on the orientation it's in, mostly being right-side up, or upside down. The LEDs themselves are a red/green combo, which is a perfect candidate for indicating the situation in 2 different matters, like yes or no, true or false, and like or dislike.

<Front view>

The body itself uses cardboard pieces, as a cheap way to hold the circuit in. To make sure the LEDs itself change color, 2 mercury switches were installed to switch the LEDs on/off for a specific color.

In other terms, each of the Mercury switches controls only one colored led, so when you flip the sign upside down/right side up, then the mercury will make contact on its electrodes, turning on a specific color led, while the other remains off.

<Back view>

A translucent film was added to the front as a display, so the light diffuses there, and paper (with aluminum tape) was added to the back as a way to reflect the light back, making it bright than without the back piece.

The front cardboard piece was cut to resemble a thumbs up symbol. It was chosen as it has 2 different forms, yet visually look the same. like you can flip it, it will resemble a thumbs down symbol. The device can be useful, in terms of assisting other people, and expression.

 

<Test>

<Circuit>