Helen Leigh

Learn how to work with conductive thread to sew your own circuits. In this workshop we will make a plush sparkle heart emoji with felt, LEDs and conductive thread. You will learn: - tips and tricks for using the different types of conductive threads - how to hack regular through hole components into sewable ones - how to make a simple electronic circuit that lights up an LED All materials will be provided, along with a printed zine to help you sew circuits in the future. Suitable for beginners and older children (11+). It will help if you know how to thread a needle and tie a knot but instruction will be provided.

This talk explores the softer side of electronics, from electronic embroidery and e-textiles to soft robotics and flexible PCB design. We will take a look at some of the exciting technologies in this field, including industrial machines that embroider traces to microcontrollers, open source soft robotics, 'pick and place' sewable LEDs, e-textiles in space, fabric speakers and the world of flexible and stretchable PCB design. I will also share examples of how engineers, scientists and artists are using these soft electronics technologies in their work. As well as this higher level overview, we will take a look at a number of accessible DIY projects, along with practical tips on materials and techniques, and suggestions for further learning. I will also talk about softness in electronics in a non-literal sense, looking at some cool projects from the community that link emotions, vulnerability and physical computing.

We want to revive the Open Hardware Meetup and make it a regular event again starting with this year's Congress. In the future we want to present great Open Hardware projects and give a space for exchange - alternating in the world of bits and atoms. Join us, present what you're working on and let's get to know each other!

For this first session we discuss topics such as: + How do we interface open hardware dev + community work with questions of sustainability / climate change mitigation? + Open hardware as possibility to repurpose hardware and upcycle things + Funding for open hardware + Public funding -> public tech We will be joined by Helen Leigh from Crowd Supply, Luis Felipe Murillo, co-founder of the Journal of Open Hardware, Cedric Honnet from MIT Media Lab, Mitch Altman from Cornfield Electronics, Drew Fustini from BayLibre, Shannon Dosemagen from Open Environmental Data Project, and possibly others.

Other people: Mitch Maximilian Voigt Daniel Wessolek Cedric Honnet unixjazz Drew Fustini Shannon Dosemagen

I will explore the ways in which music is influenced by making and hacking, including a whistle-stop tour of some key points in music hacking history.

This starts with 1940s Musique Concrete and Daphne Oram’s work on early electronic music at the BBC, and blossoms into the strange and wonderful projects coming out of the modern music hacker scenes in London and Berlin, including a pipe organ made of Furbies, a sound art marble run, robotic music machines, gesture controlled moon cellos, and singing circuit sculptures. I'll also be sharing some of own work, plus my favourite new ways to make embedded instruments, including plenty of amazing Open Source hardware and software.