LED throwie
An LED throwie (or throwie for short ) is a small luminous object that consists of a light-emitting diode (LED for short), a button cell and a magnet . The components are connected to one another with epoxy resin or adhesive tape and the magnet ensures that the luminous objects adhere firmly to a metal surface.
In the street art scene led Throwies be thrown to works of art, street furniture, vehicles or buildings facades ( English throw , 'throw) and so publicly effective messages or simple light art created. Because of this change in private or public space, the light art works are also known as LED graffiti .
history
LED throwies were developed in 2006 by James Powderly and Evan Roth in the Graffiti Research Lab (GRL for short). It is a group from New York whose members were looking for ways to get around the anti-graffiti paint that is increasingly being used in the city. Like all other developments of the GRL, the Throwies were published as an open source project under the public domain , although a design worthy of protection can hardly be assumed.
The first LED throwie campaign organized by the Graffiti Research Lab took place in Manhattan . GRL activists distributed LED throwies to passers-by and instructed them to throw them at the Alamo metal sculpture on Astor Place . The idea spread quickly over the Internet and after a few weeks LED throwies were spotted in London, Hamburg and Berlin.
In 2011, a campaign with LED throwies was also carried out in Germany at the Kottbusser Tor underground station in Berlin .
technology
To make an LED throwie, a button cell is connected to a light-emitting diode and a magnet. Pay attention to the correct polarity. However, this can be tried out without risk, as the breakdown voltage of an LED is usually higher than the button cell voltage . Individual lithium button cells with a voltage of approx. 3 volts are suitable , as the operating voltages of standard LEDs are usually between 2 and 3 volts. Of simple alkaline-manganese button cells with approx. 1.5 V, two copies must be used in series. The usual series resistor can be dispensed with with such LED throwies, since the internal resistance of the button cell limits the current sufficiently. The assembly is done by simply gluing with adhesive tape or epoxy resin.
Modifications and further development
- Stick anywhere throwies - using glue instead of magnets
- Blinking Throwies - LED throwies with self-flashing LEDs
- Floaties - LED throwies without a magnet in a floating transparent capsule
- Self-dimming throwies - automatic deactivation in daylight by a photoresistor to increase battery life
- Flyies - LED throwies carried by a helium balloon without a magnet
- LED-Ice Spheres - a glowing ice sphere: a throwie and frozen water in a balloon
- Rainbow Throwies - LED throwies with an autonomously color-changing LED
Web links
- Tutorial for assembling an LED throwie
- Further developments of LED Throwies (Engl.)
- Graffiti Research Lab Germany
Individual evidence
- ↑ David Cohn: Geek Graffiti Takes on New York Wired News April 7, 2006 (English)
- ↑ Trend - LED Throwies ( page can no longer be called up , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Report by the TV magazine Tracks , arte , May 4, 2006
- ↑ Colorful sea of lights from LED throwies - Article from March 14, 2011
