Dance Pad ProjectBy: Neil Berg

Understand Task: Build a small scale version of a stepdance pad The dance pad had to light up a light switch

when pressure was put on each of the pads This is to be completed In groups of two

people to build teamwork skills

Materials list The following is a list of suggested materials, othermaterials may be used

• 6V Lantern Battery• Aluminum foil• four light bulbs • 2 11 x 17-inch sheets of cardboard• Duct tape• Electrical wire • Plastic wrap• Scissors• Wire strippers

Estimated time to complete: 120 minutes

Explore

To ensure a properlyworking dance pad, we first researched electrical circuits To make sure our design worked, we used a circuit simulator which showed any faults in the design

Define

The dance pad that was to be made needed to have four pads that each lit up a separate light on the light switch

There also needed to be two other pads; one that lights up all four lights and another that lit up only lights one and four

Ideate

Above are the sketches from the original designs for the dance pad

portion of the project

Prototype

Upon first making the pad I discovered that the pads which light up one and four and the pad that lights up all of the lights, needed to have separate switches for the wire to each light

As a group my partner and I decided to have a common ground connected to each of the four wires to prevent an excess amount of wire.

SolutionEach of the six pressure pads connect to the battery

with at least one wire with some of the pads having up to four wires. The other side of each of the pad had

additional wires exiting from them. These wires connected with each of the lights that the pads that

they correspond with

Solution Cont.

Top View of one of the Pads Bottom view of the same pad

When pressed down , the pad would connect the two wires under it. The wires were connected by a piece of tin foil taped to the bottom of each pad. The pads which light up multiple lights had individual switches (or pieces of aluminum) for each of the lights that it was to light up. The tin

foil connected the two wires underneath the pad together in order to complete the circuit