Forums > Technical Discussion > fibre optic staff - would it work?
Login/Join to ParticipateBRONZE Member
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Posted:
if you took a small tube of any material, preferably one of some strength, and had an LED at each end with a power source in the middle, and connected to each end of the small tube was a clear or slightly frosted tube of perspex, acryllic or any kind of plastic, with fibre optic wire layered on the inside of the tube with shorter lengths along the inside sides of the tube and longer lengths in the middle, giving a step like effect as you got towards the middle, and hopefully producing lots and lots of little lights down each tube.
do you think this would work?
any ideas or problems anyone can find would be greatfully accepted as this may become my GCSE design and technology project
if you took a small tube of any material, preferably one of some strength, and had an LED at each end with a power source in the middle, and connected to each end of the small tube was a clear or slightly frosted tube of perspex, acryllic or any kind of plastic, with fibre optic wire layered on the inside of the tube with shorter lengths along the inside sides of the tube and longer lengths in the middle, giving a step like effect as you got towards the middle, and hopefully producing lots and lots of little lights down each tube.
do you think this would work?
any ideas or problems anyone can find would be greatfully accepted as this may become my GCSE design and technology project
We are the music makers, We are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams;
We are the movers and shakers of the world for ever, it seems.
SILVER Member
The lone Fire Spinner
236 posts
Location: Channel islands Jersey UK
The lone Fire Spinner
236 posts
Location: Channel islands Jersey UK
Posted:
Your idea should work but I would use LED lights as they are more reliable. One problem you will have is stability so you will need to make sure your components are fastened down otherwise a knock or drop my work them loose. What you can do (in case of a drop) is attach crash pads to the ends to soften the blow and help protect the lenses.Foam Pipe insulation works well. Check out a company called feral.tech They make glow staffs that change colour while you spin they are very friendly and will probably be able to help you more.Good Luck
Your idea should work but I would use LED lights as they are more reliable. One problem you will have is stability so you will need to make sure your components are fastened down otherwise a knock or drop my work them loose. What you can do (in case of a drop) is attach crash pads to the ends to soften the blow and help protect the lenses.Foam Pipe insulation works well. Check out a company called feral.tech They make glow staffs that change colour while you spin they are very friendly and will probably be able to help you more.Good Luck
To play it safe is not to play
BRONZE Member
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Posted:
thanks dude
ill take a look
thanks dude
ill take a look
We are the music makers, We are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams;
We are the movers and shakers of the world for ever, it seems.
BRONZE Member
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Posted:
UPDATE: i've actually spoken to my DT teacher, and he said everything should be fine with the supplies within the school but the fibre optics may be overly time consuming, but the rest will be electronics and assembly, so it shouldn't be too hard. i'm thinking of possible ordering some of the side-glow fibre optics from the site moseph gave me, but then that would'nt be my own work, so i wouldn't get marks for it. i may just go with having poly-carb tubes nad just see how it looks without the fibre optics before experimenting with them, and if worst comes to worst then i'll just have to add in my write up that i tried the the fibre optics, but it didn't go down to well and had to scrap them.
any thoughts/criticism of the theory?
almost anything would be helpful
UPDATE: i've actually spoken to my DT teacher, and he said everything should be fine with the supplies within the school but the fibre optics may be overly time consuming, but the rest will be electronics and assembly, so it shouldn't be too hard. i'm thinking of possible ordering some of the side-glow fibre optics from the site moseph gave me, but then that would'nt be my own work, so i wouldn't get marks for it. i may just go with having poly-carb tubes nad just see how it looks without the fibre optics before experimenting with them, and if worst comes to worst then i'll just have to add in my write up that i tried the the fibre optics, but it didn't go down to well and had to scrap them.
any thoughts/criticism of the theory?
almost anything would be helpful
We are the music makers, We are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams;
We are the movers and shakers of the world for ever, it seems.
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Posted:
you would get marks if you researched different fibre optics and wrote up the pros and cons etc and then used them as part of your design..wouldn't you? i used manufactured parts in my DT gcse project...as long as you put lots or written work in about why you need special parts its generally ok..aslong as you make some of it!!
you would get marks if you researched different fibre optics and wrote up the pros and cons etc and then used them as part of your design..wouldn't you? i used manufactured parts in my DT gcse project...as long as you put lots or written work in about why you need special parts its generally ok..aslong as you make some of it!!
BRONZE Member
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Posted:
thats one thing thats worrying me slightly, the uber amount of research needed, luckily i have a bit already done thanks to the wonderful world of HoPpers but certain things like research of plastics and metals, and reserach of heatsinks if i'm going to be using luxeons.
a problem i've jsut come up with is power source, i know that i'll eld up using batteries in the middle metal bit, but there's a slight problem of that if i'm going to put a grip over the metal, how would i accessa the batteries if i needed to replace/recharge them. i was thinking that if i had a tube of rubber over the metal then i could toll it back to get to the batteries, but if i left a section out it could mean that i'm left with a flat section on the handle, which could also mean after a while of wear and tear the rubber may split against the edges of the metal
argh...
thats one thing thats worrying me slightly, the uber amount of research needed, luckily i have a bit already done thanks to the wonderful world of HoPpers
but certain things like research of plastics and metals, and reserach of heatsinks if i'm going to be using luxeons.a problem i've jsut come up with is power source, i know that i'll eld up using batteries in the middle metal bit, but there's a slight problem of that if i'm going to put a grip over the metal, how would i accessa the batteries if i needed to replace/recharge them. i was thinking that if i had a tube of rubber over the metal then i could toll it back to get to the batteries, but if i left a section out it could mean that i'm left with a flat section on the handle, which could also mean after a while of wear and tear the rubber may split against the edges of the metal
argh...
We are the music makers, We are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams;
We are the movers and shakers of the world for ever, it seems.
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Posted:
could you cut the tube in half lengthways so that it opens up for you to put the batteries in and then the rubber cover could hold it together..no sharp edges!
could you cut the tube in half lengthways so that it opens up for you to put the batteries in and then the rubber cover could hold it together..no sharp edges!
BRONZE Member
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Posted:
but then it'd leave the problem of them sliding, which could be easily amended, but also the problem of fixing certain things in place so they wouldn't get damaged if i dropped the staff, and also when i did take it apart, it'd then split into three sections which may be difficult to put back in place due to light fixings and such
thanks for this help
but then it'd leave the problem of them sliding, which could be easily amended, but also the problem of fixing certain things in place so they wouldn't get damaged if i dropped the staff, and also when i did take it apart, it'd then split into three sections which may be difficult to put back in place due to light fixings and such
thanks for this help
We are the music makers, We are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams;
We are the movers and shakers of the world for ever, it seems.
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Posted:
well you certainly have set yourself a challenge so good luck with it!
well you certainly have set yourself a challenge so good luck with it!
BRONZE Member
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Posted:
thank yoo
thank yoo
We are the music makers, We are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams;
We are the movers and shakers of the world for ever, it seems.
BRONZE Member
enthusiast
363 posts
Location: manchester uk
enthusiast
363 posts
Location: manchester uk
Posted:
glow staffs are a bitch i've made one but its just so difficult to get them to produce enough light the one i've made is simply two dim appart from a small section at each end
glow staffs are a bitch i've made one but its just so difficult to get them to produce enough light the one i've made is simply two dim appart from a small section at each end
My nunchucks vital statictics
weight: 500g
handle lenght: 16 inches
chain length: 2 inches
BRONZE Member
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
2,530 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Posted:
that's where i'm hoping that some bright LED's with fibre optics will light the entire length of it, will have to wait til i get hold of some fibre optics to experiment with in school
that's where i'm hoping that some bright LED's with fibre optics will light the entire length of it, will have to wait til i get hold of some fibre optics to experiment with in school
We are the music makers, We are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams;
We are the movers and shakers of the world for ever, it seems.
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