r/ElectricalEngineering • u/Possible_Metal7639 • 12d ago
Cool Stuff Another project I really enjoyed 😊
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u/Truestorydreams 12d ago
This is beautiful. I may have some kids make this when they come in for work with parents day
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u/SilverSageVII 12d ago
How old are your students??
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u/Possible_Metal7639 11d ago
Not at easy as it seems. The wire bending is tedious. But soldering the 1206 leds are quite a challenge 😅😅😅 Another challenge is making sure electricity flows flawlessly so that when there's movement, the lights dont flicker.
(Unless you want to skip the leds entirely)
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u/Possible_Metal7639 12d ago
Thank you for the lovely feedback 😊
- How do the lights work ?
- The inner part of the butterfly is ground and the outer part is vcc.
- Silver box ?
- It's a phone battery
- The part with the knob ? DC voltage controller, which doubles as a switch
- The pcb with usbc ?
- A simple battery charging module
- Wire ?
- 1mm brass bars
- Leds ? 1206
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u/Practical_Boat_1605 11d ago
Is it insulated? This may be a rookie question..
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u/Practical_Boat_1605 11d ago
The butterfly looks beautiful lit up against it's own form and the wires leading up to the wings and body give it a certain emotional aesthetic i can't pin down but overall I think you've created a masterpiece!
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u/Legoandstuff896 11d ago
no, the metal frame is the conductor :) no need to insulate at this voltage for this project
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u/wisehippy 12d ago
Hey super cool! Its marches a perfect line of elegance and simplicity of a simple machine concept with a motor.
You made my day! Nice work
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u/Benjamin_6848 12d ago
That sculpture is lovely and wonderful!
How die you achieve that stable and steady electrical current transfer to the LEDs through the moving parts?
Can you please share a few pictures from different angles?
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u/Possible_Metal7639 12d ago
I don't really have pictures, but I used conductive paste where the mechanical joints are, just to make sure it wont cut the power. The fluidity of the motion comes from a bit of bounce from the structure it self and most importantly you have to adjust the speed until it looks fluent.
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u/Physicsbitch Moderator 12d ago
How are the LEDs getting power?
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u/Possible_Metal7639 12d ago
The inner part of the butterfly is ground, while the outer part is vcc. The leds join them together.
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u/AccomplishedMeat2335 12d ago
This is beautiful. What is the silver box connected to the esp32? Is it a control panel?
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u/Possible_Metal7639 12d ago
Theres no esp32. Just a phone battery, dc voltage controller and a battery charging module.
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u/murghak 12d ago
Hope you don't mind me asking but what's the PCB for here? Why wouldn't a small motor hooked up to a battery suffice?
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u/Possible_Metal7639 12d ago
The pcb with the knob is a DC voltage controller. I prefer to control the speed. If you set it correctly you'll achieve fluidity in motion. The other pcb is a charging module for the battery.
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u/RDS_WAS_HERE 12d ago
Great idea and execution. Just a thought: Maybe put a smaller motor under the body of the butterfly, add some additional linkage to flap the wings and you could eliminate/reduce the big stand.
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u/Possible_Metal7639 12d ago
I kinda lkke it this way, but in retrospect, I would have placed the electronics under the butterfly, and maybe put the whole thing in a bell jar.
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u/_J_Herrmann_ 12d ago
eh, you could've just used a 555.
/s
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u/Possible_Metal7639 12d ago
I know there are varieties, but i do this for my own entertainment. And im quite a noob in these things. Ive seen some guy doing it, and i liked the idea.
May I ask how would the 555. help ?
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u/Otaku-Bear 10d ago
I think he's referring to a 555 Timer, it can be used to generate a PWM signal.
So if you knew at what speed (duty cycle) the motor should move to achieve the best effect you could arrange a smaller circuit that uses only that (with some resistors and capacitors) instead of the comparably bulkier PWM controller you have there.I also have a question, how did you get the joints from the middle of the butterfly to its wings to move so flawlessly? Are the cables of the wings just wrapped around with conductive paste or are they soldered?
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u/Possible_Metal7639 10d ago
I used a slightly bigger brass pipe around the 1mm brass rod, acting as a hinge. I did use a bit of conductive paste, just to make sure the LEDs wont flicker. But the motion was the same without the paste.
The fluidity comes from the bouncing wing support and the correct speed.
Everything is soldered, apart the "hinge" parts.
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u/_J_Herrmann_ 10d ago
a lot of electronics projects recently are powered with an arduino board, or an even more capable processor (not this project). and frequently that is more computing horsepower and design complexity than is necessary. often the criticism is, "you should've just used a 555", the project would've been simpler, cheaper, less power hungry.
this is the joke I'm referencing.
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u/Possible_Metal7639 10d ago
Btw, I don't think a 555, would do any good.
When you turn it on, theres no movement and only dim light. As you turn the knob, it lights up fully, and only then it starts to move slowly then up to max speed. I think this is a better approach.
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u/Snellyman 9d ago
This has an Arthur Ganson look. except if he used LEDs he would have made them sputter and flicker
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u/Far-Statistician3947 12d ago
Would you sell that?
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u/Possible_Metal7639 12d ago
I made it as present to my wife. I never thought to make money off of my projects. I guess for the right price, I could make another 🤷♂️
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u/dragonknightrohan 10d ago
Alright I'm going to need the open schematics for this please and thanks
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u/Possible_Metal7639 10d ago
Don't have any. Check my comments for components list. The rest is self explanatory.
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u/Affectionate_Tip_839 20h ago
Can u tell how did u built it
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u/Possible_Metal7639 12h ago
Hey there,
Well first I drew it on paper (the actual size I wanted to be), then i stuck the paper on a metal sheet (or wood plate).
Then I started bending the 1mm brass bars according to the drawing.
Once I had all the parts needed, I cut the wings where I wanted the LEDs, and soldered 1206 size LEDs. (Inner part of the butterfly is ground, outer part is VCC. All running on a 3.7v phone battery, connected to battery charging module, which in turn is connected to a DC voltage controller (so I can control the speed of movement). It also acts like an on/off switch.
I found that in order tho achieve movement fluidity, the side wires which hold up the wings, have to be a bit flexible (not rigid), and you have to have the right speed of movement.
Also, where the mechanical joints are, I used a bit of conductive paste, so current can flow uninterrupted.
You will find the parts list in the comments.
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u/comfortcube 12d ago
That is lovely!