Fab Academy

Propose a final project that integrates the range of units covered:



What will it do?


My final project will be a lightsaber that will change colors when you press or turn a button on the saber or maybe change colors with a accelerometer. I chose to make a lightsaber because i’m a fan of the Star Wars franchise and because of all the hype around the new movies.


Who's done what beforehand?


If you goggle “make your own lightsaber” you will get plenty of results from the site. Some of the results are sites that dedicate themselves to building custom-made lightsaber for their customers like Ultrasabers and Saberforge, then there were links like Instructables and Popsci.com that are DIY project and show you how you can do it yourself. week 4


What materials and components will be required?


To make the hilt, i’ll need grey PLA filament, black vinyl and a plexiglass plate. For the blade, i’ll use a plexi tube, semi-transparent vinyl film and also a plexiglass plate. For the electronics, i’ll use a pcb plate, some electronics components like the accelerometer and a microcontroller and the led srip.


Where will they come from?


For the lightsaber i think all the materials and components i will have to use can be found in the Fab Lab except for the PVC tube i’ll use for the sabers blade.


How much will it cost?


Most of the parts are available at the Fablab but the whole project will cost somewhere between 40 - 70$


What parts and systems will be made?


The circuit board and the hilt for the Led-Saber will be designed and made in the Fablab.


What processes will be used?


I will 3D print the sabers hilt which will be designed using Fusion 360 and use the Vinyl cutter to cut out some stickers for the hilt and cut the semi-transparent vinyl film for the plexi tube. Then i’ll make a seal for the bottom of the hilt and a cap for the top of the blade out of plexi which will be cut with the lazer cutter and mill out the circuit board with a Roland milling machine, but the circuit board will be designed using Eagle and programed with Arduino.


What tasks need to be completed?


I have finished the design of the hilt but everything else is still unfinished so i’ll have to design and mill out a circuit board and 3D print the hilt but i think i have made a code that will work with the circuit board i’ll make


What questions need to be answered?


I don’t know if the code i wrote for the sparkfun arduino board will work with the circuit board i’ll make. How the glow from the led stip inside the plexi tube will look like and how will keep the electronics inside the hilt safe when the saber is being swung around.


What is the schedule?


I’ll start the project off by designing the circuit board because that will definitely be the hardest part of the project for me and Bas and Linda are coming to Vestmannaeyjar over the weekend so i will get some good help from them. Then i will mill and solder the board and next program it. Finally i will make the hilt and blade for the saber and then put it all together.


How will it be evaluated?


I want the led strip to change colors according to the axis on the accelerometer when you swing or move it around, then i will have it here in Fablab Vestmannaeyjar so people can see what you can make here in the Fablab.



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