Isn’t that cool to know that we can draw circuits on sheets that work like a wire in day-to-day fieldwork. Well, Circuit Scribe is the invention of this idea. It is the world’s first ballpoint pen that draws electric circuits in style.
Founded by Brett Walker, a researcher at The University of Illinois, the ink of this pen is a water-based non-toxic substance that lights on flexible substrates. Its like just plug and play where there is no need of gluing, fixing, heating or shaking the pen before use. Just start doodling anywhere and anytime. The best thing about circuit scribe is that it will benefit and revolutionize learning in a drastic manner. It will bring the diagrams out of the textbook and students can learn by doing it at the same time. There is no need of connecting things with each other. Students can just draw circuits with Circuit Scribe instead of ordinary pen and place the cell and other equipment to see how it works practically. It will enhance the imagination process of young minds and let a variety of ideas flow in the classroom. Dynamic sketches of even complex circuits can be practiced in real life in no time with the help of circuit scribe.
The conductive silver link lets the user draw smooth lines using the Circuit Scribe. The kits are available in various combos like there are different kits with large bundles for teachers so that they can teach a batch of 10 to 30 students at a time and for individuals too. Such combination of kits will help a person learn and even teach many lessons in electronics. Multiple numbers of experiments is possible with circuits and with results in real time, thus enhancing the research possibilities. The only backdrop of circuit scribe is that after drawing a circuit, no changes are possible as in case with real wires. In such a case, one need to be alert to what he/she is doing and how the circuit should look like or work.
The topics included in the kit are Current and Voltage, Conductivity and Resistance, Series and Parallel Circuits and Digital Electronics and Logic circuits.
Varieties of modules are available online for ease of making circuits. Some of the modules are
1. 9V Battery Adapter
2. Photo Sensor
3. Potentiometer
4. Buzzer
5. NPN Transistor
6. DIY Boards
7. Logic Gates Etc…
Circuit Scribe in partnership with Autodesk also facilitates an online simulator where one can design and simulate various circuits and also print and share them at the same time. The possibilities of circuit scribe are endless. It is used with pen plotters and circuit stickers or to draw own computer touchpad with Makey-Makey.
There are various options to choose from kits while ordering it online.
1. Lite Kit: – Lite Kit contains a circuit scribe pen, an LED module, and some batteries.
2. Basic Kit: – This kit contains the same pen along with six modules that let one explore basic electronic concepts.
3. Maker Kit: – This kit comes with a pen along with 11 modules, which helps one to different ways to input process and output signals in the circuit.
4. Developer Kit: – This kit contains a pen along with 38 modules, which allows you to design modules and connect with external hardware like breadboards and Arduino. Complex and robust circuits are possible with this Developer Kit.
It is one of a kind of new invention to bring classroom closer to students and research labs closer to researchers too. However, there are some flaws, although students will enjoy studying through enhanced education system using technologies like Circuit Scribe.
