LENStalk on the rise of mobile gaming back
in 2009 inspired game designer Greg
Borenstein to build a physical one-
dimensional scrolling game based on
a racing game he played on the TI-83 series of
graphing calculators. In his version, the player’s car
essentially stays in place while the track scrolls from
right to left at a constant rate. The player can move
the car up and down to navigate the twists and turns
of the circuit. Greg used a couple of motors to move
the car and the track that was made out of paper
clips. A triangular piece of metal serves as the car and
when it comes into contact with the paper clip circuit,
they close a switch that triggers a buzzer indicating a
crash and the end of the game. Greg has detailed the
mechanical and electrical parts of the build in a couple
of blog posts and also published a video of the whole
contraption in action.
ina is a master crafter and a mum of
two young kids. Inspired by a blog post
on another website, Lina engages her kids
creatively by using a bunch of paper clips
and some duct tape to design some simple pieces of
jewellery. She hooks paper clips together to the desired
length of the necklace or bracelet and then wraps about
an inch of tape around the middle of each clip. While
it sounds simple, the end result is an attractive trinket.
Lina’s post is dotted with images and she also discusses
ideas to extend the simple designs by adding more
paper clips and dangling beads and small pendants
to the end. “This is a great craft for summer camps,
scouts, or simply an afternoon at home,” writes Lina,
whose kids love the paper clip jewellery.A
L
GREG
BORENSTEINLINA
DARNELLProject MakerProject MakerProject Link
hsmag.cc/rkoNAmProject Link
hsmag.cc/oAlbCsMETAL
RACE GAME
Left
Bump the designs a
notch or two by using
a pair of pliers to
bend the paper clips
and create artsy-
looking pendantsPAPER CLIP
Below
Greg soldered several paper clips into a maze track that
stays within the attached motor’s vertical travel rangeJEWELLERY