LED Throwies
The Graffiti Research Lab and Eyebeam OpenLab have developed these simple and awesome "LED Throwies"
"LED Throwies are an inexpensive way to add color to any ferromagnetic surface in your neighborhood. A Throwie consists of a lithium battery, a 10mm diffused LED and a rare-earth magnet taped together. Throw it up high and in quantity to impress your friends and city officials."
[link found via News of the dead.]
posted by Unknown @ 3/04/2006 03:08:00 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I'd have to wonder about the environmental impact of these things. I'd like to see a study comparing and contrasting the impact of spray paint chemicals vs. these things. Hhhmmm. . .
Interesting point....I hadn't considered that....I did a little research though and here's what I found:
The LED is pretty much just epoxy, and metal electrical leads. I would expect the magnet is also relatively harmless. The only part of the device that I would think may be potentially hazardous is the battery.
The battery used in these devices was a small 3v Lithium-manganese dioxide cell, CR2032.
According to this site and this site Lithium-Manganese Dioxide are classified as non-hazardous solid waste.
So, I would tend to conclude that these things are relatively harmless. Even if they did have some trace levels of hazardous material, I think that it's potential effect on the environment would have to be weighed against the potential of the spectacle to bring people together in a way.
"If you do it around a crowd of people, they will probably try to get into the act. It can quickly dissend into chaotic fun. Give a hand-full of throwies to a stranger and let them get up too."
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