FidgetWidget
A hardware hack designed to allow a safe, interactive stimming experience for both autistic and allistic individuals.
Created at HackMIT 2016 by Kathleen Burkhardt and Jeremy Hong
What is stimming?
According to Wikipedia:
Self-stimulatory behavior, also known as stimming and self-stimulation, is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, or repetitive movement of objects common in individuals with developmental disabilities, but most prevalent in people with autistic spectrum disorders. It is considered a way in which autistic people calm and stimulate themselves. Therapists view this behavior as a protective response to being overly sensitive to stimuli, with which the individual blocks less predictable environmental stimuli. Sensory processing disorder is also given as a reason by some therapists for the condition. Another theory is that stimming is a way to relieve anxiety, and other emotions.
This project was built to show that stimming is a natural and calming experience.
Setup
To set up your own FidgetWidget, you will need:
- Breadboard
- 3 buttons
- 3 10k ohm resistors
- Photoresistor
- Potentiometer
- Jumper Wires
- Arduino Micro
- Raspberry Pi
- Raspberry Pi monitor
See the circuit schematic [temporarily unavailable] for details on how to assemble the circuit.
The gist:
- When any of the three buttons are pressed, one calming GIF will show up.
- When your hands are moved towards and away from the LDR, another calming GIF will show up.
Once the circuit is assembled, run the code on the Arduino and the Raspberry Pi.