Billie Jean LED Shoes

These are shoes attached to LED floor tiles, equipped with a pressure switch so that they light up when you step, just like the Michael Jackson Billie Jean video.

I had this project lying half-built around for ages, but lacked the will to finish it, as I went through this phase of being unable to do any fancy dress without getting a giant sinking empty feeling inside. In the end I'm glad I finished it, it's one of the best outfits I have ever made. They are much fun/funnier that I thought they would be - people just start dancing around you.



My new thing for projects is trying to make them from as little newly purchased stuff as possible. For this project I had to buy the polycarbonate (£10), the LEDs (cheap - about £5) and the electronics (about another £5), but the shoes and wood are scraps/charity shop.

In the future I will modify them so that they have a "flash on and off" mode as well as pressure mode.

For those who are into it, you can see how they work on Flickr

The Oxford & Cambridge Goat Race 2010

Image from Michelle Bower

Just an early warning to say hold the date, The Goat Race is back, at Spitalfields City Farm, just near Brick Lane, on Saturday 3rd April 2010 (Easter weekend). Same day as a similar sounding sporting event.


Image from WowtheWorld

If you'd like to get involved with either the Goat Race, doing a stall or activity, promoting something, or the afterparty, get in touch.

I finally built a site for it at www.thegoatrace.org , and you can join us on Facebook at bit.ly/goatrace .

We are taking on board feedback from last year - more activites and fun surrounding the race, and a better organised afterparty. So stay tuned.

eilidh cairns

Our close friend Eilidh Cairns was killed in a cycle accident a year ago yesterday involving an HGV. I went down to the accident spot at Notting Hill Gate - right on the man road near the tube - yesterday to hang out. Some friends of ours have done a nice plaque and ghost bike for her - it's the first 'officially sanctioned' (by Boris Johnson) ghost bike and won't be removed.

To all of us who cycle, please take care. Lorries really can't see you at all so stay well clear. Peace and love, Ant

engraving things

Last year, when we built that multi-touch installation in the Science Museum, I relented and got a Dremel Multi-Tool. I had always thought these were a tool for dads to buy off the advert and never use, or a bit of a toy that doesn't do any job particularly well. But it turns out that for little, crafty things, which I do quite a lot, they are excellent.


The magical Abelha putter

I especially like using it to engrave things. You can make any dull, manufactured object unique and special just by engraving it, and I also feel it imbues objects with personality and magical powers. I find it quite difficult, but am getting slowly better.