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Circuit Bending / Toy Hacking
Toy Hacking Handbook: An Electronics Crash Course, English (11.6MB PDF Document, February 2015 Edition - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License) - The T.A.C.O. Team
Toy Hacking Handbook, Spanish: Guia Para Hackear Juguetes, Español (11.6MB PDF Document, February 2015 Edition - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License) - The T.A.C.O. Team
Toy Hacking Handbook, Chinese: WanJuZhiZuo, ZhongWenBan (11.7MB PDF Document, February 2015 Edition - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License) - The T.A.C.O. Team
The Toy Hacking Workbook by The T.A.C.O. Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Toy Hacking Handbook: Blank, For New Translations (15.4MB PDF Document, February 2015 Edition - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License) - The T.A.C.O. Team
The Toy Hacking Workbook by The T.A.C.O. Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This project involves taking electronics workshops for adults and adapting them to be more suitable to children and people that wouldn't normally have the chance to work with electronics. In particular, we have targeted students 9-12 years of age from underserved communities to help these students in "circuit bending" (Ghazala, 2004) - the process of hand-modifying battery powered children's toys to build custom electronic instruments. Our goal is to instruct individuals with no prior experience in computing or engineering in the fundamentals of electronics.
Between 2010 and 2014, Garnet Hertz led a team of researchers and students at UC Irvine to develop a workshop guidebook specifically targeted to children.
(Slides: UCSD Experiential Learning Conference: Education in Action - January 26th 2012)
Garnet Hertz led a one-day workshop in January 2010 at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in which participants brought sound-making electronic toys to modify by hand. Although many had no experience with electronics, 90% were able to successfully produce their own custom electronic device from scrap materials.
Photographic documentation of this Art Center circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157623162097177/.
This Circuit Bending workshop was taught by Garnet Hertz at the Institute for Multimedia Literacy in the School of Cinematic Arts at USC on August 5th 2010. A custom instructional zine was commissioned for this event. The workshop was held as part of "Broadening the Digital Humanities", which designed to foster innovative multimedia research. Sponsors include The University of California's Humanities Research Institute, USC's Institute for Multimedia Literacy and the electronic journal Vectors.
Photographic documentation of this USC circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157624538423295/.
This Circuit Bending workshop was taught by Garnet Hertz in the Department of Informatics at UC Irvine on January 27th 2011. The workshop was held as a training session for students interested in acting as mentors in expanding the circuit bending workshops to children in underserved communities. The name of this initiative is the "Technology and Community Outreach" (TACO) project. This workshop was the first exposure to soldering or electronics for most students.
Photographic documentation of this UC Irvine circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157625743810771/show/.
This Circuit Bending workshop was taught by Garnet Hertz at the Transmediale electronic art and culture festival in Berlin, Germany on February 4th 2011. The workshop was held with Jussi Parikka, co-author of the Vilém Flusser Theory Award nomined paper "Zombie Media: Circuit Bending Media Archaeology into an Art Method" which provides an academic basis for circuit bending. During this workshop, enrolled participants disassembled battery powered devices and toys, modified them, and performed their customised instruments.
Photographic documentation of this Transmediale.11 circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157625922124976/show/.
A return of bending circuits at USC!
Photographic documentation of this circuit bending workshop (as well as two other classes taught) can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157626165170559/.
Art Center!
Photographic documentation of this circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157626290320772/.
This was the first time the workshop was given exclusively to children. Ages ranged from six years old (as seen in the video below) to twelve years old. Our curriculum guide was also provided in a bilingual English / Simplified Chinese format.
Photographic documentation of this circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157626290084388/.
This was the second time the workshop was given exclusively to children. Renuevo is a small private school in south central Los Angeles. Our curriculum guide was also provided in a bilingual English / Spanish format.
Photographic documentation of this circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157626290072296/.
Garnet Hertz, 2010-2015
https://conceptlab.com/
Circuit Bending / Toy Hacking
Garnet Hertz (Last Modified: 2015 February 11)Toy Hacking Instructional Video
Downloadable Toy Hacking Handbooks
Use old battery powered toys to make your own custom musical instrument or noise maker! Download it. Print it. Make stuff. Send it to your friends.
Warning: Only experiment with devices that are battery powered. You can seriously hurt yourself if you modify things that plug into a wall outlet. We take no responsibility if you injure, hurt or kill yourself while using our books or videos. If you kill yourself, it's not our fault. :)
Toy Hacking Handbook: An Electronics Crash Course, English (11.6MB PDF Document, February 2015 Edition - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License) - The T.A.C.O. Team
Toy Hacking Handbook, Spanish: Guia Para Hackear Juguetes, Español (11.6MB PDF Document, February 2015 Edition - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License) - The T.A.C.O. Team
Toy Hacking Handbook, Chinese: WanJuZhiZuo, ZhongWenBan (11.7MB PDF Document, February 2015 Edition - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License) - The T.A.C.O. Team
The Toy Hacking Workbook by The T.A.C.O. Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Translate your own Toy Hacking Handbook!
Are you interested in making your own translation to our guide? Download the guide and fill in the blanks. If you scan it and send it back to us, we'll post it here for others to use.
Toy Hacking Handbook: Blank, For New Translations (15.4MB PDF Document, February 2015 Edition - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License) - The T.A.C.O. Team
The Toy Hacking Workbook by The T.A.C.O. Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Research Project Overview
This project involves taking electronics workshops for adults and adapting them to be more suitable to children and people that wouldn't normally have the chance to work with electronics. In particular, we have targeted students 9-12 years of age from underserved communities to help these students in "circuit bending" (Ghazala, 2004) - the process of hand-modifying battery powered children's toys to build custom electronic instruments. Our goal is to instruct individuals with no prior experience in computing or engineering in the fundamentals of electronics.
Between 2010 and 2014, Garnet Hertz led a team of researchers and students at UC Irvine to develop a workshop guidebook specifically targeted to children.
(Slides: UCSD Experiential Learning Conference: Education in Action - January 26th 2012)
Goals of Work
The specific goals of this work are:- To use this curriculum to prepare the next generation of leaders to approach human challenges through creative technical solutions.
- To introduce creativity and arts into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) educational activities. We agree with John Maeda's statement that innovation is born when art meets science.
- To leverage the creativity and energy in maker and D.I.Y. electronic cultures to hold workshops that encourage school age and undergraduate students to pursue advanced education.
- A series of free hands-on workshops with low technical requirements to introduce STEAM to school aged children in under-represented and low-income communities through partnerships with community organizations.
- Involvement of undergraduate students with similar cultural backgrounds as mentors and workshop assistants for research and outreach activities.
Project Workshops and Events
Circuit Bending Workshop #1: Art Center Media Design Program
24 Jan 2010, Pasadena, CaliforniaGarnet Hertz led a one-day workshop in January 2010 at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in which participants brought sound-making electronic toys to modify by hand. Although many had no experience with electronics, 90% were able to successfully produce their own custom electronic device from scrap materials.
Photographic documentation of this Art Center circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157623162097177/.
Circuit Bending Workshop #2, University of Southern California, Institute for Multimedia Literacy
24 Jan 2010, Los Angeles, CaliforniaThis Circuit Bending workshop was taught by Garnet Hertz at the Institute for Multimedia Literacy in the School of Cinematic Arts at USC on August 5th 2010. A custom instructional zine was commissioned for this event. The workshop was held as part of "Broadening the Digital Humanities", which designed to foster innovative multimedia research. Sponsors include The University of California's Humanities Research Institute, USC's Institute for Multimedia Literacy and the electronic journal Vectors.
Photographic documentation of this USC circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157624538423295/.
Circuit Bending Workshop #3, University of California Irvine, Department of Informatics / Civic and Community Engagement
27 Jan 2011, Irvine, CaliforniaThis Circuit Bending workshop was taught by Garnet Hertz in the Department of Informatics at UC Irvine on January 27th 2011. The workshop was held as a training session for students interested in acting as mentors in expanding the circuit bending workshops to children in underserved communities. The name of this initiative is the "Technology and Community Outreach" (TACO) project. This workshop was the first exposure to soldering or electronics for most students.
Photographic documentation of this UC Irvine circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157625743810771/show/.
Circuit Bending Workshop #4, Transmediale.11
04 February 2011, Berlin, GermanyThis Circuit Bending workshop was taught by Garnet Hertz at the Transmediale electronic art and culture festival in Berlin, Germany on February 4th 2011. The workshop was held with Jussi Parikka, co-author of the Vilém Flusser Theory Award nomined paper "Zombie Media: Circuit Bending Media Archaeology into an Art Method" which provides an academic basis for circuit bending. During this workshop, enrolled participants disassembled battery powered devices and toys, modified them, and performed their customised instruments.
Photographic documentation of this Transmediale.11 circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157625922124976/show/.
Circuit Bending Workshop #5, USC
03 March 2011, Los Angeles, CaliforniaA return of bending circuits at USC!
Photographic documentation of this circuit bending workshop (as well as two other classes taught) can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157626165170559/.
Circuit Bending Workshop #6, Art Center Media Design Program
05 March 2011, Pasadena, CaliforniaArt Center!
Photographic documentation of this circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157626290320772/.
Circuit Bending Workshop #7, Verano After School Program
11 March 2011, Irvine, CaliforniaThis was the first time the workshop was given exclusively to children. Ages ranged from six years old (as seen in the video below) to twelve years old. Our curriculum guide was also provided in a bilingual English / Simplified Chinese format.
Photographic documentation of this circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157626290084388/.
Circuit Bending Workshop #8, Renuevo School
17 March 2011, Huntington Park, CaliforniaThis was the second time the workshop was given exclusively to children. Renuevo is a small private school in south central Los Angeles. Our curriculum guide was also provided in a bilingual English / Spanish format.
Photographic documentation of this circuit bending workshop can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/sets/72157626290072296/.
Press / Sightings
- Bruce Sterling, Wired (Feb 5th 2011): https://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2011/02/dead-media-beat-garnet-hertz/.
- Transmediale.11 annoucement: https://www.transmediale.de/content/zombie-media-workshop-circuit-bending-media-archaeology
- Audio recording by Nina Wenhart (ninjafx): https://audioboo.fm/boos/269971-zombie-media-workshop-transmediale-tm11
Project Team / Support
- Director: Garnet Hertz (Department of Informatics, UC Irvine)
- Faculty Support: Gillian Hayes (Department of Informatics, UC Irvine), Joe Mahoney (Education, UC Irvine), Paul Dourish (Department of Informatics, UC Irvine)
- Support by: UC Irvine Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP)
- Illustration: Chen-yu Lee.
- Spanish Translation: Brenda Ramirez, Diana Garcia and Noelia Hernandez.
- Chinese Translation: Naiyu Chen and Chen-yu Lee.
- Proofreaders: Rosalva Gallardo-Valencia, Silvia Lindtner, Yunan Chen and Bob Mayfield.
- Ethnographic Fieldwork, Research Coordination and Documentation: Amelia Guimarin.
- Research Assistants: Rachel Weiner, Marie Gilbert, Angela Li and Anglea Liu.
Lectures on this project
Support
- This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1224131. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Garnet Hertz, 2010-2015
https://conceptlab.com/