Kids love games of exclusion. This usually manifests itself in games of ‘keep away,’ having someone ‘catch cooties,’ or the ever-popular ‘No Brian club.’ [Rob] wrote in to tell us about the digital cootie detector he built. The cootie detector operates on galvanic skin response. It’s actually very similar to an E-Meter, although instead of Thetans this device measures something that actually exists.
Galvanic skin response is a measure of the skin’s conductivity. Skin conductivity changes because sweat glands will be activated when someone is nervous. This is a measure of psychological arousal, making it a great detector for games of exclusion – a kid who doesn’t want cooties will ‘psych themself out’ and give themselves cooties.
The build is based around an ATtiny45 with just a few resistors and paperclips required for a complete build. The ‘Cootie Detection Algorithm’ starts off with a flashing light – a great way to make someone nervous. After the test is completed, a green light means they can enter the quarantined area, while a red light means they must be excluded. There’s also a “device tampered” result – alternating red and green lights – that will show up when a clever child tries to short the paperclip leads. Check out the demo below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgkBPqhUnNQ&w=470]
Never heard of a ‘No Brian Club’.
@Decius: it’s a protected secret from people with cooties like you..
Really? No one has ever heard of the No Brian Club?
There was one everywhere I’ve ever lived.
scientologists and cancer cure all’s will soon be using this one too.
Funny… I heard it was a different name… eeriely similar to my name.
Couldn’t be related, could it?
“something that actually exist” ROFL!!!
@xorpunk “Spend at least 3 million USD developing and publishing an AAA game, and then watch it get distributed on the internet for free by at least 10k users, *THEN* enlighten us with your economical wizdom..”
Lul.
This device will make impressionable people feel very sad and self-consenious, leading them to do stupid things and could even end up ruining their lives, its disgusting! Ok, enough about the E-Meter, that Cootie Detector is neat!
Whoah! Are you telling me that my 3 year old may be a “Brian”, have cooties, be a decroded zombie, have cancer and/or be a Scientologist? I thought she just had sweaty hands because she’s a spaz! I’m dismantling this diabolical device. The world isn’t ready.
Hasn’t what happened in Norway taught us to be more understanding of others beliefs than less?
I’m going to repurpose it into a sarcasm detector. Please hold your finger in the top right corner of your monitor for five seconds after you post. I’ll be here all night taking readings.
i thought a cootie was a medical condition that is associated with school aged boy/girl friend relations.
“i dont want your cooties”
“dont give me your cooties”
@ rob: A sarcasm detector? That’s a real useful invention.
LOL; so this is to measure cooties, and it supposedly “measures something that actually exists”? Needs a bar graph or red yellow green LEDs. Claiming it measures, indicates something of a more adult nature would increase the sales potential. Make it coin operated, and place in bars to generate revenue.
Aww, looks like we have a lifelong nerd on the post list. Reminds me of the song: Don’t play with Bruno. (Look it up on youtube).
Ok.. so how do we build this? no parts list? no instructions? no code??? You guys are slipping…
The basic build info is on the original YouTube video.
The only club I was ever in was the Pen 15 club.
Hahah mike I’ll bet you were