A Kit of No Parts

When we build electronics from discrete components our designs are shaped by their standardized forms and functionalities. While datasheets contain detailed information about a given part, it is less common to find instructions showing us how to build and taylor electronics to the specifics of our design. A Kit-of-No-Parts explores the process of making electronic components ourselves. Components that match our set of building materials, so that if our device is made of paper we can scribble graphite resistors, fold carbon pressure sensors and paint copper traces. Building electronics from materials instead of parts gives us more control over their final form and function, and we can document and share these designs with others.

About Hannah Perner-Wilson

Hannah Perner-Wilson combines conductive materials and craft techniques, developing new styles of building electronics that emphasize materiality and process. She received a BA in Industrial Design from the University for Art and Industrial Design Linz and an MA in Media Arts and Sciences from the MIT Media Lab, where she was a student in the High-Low Tech research group. Since 2006 Hannah has collaborated with Mika Satomi, forming the collective KOBAKANT. In 2009, as research fellows at the Distance Lab in Scotland, KOBAKANT published the website titled How To Get What You Want, where they share their textile sensor designs and DIY approach to e-textiles.