Build it · microPlastics DJ

Build your own station

Everything you need to assemble the tactile station, where visitors touch real plastic samples wired through a Makey Makey to play the spectra with their hands. The software is free and runs in any browser, with no installation.

What you need

Display

A monitor 32 inches or larger (42 inches or more is better), connected by HDMI, positioned at the back of the table and visible from six to eight feet. Adjust the angle to minimize glare.

Audio

Computer speakers or a small PA, with volume adjustable for ambient noise. Test in the actual room.

Makey Makey interface

A Makey Makey Classic board over USB, alligator clip leads to the plastic samples, and a ground wire visitors can reach.

Physical samples

Four distinct plastics, PET, PE, PP, and PS, two to three inches each and easy to grasp. Secure them so the wires do not tangle, label each by type, and make sure they are conductive enough for detection.

Table and power

A sturdy table six to eight feet long at standing height (36 to 42 inches), with cable management and a surge-protected power strip. Leave room for four people at once.

Software

The browser-based microPlastics DJ. It displays the spectra, maps the keyboard to the plastic types, and generates the sound with the Web Audio API. No installation required.

Makey Makey wiring

Wire the four plastics to the W, A, S, and D inputs on the Makey Makey, which match the DJ's default keyboard mapping. Run the ground wire to a metal touch pad or wristband. A visitor completes the circuit by touching the ground pad and a plastic at the same time, and that plastic's sound plays. Mount the plastics in a labeled row, then test: touch the pad and a plastic, and you should hear it.

PET bottle

PE bag

PP cap

PS cup

The authentic spectral data

These are the real Raman peaks the tool sounds, measured in wavenumbers (cm to the minus one). They are not approximations.

PET630, 860, 1095, 1290, 1615water bottles, fibers

PE1130, 1295, 1460, 2880bags, packaging films

PP400, 840, 1330, 1460, 2950caps, tire wear, containers

PS620, 795, 1030, 1600, 3055foam, disposable cutlery

The signage system

Four kinds of sign turn a table into a discovery station: a main banner, color-coded plastic labels, a five-step research-journey sequence (sample collection, filtration, bioaccumulation, Raman spectroscopy, sound translation), and water-bottle markers tracing a lake sample down to nanoplastics. Full print specs and the facilitator playbook live in the museum guide.

See the museum and facilitator guide →

Want a hand building it?