MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY Since Sibow was designed for use in high-energy play areas, we wanted to make it durable. We decided on two stacked sheets of foam for the main body of the playtool. The foam also works well in conjunction with the four domed plastic buttons to create switches that can take repeated pressing and the full body weight of a child. In order to secure Sibow to a platform swing in motion, we affixed a sheet of Dycem, a non-slip rubbery material, to the bottom of the foam. This should hold the mat to most wood or carpet swing surfaces. Since stepping on a plastic button depresses only the foam around the button and not inside, we decided to place lever switches underneath each button. To avoid suction of the button to the foam, we sliced a deep line in the foam where the button edges rest. Lever switches MICROCHIP We used a BX-24 microchip to control the button interaction and game program. A more cost effective way to program Sibow would be to use a PIC microchip which cost only 7 dollars. We hide the microchip under a metal casing in the center of Sibow. The battery compartment sits next to this casing. Both the chip box and thte battery unit are durable and will not be made accessible to the users of the playtool. Summary of materials: Closed-cell foam sheets 4 colored plastic lighting gels 8 superbrite LEDs (light emitting diodes) 4 lever switches Dycem sheet Speaker and amp BX-24 microchip (re-programmable) 9 volt battery White acyrlic paint Future versions of Sibow could incorporate a small motor that vibrates when a child wins the game. Copyright © 2004 Sibow. All Rights Reserved.