In the Maker Shed: Game of Life Board

Technology
In the Maker Shed: Game of Life Board


Evolve or die! The Game of Life Kit, from the Maker Shed, is a simple electronic project that plays Conway’s Game of Life. Invented by Jeff Conway in 1970, it’s a mathematical game that simulates “colonies” that grow or die based on how crowded or lonely they are, and it’s known for the way it creates a beautiful organic display out of randomness. Make one kit and keep it on your desk, or attach multiple kit modules together to create a large display. Originally created by Dropout Design, this revision adds a few extra features. The kit is very easy to make, and an excellent first electronics project. It’s perfect for workshops, because at the end everyone can connect their completed modules together.

Features:

  • Each kit displays a 4×4 grid (16 LEDs) on a 3″x3″ board
  • Connect as many kits as you’d like, in any configuration, to create a larger game board
  • Runs on 2 AA batteries (not included), but can be easily modified to run on USB or wall-wart power
  • On/Off button saves power, also resets the display
  • Automatically resets if the colony has died or stagnated (regeneration)
  • Backward-compatible with older versions

 

4 thoughts on “In the Maker Shed: Game of Life Board

  1. Bill Kronholm says:

    The Game of Life was created by John Conway, not Jeff Conway.
    Also, the game is not based on randomness. There are very definite rules for the game of life, which can be said to create beauty out of chaos. Chaos is quite different from randomness.

  2. Bill Kronholm says:

    The Game of Life was created by John Conway, not Jeff Conway.Also, the game is not based on randomness. There are very definite rules for the game of life, which can be said to create beauty out of chaos. Chaos is quite different from randomness.

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

The Maker Shed is brought to you by Maker Media, the makers of MAKE Magazine, the Maker Faire, and much more.

Launched originally as a source for back issues of MAKE Magazine, the Maker Shed expanded rapidly to meet the demand for 'projects in a box,' otherwise known as kits. Now we have a little bit of everything for makers, crafters, and budding scientists, from Arduinos to sock monkeys to chemistry sets .

View more articles by Maker Shed

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK