Hacker News Reader

Comment by bee_rider | Hacker News Reader

Fireflies flash in response to lights. I wonder if a photoresistor sensitive enough to respond to his “firefly” can be found. Then he could rig it up so his fireflies communicate with each other. And maybe real fireflies as well.

It would have to be pretty danged sensitive I guess.

Extra points if the circuit can be rigged up to respond to changes in brightness, so that it doesn’t constantly trigger in daylight….

View on HN

I did an art piece at the San Francisco insect zoo, and each firefly has a photodiode. the piece is all mounted in a fairly dark area with some filters over the windows for the bugs. they can see each other blink well enough.

This is achievable with a simple photoresistor and transistor arrangement - real fireflies actually synchronize this way. Adding a CdS photocell in series with a resistor to the base of your existing trigger transistor would make the circuit flash in response to external light pulses while maintaining its autonomous oscillation.

Le Dominoux do something similar, triggered off each other, and uses a 555: https://youtu.be/PQOjkuJtBfM?si=8J2taYoicQEtJJJB

I was thinking along the same lines, create artificial fireflies to attempt and lure others back into the neighborhood..

But then again, fireflies use their lights to attract mates, and I'm thinking now that their phosphorus-based communication might be more complex than just a randomly emitting diode.

I can picture it now... "You're into WHAT?!? Nope, I'm out of here!"

Reply on news.ycombinator.com