An amusing "electroscope" starter project that reveals if your friends are "highly charged!"

This ultra-simple device was designed as a low cost project for complete beginners, but it should also be of interest to those who like to experiment with unusual gadgets. It is a form of electroscope, which is a device that detects static electricity.

No doubt most readers have seen demonstrations of purely mechanical devices that use electrostatic forces to show the presence of high static voltages. This device uses some simple electronics to detect much smaller potentials, with a twin l.e.d. display showing any increase or decrease in the detected voltage.