Prevent IClickers From Turning on in Your Backpack

This is a super simple Instructable, but it solves the biggest design problem with iClickers. iClickers are these remotes we use at the University of Colorado at Boulder to answer in-class questions and to show that we showed up to class. The teacher can ask a question and see the statistical results of the class's answers. This helps the teacher to know if the class is following the material, and whether or not they should spend some more time on a certain subject. Overall their design is quite good. They can be easily set to a unique frequency for each classroom, they have five possible answers (A-E), they broadcast a unique code registered to each student so the teacher can take attendance, and their battery life is very good. The only major design flaw is that the power button is easily pressed when they are in a backpack, turning them on and draining the battery. They automatically turn off after 90 minutes, but if it happens often enough their battery will be drained much more quickly than it would be if they are used normally. To resolve this, I made a simple plastic guard for the power button.

I used the black plastic from a CD jewel case I had lying around because it is easily available, adequately tough, not too brittle, and thick enough to prevent the power button from being pressed under a reasonable amount of force. I cut out a slightly oversized rectangle of this plastic to make the guard from.

I cut down the guard to size using scissors, and finalized the size with a file. I then used a lighter to soften the plastic where I wanted it to curve around the edge of the iClicker and bent it into shape using a pair of pliers. I had to heat it and bend it repeatedly to get the exact shape I was looking for. I then used a rectangle of electrical tape to attach it on while still allowing it to be flipped up so the power button can still be pressed. I am not sure how well the electrical tape will hold up over time, but it is fairly flexible electrical tape, so it may last for quite a while. It would be possible to make this design more permanent by attaching a plastic hinge, but this is only an early prototype.