Making Sound-Reactive Clothing
Students use sound-reactive EL wire to create attention-getting wearables to keep pedestrians safe.Copyright 2016 SparkFun Education https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/sound-reactive-el-wire-costume
Students apply sound-activated light-up EL wire to create personalized light-up clothing outfits. During the project, students become familiar with the components, code and logic to complete circuits and employ their imaginations to real-world applications of technology. Acting as if they are engineers, students are challenged to incorporate electroluminescent wire to regular clothing to make attention-getting safety clothing for joggers and cyclists. Luminescent EL wire stays cool, making it ideal to sew into wearable projects. They use the SparkFun sound detector and the EL sequencer circuit board to flash the EL wire to the rhythm of ambient sound, such as music, clapping, talking—or roadway traffic sounds! The combination of sensors, microcontrollers and EL wire enables a wide range of feedback and control options.
Safety is often taken into consideration in the design and implementation of engineering projects. Engineers ensure their product, process and structure designs do not put people in harm’s way. Engineers also create new materials and design products such as bright reflective vests and signs as ways to proactively make workers more visible at roadway, construction and emergency sites. Wearable technology has extended to clothing, shoes and equipment for joggers and cyclists to make them more likely to be seen by vehicle drivers. How might reflective clothing be further improved? What if engineers added lights that react to sound? The lights would bring attention to the person wearing the vest and notify the wearer of moving vehicles nearby.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Use technology components (microcontroller, sensor, wire, circuit, code) to make a functioning project, including soldering.
- Define what an electroluminescent (EL) wire is.
- Describe how sound can control a circuit.
- Explain what a circuit is.
- Explain how engineers are involved in human safety.