8. Wearables¶
Research and inspiration¶
I started this week by making some simple examples of the Arduino book of my 11 year old son because I didn't want to be disappointed by not understanding what was happening in the electronic circuits.
We made the examples together and he gave me some explanations when I didn't understand something. I was happy that he helped me and he was proud to explain me electronic stuff. A win-win situation!
Then I looked at some simple projects of Adafruit learn to get inspired with simple projects. I decided to make a project with Led pixels.
I was also inspired by my mother who has become blind and has also difficulties with hearing. When she is moving around in her house, she puts her hands forwards to feel if she is not bumping into something. So I wanted to design a glove with a distance sensor that vibrates when she is approaching an object.
Project 1 Led pixels sewed on fabric¶
I used an Adafruit Flora as a microcontroller and three Flora RGB Smart Neopixels. The Adafruit tutorial for sewable pixels formed the base for my project.
I first started with Flora tutorial to learn how to work with the Flora.
When you know little about electronics those tutorials are a good base to start with because the whole process is very well and step-by-step explained. It helped me to become more and more friends with electronics.
I first discovered how connecting the Led's worked by using the clips.
On the Adafruit website here is even a good guideline how to do the sewing work with the Ledpixels. Because I had a lot of trouble when I sewed the Led's in week 4, I found this tutorial very useful!
Code for Sewable Neopixels¶
This is the Arduino code I used for the Ledpixels circuit. And here you can find the file.
// A basic everyday NeoPixel strip test program.
// NEOPIXEL BEST PRACTICES for most reliable operation:
// - Add 1000 uF CAPACITOR between NeoPixel strip's + and - connections.
// - MINIMIZE WIRING LENGTH between microcontroller board and first pixel.
// - NeoPixel strip's DATA-IN should pass through a 300-500 OHM RESISTOR.
// - AVOID connecting NeoPixels on a LIVE CIRCUIT. If you must, ALWAYS
// connect GROUND (-) first, then +, then data.
// - When using a 3.3V microcontroller with a 5V-powered NeoPixel strip,
// a LOGIC-LEVEL CONVERTER on the data line is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
// (Skipping these may work OK on your workbench but can fail in the field)
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#ifdef __AVR__
#include <avr/power.h> // Required for 16 MHz Adafruit Trinket
#endif
// Which pin on the Arduino is connected to the NeoPixels?
// On a Trinket or Gemma we suggest changing this to 1:
#define LED_PIN 6
// How many NeoPixels are attached to the Arduino?
#define LED_COUNT 60
// Declare our NeoPixel strip object:
Adafruit_NeoPixel strip(LED_COUNT, LED_PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
// Argument 1 = Number of pixels in NeoPixel strip
// Argument 2 = Arduino pin number (most are valid)
// Argument 3 = Pixel type flags, add together as needed:
// NEO_KHZ800 800 KHz bitstream (most NeoPixel products w/WS2812 LEDs)
// NEO_KHZ400 400 KHz (classic 'v1' (not v2) FLORA pixels, WS2811 drivers)
// NEO_GRB Pixels are wired for GRB bitstream (most NeoPixel products)
// NEO_RGB Pixels are wired for RGB bitstream (v1 FLORA pixels, not v2)
// NEO_RGBW Pixels are wired for RGBW bitstream (NeoPixel RGBW products)
// setup() function -- runs once at startup --------------------------------
void setup() {
// These lines are specifically to support the Adafruit Trinket 5V 16 MHz.
// Any other board, you can remove this part (but no harm leaving it):
#if defined(__AVR_ATtiny85__) && (F_CPU == 16000000)
clock_prescale_set(clock_div_1);
#endif
// END of Trinket-specific code.
strip.begin(); // INITIALIZE NeoPixel strip object (REQUIRED)
strip.show(); // Turn OFF all pixels ASAP
strip.setBrightness(50); // Set BRIGHTNESS to about 1/5 (max = 255)
}
// loop() function -- runs repeatedly as long as board is on ---------------
void loop() {
// Fill along the length of the strip in various colors...
colorWipe(strip.Color(255, 0, 0), 50); // Red
colorWipe(strip.Color( 0, 255, 0), 50); // Green
colorWipe(strip.Color( 0, 0, 255), 50); // Blue
// Do a theater marquee effect in various colors...
theaterChase(strip.Color(127, 127, 127), 50); // White, half brightness
theaterChase(strip.Color(127, 0, 0), 50); // Red, half brightness
theaterChase(strip.Color( 0, 0, 127), 50); // Blue, half brightness
rainbow(10); // Flowing rainbow cycle along the whole strip
theaterChaseRainbow(50); // Rainbow-enhanced theaterChase variant
}
// Some functions of our own for creating animated effects -----------------
// Fill strip pixels one after another with a color. Strip is NOT cleared
// first; anything there will be covered pixel by pixel. Pass in color
// (as a single 'packed' 32-bit value, which you can get by calling
// strip.Color(red, green, blue) as shown in the loop() function above),
// and a delay time (in milliseconds) between pixels.
void colorWipe(uint32_t color, int wait) {
for(int i=0; i<strip.numPixels(); i++) { // For each pixel in strip...
strip.setPixelColor(i, color); // Set pixel's color (in RAM)
strip.show(); // Update strip to match
delay(wait); // Pause for a moment
}
}
// Theater-marquee-style chasing lights. Pass in a color (32-bit value,
// a la strip.Color(r,g,b) as mentioned above), and a delay time (in ms)
// between frames.
void theaterChase(uint32_t color, int wait) {
for(int a=0; a<10; a++) { // Repeat 10 times...
for(int b=0; b<3; b++) { // 'b' counts from 0 to 2...
strip.clear(); // Set all pixels in RAM to 0 (off)
// 'c' counts up from 'b' to end of strip in steps of 3...
for(int c=b; c<strip.numPixels(); c += 3) {
strip.setPixelColor(c, color); // Set pixel 'c' to value 'color'
}
strip.show(); // Update strip with new contents
delay(wait); // Pause for a moment
}
}
}
// Rainbow cycle along whole strip. Pass delay time (in ms) between frames.
void rainbow(int wait) {
// Hue of first pixel runs 5 complete loops through the color wheel.
// Color wheel has a range of 65536 but it's OK if we roll over, so
// just count from 0 to 5*65536. Adding 256 to firstPixelHue each time
// means we'll make 5*65536/256 = 1280 passes through this loop:
for(long firstPixelHue = 0; firstPixelHue < 5*65536; firstPixelHue += 256) {
// strip.rainbow() can take a single argument (first pixel hue) or
// optionally a few extras: number of rainbow repetitions (default 1),
// saturation and value (brightness) (both 0-255, similar to the
// ColorHSV() function, default 255), and a true/false flag for whether
// to apply gamma correction to provide 'truer' colors (default true).
strip.rainbow(firstPixelHue);
// Above line is equivalent to:
// strip.rainbow(firstPixelHue, 1, 255, 255, true);
strip.show(); // Update strip with new contents
delay(wait); // Pause for a moment
}
}
// Rainbow-enhanced theater marquee. Pass delay time (in ms) between frames.
void theaterChaseRainbow(int wait) {
int firstPixelHue = 0; // First pixel starts at red (hue 0)
for(int a=0; a<30; a++) { // Repeat 30 times...
for(int b=0; b<3; b++) { // 'b' counts from 0 to 2...
strip.clear(); // Set all pixels in RAM to 0 (off)
// 'c' counts up from 'b' to end of strip in increments of 3...
for(int c=b; c<strip.numPixels(); c += 3) {
// hue of pixel 'c' is offset by an amount to make one full
// revolution of the color wheel (range 65536) along the length
// of the strip (strip.numPixels() steps):
int hue = firstPixelHue + c * 65536L / strip.numPixels();
uint32_t color = strip.gamma32(strip.ColorHSV(hue)); // hue -> RGB
strip.setPixelColor(c, color); // Set pixel 'c' to value 'color'
}
strip.show(); // Update strip with new contents
delay(wait); // Pause for a moment
firstPixelHue += 65536 / 90; // One cycle of color wheel over 90 frames
}
}
}
Result¶
And this my result:
Project 2 Glove for blind people with distance sensor and vibration motor¶
For my second project I wanted to make a first draft for a glove with ultrasonic distance sensor integrated. When approaching an object with the glove, a little vibration motor will start vibrating.
I used the Adafruit HC-SR04 ultrasonic distance sensor and the Adafruit vibrating mini motor.
First, I build the circuit with only the distance sensor. To do this, I used the schematic of Rui Santos of Random Nerd-Tutorials
I tried connect it to the Arduino microprocessor and it worked.
Then I added the vibration motor in the circuit. For this I used this scheme:
I took the Arduino code of Rui Santos for the ultrasonic sensor and we then added code for the vibration motor.Here you can find the file.
Code Vibration motor with ultrasonic sensor¶
/*
Ultrasonic sensor Pins:
VCC: +5VDC
Trig : Trigger (INPUT) - Pin11
Echo: Echo (OUTPUT) - Pin 12
Vibration motor: Motor (OUTPUT)- Pin 7
GND: GND
*/
int motorPin = 7; // Motor
int trigPin = 11; // Trigger
int echoPin = 12; // Echo
long duration, cm, inches;
void setup() {
//Serial Port begin
Serial.begin (9600);
//Define inputs and outputs
pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(motorPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(echoPin, INPUT);
digitalWrite(motorPin, HIGH);
}
void loop() {
// The sensor is triggered by a HIGH pulse of 10 or more microseconds.
// Give a short LOW pulse beforehand to ensure a clean HIGH pulse:
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(5);
digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(10);
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
// Read the signal from the sensor: a HIGH pulse whose
// duration is the time (in microseconds) from the sending
// of the ping to the reception of its echo off of an object.
pinMode(echoPin, INPUT);
duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH);
// Convert the time into a distance
cm = (duration/2) / 29.1; // Divide by 29.1 or multiply by 0.0343
Serial.print(cm);
Serial.print("cm");
Serial.println();
if(cm <= 10){
Serial.println("ATTENTION");
//digitalWrite(motorPin, LOW);
//delayMicroseconds(5);
digitalWrite(motorPin, HIGH);
delay(2000);
digitalWrite(motorPin, LOW);
}
if(cm <= 5){
Serial.println("ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION");
digitalWrite(motorPin, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(motorPin, LOW);
}
delay(250);
}
Result¶
I did not have the time to sew the circuit on a glove, so I just made the final video by holding the distance sensor on the glove. When approaching an object the motor started vibrating!