12. Skin Electronics¶

Introduction¶

For me, chaos is not merely disorder, but a reflection of a deep internal state — filled with contradictions and emotional tension — that drives my need for expression through design. In this Skin Electronics project, I draw inspiration from my personal interpretation of chaos to transform these internal conflicts into visual forms that interact directly with the body.

I will integrate this concept by designing an electronic circuit worn or applied onto the skin, shaped with organic and irregular patterns that echo emotional distortion and inner struggles. This circuit becomes both a technical and artistic piece — a reflection of the human connection between self and technology.

Surrealism and Chaos as Inspiration¶

This project draws on the intersection between Surrealism and Chaos to shape the final design. Surrealism, as an art movement, sought to unlock the unconscious mind and express hidden emotions, dreams, and psychological complexity through irrational, symbolic, and often fantastical forms. Inspired by artists like Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and Hans Bellmer, I see Surrealism as a visual language that mirrors the emotional turbulence I associate with chaos.

By merging surrealist aesthetics with the organic, unstructured qualities of chaos, I created a wearable skin-based circuit that reflects both subconscious emotion and fragmented thought. The irregular lines and symbolic patterns evoke dream-like states, while the integration of technology grounds them in contemporary human experience — blurring the line between body, mind, and machine.

Artistic References:¶

Salvador Dalí – The Persistence of Memory (1931)
Hans Bellmer – La Poupée series (1934–1949)
Max Ernst – The Elephant Celebes (1921)
H.R. Giger – for his biomechanical surrealism, fusing organic and technological elements

This fusion of surrealism and chaos enables the project to go beyond aesthetics — turning the wearable circuit into a poetic, personal statement of inner disorder and identity.

Design and Development Process¶

Similar Projects That Inspired Me¶

During the development of my project, I researched similar electronic projects that combine interactive art with Arduino technology and light sensors. These projects helped me better understand how to integrate electronic circuits aesthetically and functionally within an art piece. Among the projects that inspired me:

Using a Light Sensor with Arduino¶

In this video, a light sensor (LDR) is connected to an Arduino to control an LED’s illumination based on ambient light intensity. This project was very helpful to me, especially in the early stages when I tested the idea on a breadboard and later transferred it to a visual design in the shape of an "eye."

This simple project explained how to read analog values from a light sensor and link them with basic programming logic using an if-condition to turn the LED on or off, which is the same principle I used in developing my project’s code.

Concept Sketching on Procreate¶

To begin the project, I created a conceptual sketch using the Procreate app. The drawing consists of abstract and surreal facial elements—such as eyes, mouths, and fragmented contours—interwoven in a chaotic structure. This visual language represents internal disorder and emotional confusion, blending the aesthetics of chaos with surrealism to serve as the core visual inspiration for the wearable circuit.

Material Collection¶

Once the concept was clear, I collected the necessary electronic and conductive materials required to bring the design to life. These components would later be used to build a functional and flexible circuit that can be worn directly on the skin or fabric.

Circuit Prototyping¶

As a first technical step, I assembled a small prototype circuit on a piece of fabric. This allowed me to test the functionality of the materials and the interaction between the components. The prototype included: - A power source (coin cell battery) - Conductive copper tape as circuit traces - A small LED light - A resistor to control current - Thin wires for connectivity

This initial test confirmed the feasibility of building a flexible skin-mounted electronic design that aligns with my concept.

Materials Used¶

Material	Purpose
Copper Tape	To create conductive paths on fabric
Thin Wires	To connect components discreetly
Coin Cell Battery	Power source for the circuit
Mini LED Light	Visual output for the circuit
Resistor	To regulate current to the LED
Arduino Microcontroller	Optional control logic for future extension
Fabric (Base Layer)	Surface for assembling the prototype circuit

Transferring and Editing the Drawing in Illustrator¶

After completing the sketch on Procreate, I imported the artwork into Adobe Illustrator for digital refinement. I began by removing the white background and isolating only the hand-drawn lines and forms I wanted to use in the final piece.

To prepare the file for cutting, I increased the stroke thickness of the selected paths to 3 mm, ensuring the lines would be clearly recognized and accurately cut by the machine. This adjustment was crucial to maintain both visual clarity and technical precision during fabrication.

Exporting to DXF for Sticker Cutting¶

Once the vector drawing was finalized, I exported the file in DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) — a format compatible with most vinyl and sticker cutting machines. To do this in Illustrator: 1. Go to File > Save As 2. Choose AutoCAD Interchange File (*.DXF) from the file type options 3. Select appropriate settings (e.g., Version: AutoCAD 2000, Units: Millimeters) 4. Save and transfer the file to the cutting machine software

This allowed me to directly cut the cleaned and scaled artwork onto vinyl or other adhesive materials, ready to be applied onto fabric or skin as part of the wearable design.

Cutting Challenges and Material Settings¶

During the cutting process, I encountered an issue with the cutting force on the vinyl cutter. At first, the machine did not fully cut through the design because the force was too low. However, when I increased the cutting force, the machine started to tear and distort the design, damaging the final output.

This revealed the importance of fine-tuning the machine settings based on the material's thickness and type. In response, I conducted several tests using small segments of the design to identify the optimal force and speed settings before committing to the full cut.

Manual Adjustment and Using Part of the Drawing¶

In the first attempt, the cutting process using the sticker cutting machine was unsuccessful due to issues with the settings and cutting force, which caused the design to be damaged. To overcome this, I decided to proceed with a manual cutting approach using precision tools.

Instead of using the full drawing, I selected only the "eye" element from the original artwork — a visually strong and symbolic feature that represents inner observation and psychological unrest. I carefully hand-cut the eye, preserving the expressive and chaotic lines that reflect the surreal and chaotic aesthetic of the project.

Although the method was simple, this step allowed me to experiment with the design visually and physically on fabric or skin, and to test its compatibility with the electronic circuit that would be integrated later in the process.

Light Sensor Integration and Breadboard Testing¶

After finalizing the design layout, I proceeded to experiment with adding a light sensor to the circuit. The goal was to make the electronic component more interactive by allowing it to respond to changes in ambient light.

I connected the light sensor to the Arduino microcontroller and uploaded a simple code to test its functionality. To ensure everything worked correctly before final assembly, I built and tested the full circuit using a breadboard. This allowed me to make quick adjustments to the wiring and confirm that the LED would react as expected to variations in light intensity.

This stage was crucial for validating the circuit's logic and preparing it for integration into the final wearable version.

Materials Used – Breadboard Testing Phase¶

Component	Description / Purpose
Breadboard	For assembling and testing the circuit temporarily
Arduino UNO	Microcontroller used to upload and run the code
Jumper Wires	To connect components on the breadboard
LED Light	Output element to visualize circuit response
Light Sensor (LDR)	To detect ambient light and trigger the LED
Resistors	To control current and ensure safe component operation
USB Cable	To connect Arduino UNO to laptop
Laptop	Used to write, upload, and monitor the Arduino code

Simultaneous Arduino Coding and Sensor Testing¶

While assembling the physical circuit on the breadboard, I was also working in parallel on writing and refining the Arduino code. The objective was to create a simple program that would read input from the light sensor (LDR) and trigger the LED based on light intensity levels.

This process involved testing various threshold values and adjusting the code to ensure that the LED would turn on in darker environments and switch off under bright light. Through repeated uploading and observation using the Arduino IDE connected to my laptop, I was able to fine-tune the behavior of the system and confirm that both the code and sensor were functioning as intended.

This phase allowed me to validate the logic and responsiveness of the interactive element before final assembly.

Arduino Code for Light Sensor (LDR) and LED Interaction¶

Below is the Arduino code I used to test the LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) with an LED. The LED turns on when the light intensity drops below a threshold (≤100), and turns off otherwise. The LDR values are also printed to the Serial Monitor for observation.

int ledPin = 4;
int ldrPin = A0;

int ledPin = 4;
int ldrPin = A0;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(ldrPin, INPUT);
}

void loop() {
  delay(1000);
  int ldrStatus = analogRead(ldrPin);

  if (ldrStatus <= 100) {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
    Serial.println(ldrStatus);
  } else {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
    Serial.println(ldrStatus);
  }
}

13. Circuit Functionality Explained¶

The circuit was designed to be simple yet effective in creating a responsive interaction between light and the visual design of the eye. Here's how it works in detail:

Light Sensor (LDR)
The LDR is an analog sensor that changes its resistance based on the amount of light hitting it. In bright environments, the resistance is low, and in darkness, it increases.
Analog Input Reading
The LDR is connected to analog pin A0 on the Arduino. The analogRead() function captures the current light level and assigns it a value between 0 (dark) and 1023 (bright).
Threshold Logic in Code
In the code, I set a threshold value of 100. If the LDR value is ≤ 100, it means the environment is dark, and the Arduino sends a signal to turn the LED ON.
LED and Resistor
The LED is connected to digital pin 4. To protect the LED from excess current, I added a 220Ω resistor in series. When the condition in the code is met, digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH) activates the LED.
Power and Ground
The components share a common ground (GND) and are powered through the Arduino’s 5V output, which is supplied via USB connection to the laptop.

This setup creates a functional light-responsive eye, where the LED embedded in the design turns on in the dark — symbolizing inner vision, alertness, or presence in moments of mental or emotional chaos.