what
Collar necklace with Bluetooth controlled LEDs
when
2014
how
Base materials: Leather, metal mesh, feathers, ribbon, leather cord, raw silk
Electronics: The white LEDs are connected to a tiny Arduino microcontroller. Also connected to the microcontroller is an Adafruit Bluefruit LE which creates a Bluetooth connection to nearby phones and takes input from an app (also built by Adafruit). The wearer sends a predefined string of text via the app to the necklace. The code stored on the microcontroller translates the text from the app into a light pattern that repeats until stopped.
why build it
Wearable items embedded with technology often look stereotypically futuristic. I wanted to create a piece that felt organic, soft, and gentle. This led to the choice of materials ― leather base with feathers and raw silk. The feathers diffuse the harshness of the LEDs. I also wanted the wearer to be in control of the technology and not the other way around, so I added the Bluetooth component.
