Wearable LEDs/Speaker with Bluetooth Connectivity

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ttttcrngyblflpp
 
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Wearable LEDs/Speaker with Bluetooth Connectivity

Post by ttttcrngyblflpp »

I'm putting together a wearable text message/social media notification system. I'm thinking of using the NeoPixel Ring with 12 LEDs with a speaker (https://www.adafruit.com/products/1890) in the middle and placing that somewhere on the upper chest area. There are a few things I want to ask for guidance and advice on:

1. I need a microcontroller with Bluetooth capability in order to connect to one's smartphone. I'm trying to keep cost as low as possible, but as far as I know the Gemma does not work with the nRF8001 Breakout. Will the Flora work? Is it my best option?
2. With regards to power supply, the 12 LEDs consume quite a bit of power but they are only on for a few seconds at a time. I'm thinking I would need to use either the 500mAh or the 1200mAh LiPo packs, since coin cell probably shouldn't have enough capacity. Am I right on this?
3. What is the best way of putting everything together such that the piece of clothing can be washed and the battery can be recharged/replaced with the least amount of hassle? I'm thinking of sewing the Flora (or Gemma) to the top, and having the NeoPixel ring with the speaker in the middle right on top of it. Where can/should I put the bluetooth breakout and the battery? One idea I have is using a belt as an accessory and using that to house the breakout and the battery pack. I can imagine how one could just stack everything on top of each other, but is there an easy way of detaching and reattaching the entire unit from the clothing?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

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adafruit_support_rick
 
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Re: Wearable LEDs/Speaker with Bluetooth Connectivity

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

1) The FLORA will work.
2) Use a LiPo. A coin cell won't do it for you.
3) I'll check with Becky

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bekathwia
 
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Re: Wearable LEDs/Speaker with Bluetooth Connectivity

Post by bekathwia »

There are many methods for designing circuits to be easy to wash. All the components can get wet except for the battery and speaker, so those two components should be mounted in a way that allows them to be removed. Simply sewing a pocket for your battery can be a good way to store it, but be sure to protect the lipoly battery from twists, punctures, etc. The speaker wires could be attached with snaps, and we carry some that you can solder to. Here are some videos I think will help you:

Washing wearable electronics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkvHjZhROEg
FLORA with Snaps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDwmnfpjlno
Rugged Wearable Electronics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kolq3eSu4ug

Additionally, surf our wearables tutorials for ideas about circuit layout/placement:

https://learn.adafruit.com/category/wearables

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