When You Need to Be a Tech Mermaid #WearableWednesday #wearabletech #arduino #DIY
It’s always exciting to find another successful build of an Adafruit project, and in this case it’s Ursula’s necklace inspired by The Little Mermaid. The golden shell was created by Linda and well documented on her blog MooseTech Enterprises. Linda wanted to be a mermaid for Halloween and was lucky enough to find our learning guide for the necklace. Her partner, John, had also recently purchased a 3D printer, so there was some excitement that she “finally found a use for the 3D printer.”
The main electronics for the necklace include an Adafruit FLORA microcontroller, as well as a Neopixel Ring and microphone. Although I thought the 3D print would be the challenge, Linda actually breezed through that section. The assembly turned out to be the tricky element.
The biggest challenge was trying to figure out how to get everything inside the hollowed out area without having anything fall out. It was also tough to figure out what to do with the microphone and its wires. The solution I found involved quite a lot of twisting of all the components.
It appears all of the parts ended up in the shell, even if it was a tight squeeze. It looks as though regular stranded wire was used, but I’m betting that silicone wire would have been even more flexible for this project. The beauty of open source is that we all learn by sharing our experiences and insights. My favorite part of Linda’s documentation is the test video for the LEDs reacting to sound.
For finishing touches, Linda customized the necklace by including a black velvet cord that is secured with a lobster clasp. This allows the length of the necklace to be changed depending on the neckline of the outfit. If you are considering making this necklace, definitely check out Linda’s tips on her master blog post. Then, you can start the build with our learning guide for Ursula’s Seashell Necklace. Whether you are looking for a winning costume or just something fun to wear for a fest, this necklace is sure to dazzle.
Every Wednesday is Wearable Wednesday here at Adafruit! We’re bringing you the blinkiest, most fashionable, innovative, and useful wearables from around the web and in our own original projects featuring our wearable Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. Be sure to post up your wearables projects in the forums or send us a link and you might be featured here on Wearable Wednesday!
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: The latest on Raspberry Pi RP2350-E9, Bluetooth 6, 4,000 Stars and more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey