This Is the Wackiest Neopixel Tech Makeover Ever #WearableWednesday @RealSexyCyborg #Wearabletech @GALDEN999 @ikeay #DIY #gyaruden
Luckily I follow Naomi Wu (@RealSexyCyborg) or I would have missed this exciting journey through Shibuya, Japan with an internet TV host getting a Neopixel makeover complete with Adafruit parts. Google translate is not the best, but I did manage to scrape up an explanation for this report at Abema TIMES. The engineer/host, Ayaka Ikezawa, visited “Gal Power” (GALDEN) to learn about their unusual art and wild fashion tech projects. GAL is a Japanese phenomena that mixes elements of American 90’s culture and these women have added technology making it glow.
They create hats and other garments that have spectacular bling to get attention. My favorite part is when the host solders her own earring at the workbench using a GEMMA microcontroller and Neopixel ring. I wish I had been there! In the end the host is transformed with a blonde wig and a crazy illuminated furry hat to match her dangling Neopixels. Although the women are seen as makers here, they also do performance art, which seems to poke fun at IoT. Here’s some more examples of their extravagant fashion tech, which they love to share on the street. They also do workshops to encourage women in tech.
Honestly, I haven’t seen this much glitter and metal since Jem and the Hollograms, which I loved. I had all the dolls from the show and I’m still really taken by the idea of being truly outrageous. So, thanks Naomi for introducing me to some great friends in Japan that may be even more outrageous than those characters. Here’s to more women learning how to solder, wild emojis and more party people hacking! Oh yes, and for anyone interested in making GEMMA Neopixel earrings, check out our tutorial. You can be Jem! Also, a special tip—if you are in Japan, make sure you go to the AkiParty August 6th that will be part of Maker Faire Tokyo. Wear your Neopixel earrings because I hear GALDEN will be in the house!
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!
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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.
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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!