Antenna Headband - Xiao Xiao
An elaborate headpiece that lights up three tiny LEDs when the antenna is squeezed or bent.
Circuitry
The sensor is made with two wires closely hugging each other for a length. One wire is wrapped in a material that conducts when pressed; the other is left bare. When the two wires are pressed together, whether by squeezing or bending the structure, a connection is made between the wires.
Three LEDs are wired in series and are sewn into the headband and connected to the negative terminal of the battery holder with conductive thread. The other end of the LEDs are connected to the bare wire in the sensor
The battery holder is sewn onto the inside of the headband. It is completely invisible when worn and is virtually unnoticeable to the wearer.
Process
I had originally intended on building a movement sensor, as shown in the diagram on the left. I wanted to attach a small, weighted charm to the two wires so that when I move my head, the charm would bounce around and pull the two wires together to form a connection. Unfortunately, I could not find an appropriately weighted charm to make this work.
I shaped the headband structure from a piece of wire, which I encased in two pieces of foam to insulate it from my circuitry. I then made a fabric tube to cover the inner structure so that I can sew my circuit into the fabric.
After attaching the circuit components, I added several feathers and another shaped piece of wire (with red bead) to the headband for decoration. The feathers also serve to hide the LEDs when they're off and diffuse the light when they're on.
Pictures
