Beauty and the LEDs?
Beauty and the Beast lovers, this latest project is for you. In what may very well be the brightest idea (literally) since Zoey’s LED Minnie Mouse costume, Maker mom Teresa Roberts created a Belle-inspired dress that would fit right into any Disney Electric Light Parade.
To bring this idea to life, Roberts used four Lilypad Arduino units (ATmega328) connected to approximately 600 LEDs. The edge of the skirt is outlined with warm white lights, while red lights emit an animated swirling sequence and ultra bright clear lights are set to randomly twinkle.
And, what would a Belle ensemble be without her enchanted rose? The character’s signature piece is designed into the dress with some EL wire, which is illuminated in red, white and green. Roberts also used a USB converter for the EL wire, while the dress itself is powered by three C batteries.
In terms of fabric, while originally planning to use conductive thread, Roberts learned rather quickly that would be a daunting task. Instead, the Maker mom turned to thin 24-gauge speaker wire so she wouldn’t have to worry about shorts.
Interested in learning more? You can find a detailed log of her build here, and watch some Disney magic below!
Atmel | Bits & Pieces 