MICHAEL RENCHECK
Electroluminescent Dance Suit
Electroluminescent (EL) wire is a normal wire with a phosphor coating that produces a light when AC current passes through it creating a hotspot-free, solid string of light. The suit is similar to those made popular by internet dance groups, but the lighting responds to sound frequencies detected by the integrated microphone.
Electrical Components
I started off by doing some research on different electronics DIY sites. I was able to find an existing ecosystem of components that could be easily programmed and also had some flexibility to expand the features.
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During my research I came across a fantastic little chip that was able to process an audio input for the decibel reading across 8 frequency ranges.
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Also after some early testing, I discovered that the environment drastically changed the performance of the microphone and sound chip. To account for this variability, I included two potentiometers, one to control the decibel threshold and the other to control the microphone gain.
The Build
The electronics were packaged into a custom printed housing that could then be clipped onto the pants and still allow the user access to knobs and buttons. The battery pack (12 AA rechargeable batteries) could be placed in any pocket.
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Based on the characters in their skit, the EL wires were fixed to a snowsuit using fishing wire for durability and to prevent from blocking any light. The lack of rigidity in the snowsuit material made securely sewing the strands down challenging. For the next suit, the team will likely choose different clothing.
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The other challenge that arose while assembling was how this suit would be easily donned and removed. The simple solution was to use quick connectors at the control box. This allowed all of the hardware to be completely removed from the suit and each article of clothing removed normally. As an added feature, if the team ever wants to use multiple suits in the future, they just need to transfer the control box to the suit they want to use.
