beaded LED bracelets

Spring 2005-present. Each bracelet, woven on a traditinoal bead loom out of beads, conductive thread and surface mount LEDs, is a 5x10 display matrix that can be programmed with animations like cellular automata and scrolling text. I strove to make the bracelets lovely with the electricity on as well as off; the most recent versions are almost as thin and flexible as traditional beaded jewelry, controlled with surface mount electronics and soft circuitry and powered with flexible Lithium-ion batteries.

These recent bracelets, built in spring 2007, function as motion-sensing, communicating wearable displays (older versions were displays only). Each new bracelet contains an accelerometer that senses wrist movement and a Bluetooth module for wireless communication. They can interact with laptops, PDAs and cell phones as well as each other and other wearables.

Click here or on an image for a movie (7.7 MB).

Old wearables projects.