Build your own LED jacket!

Workshop on the 14th and 15th of September 2013
at PLATOON Kunsthalle Berlin.

Past workshop

This past workshop took place in september 2013 at the remake festival. We had some wonderful results, please check our documentation for some pictures.

Visit the blog entry

Make your own unique light-up jacket using Arduino

This is a good chance to learn about textile and wearable technology and build a real eye-catching product at the same time! We support your ideas by providing various materials like neon colors, glitter, mirroring film for ironing and of course LEDs and electronics. We also have a laser cutter and cutting plotter for you to use for your designs. Our goal is that you have fun and have the opportunity to experiment. We guarantee that by the end of this workshop, you will be holding in your hands a one-of-a-kind piece of clothing. If you like, you can focus more on the technological aspect, or take advantage of our software and focus mainly on the look,  it’s all up to you!

trafo pop workshop all you get

aimed at various diciplines of DIY culture

The workshop is aimed at people who are interested in sewing, textiles, fashion, Arduino technology or bicycle enthusiasts who want to make a fashion statement. The workshop is suitable for both beginners and experts, as the design does not end when you leave the building. You can continue to change and tweak to your hearts content.

what we are going to cover in the workshop

The 6-hour workshop covers the construction of the vest, (based on a denim jacket design) in which we will implement various techniques. Basically we are going to incorporate an Arduino compatible board (including batteries in the jacket) and equip it with LED lights. We teach the basics of how to control the LEDs using Arduino and how to build a screen from several individual LEDs. The instructors are going to show you how to deal with the different manufacturing processes, for example setting up designs in Adobe Illustrator for a cutting plotter or laser cutter. They will also help you work the sewing machine and weld the cables. With our help, you can build your own individual functioning LED jacket!

wear your jacket at our night rides

Biking is made even better with your own homemade LED jacket! Meet new people at the Night Rides, and have fun as part of a group. We build exceptional vests which want to be worn, by day or (mostly) by night. The invitation is always open for those who want to join!

The workshop fee includes all materials ond usage of machines for a basic Trafo Pop Jacket:

  • 50 stripped colour LEDs (beautifull rivet like 3 dimensional ones that stick out of your jacket), the RGB LEDs are individually adressable!
  • 1 arduino nano compatible board
  • 1 USB high capacity battery that will also allow you to recharge your smartphone/iPhone/iPad via USB 
  • 1 jeans jacket
  • 1 USB cable and 1 connector cable
  • 1 support film that will allow you to glue your LEDs inside the jacket
  • films that you can iron onto you jacket
  • yarn and cables you will need
  • a lasercutter
  • a cutting-plotter
  • 1 Trafo Pop badge that makes your vest an original

If you want to go further we addtionally offer:

  • get another pack of 50 LEDs and build a screen with up to 100 LEDs onto your jacket
  • integrate sensors like a compass or accelerometer
  • connect a SD-cardreader for hours of frame animation for your display

This workshop will be adminstrated by:

Thomas

Stefan

Bianka