Design, code, and build exciting wearable projects using Arduino tools
About This Book
- Develop an interactive program using sensors and actuators suitable with wearables
- Understand wearable programming with the help of hands-on projects
- Explore different wearable design processes in the Arduino platform and customize them to fit your individual needs
Who This Book Is For
This book is intended for readers who are familiar with the Arduino platform and want to learn more about creating wearable projects. No previous experience in wearables is expected, although a basic knowledge of Arduino programming will help.
What You Will Learn
- Develop a basic understanding of wearable computing
- Learn about Arduino and its compatible prototyping platforms suitable for creating wearables
- Understand the design process surrounding the creation of wearable objects
- Gain insight into the materials suitable for developing wearable projects
- Design and create projects including interactive bike gloves, GPRS locator watch, and more using various kinds of electronic components
- Discover programming for interactivity
- Learn how to connect and interface wearables' with Bluetooth and WiFi
- Get your hands dirty with your own personalized designs
In Detail
The demand for smart wearable technologies is becoming more popular day by day. The Arduino platform was developed keeping wearables, such as watches that track your location or shoes that count the miles you've run, in mind. It is basically an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board and a development environment in which you create the software for the board. If you're interested in designing and creating your own wearables, this is an excellent platform for you.
This book provides you with the skills and understanding to create your own wearable projects. The book covers different prototyping boards which are compatible with the Arduino platform and are suitable for creating wearable projects. Each chapter of the book covers a project in which knowledge and skills are introduced gradually, making the book suitable for all kinds of readers.
You begin your journey with understanding electronic components, including LEDs and sensors, to get yourself up to scratch and comfortable with different components. You will then gain hands-on experience by creating your very first wearable project, a pair of interactive bike gloves that help you cycle at night. This is followed by a project making your own funky LED glasses and a cool GPS watch. You'll also delve into other projects including creating your own keyless doorlock, wearable NFC tags, a fitness-tracking device, and a WiFi-enabled spark board. The final project is a compilation of the previous concepts used where you make your own smart watch with fitness tracking, internet-based notifications, GPS, and of course time telling.
Style and approach
This is a project-based book that introduces each project to the reader step-by-step. Each project starts out by covering all the components individually, and then explains how to combine them into interactive objects. Each project contains an easy-to-follow guide to design and implement the electronics into wearable objects.
Tony Olsson
Tony Olsson works as a lecturer at the University of Malmo, where he teaches multiple design fields with the core being physical prototyping and wearable computing. His research includes haptic interactions and telehaptic communication. Olsson has a background in philosophy and traditional arts, but later shifted his focus to interaction design and computer science. He is also involved in running the IOIO laboratory at Malmo University. Besides his work at the university, he also works as a freelance artist/designer and author. Prior to this publication, Olsson published two books based on wearable computing and prototyping with Arduino and Arduino-based platforms.
