I found this today on fab.com. I'm curious as to how they executed it. I expect that they use some type of chip to process the sound into the light effects, an Arduino or something similar to it.

Project 2 for Wearable Media class, at University at Buffalo

For the second project of the Wearable Media class at UB, it was expressed that it would be preferred that we, as students do our next projects to explore either soft-circuitry/sewable circuits, or arduino. As suggested by Eric, I tried to think of a way to integrate my tatting skill (which is using a series of knots to create lace), into a project. Having my mind on my finace, I thought of a light-up LED engagement ring where when the clasp was put together around the finger, completing the circuit, the led would light up, acting as the 'diamond'.

The main components used for this project were a small led, two small watch batteries and conductive thread.

This project was a learning experience in that I had to come up with creative solutions for difficult problems. The battery voltage decreased by half (to 1.6 volts) every time I would make a pocket to hold the battery. To solve this problem I had to try to come up with a direct connection so the battery would not lose voltage to power the LED. I needed at least 3V to properly power the LED. to solve this problem I used heat wrap around the batteries themselves and heat wrapped both the batteries to the magnetic clasp. When the magnetic clasp was connected to the other magnetic clasp, it completed the circuit and the LED lit up. This project was not as well built as the previous one. While testing the knots connecting the conductive thread unknotted itself. Knots using conductive thread--compared to cotton or slik thread, which are standard for tatting--seem to be more 'slippery' and undo themselves easier. There is definitely room for future experimentation and improvement.

There is promise for the future with this project. In further research online, I saw no one else integrating leds into tatting, or tatting using conductive thread, so there is a possibility that I could turn this into a small business for craft-fairs, comic conventions and Etsy. I look forward to using conductive thread in my tatting, and experimenting with different tatting patterns and/or designing my own to get them to work as wearable light-up jewelry.

Here are pictures of the led ring:

Project 1 for Wearable Media class, at University at Buffalo

During class, we made a led light up at a certain rate using a 555 chip. When I saw it, the rate of the blink pattern automatically triggered me to think, "Wow! That looks exactly like the light at the top of the tardis." For those that don't know, the Tardis is the time-machine used in the BBC television show "Doctor Who" which looks like a British police box. When it's taking off and landing, a lantern/light at the top of it blinks at a certain rate and makes a characteristic sound. I thought how I could somehow integrate that light, and with the flat pattern of the circuit, thought it would go well integrated in a painting.

I had seen 'hijacked' classic paintings, or classic paintings updated with an item from pop-culture. There are a few examples here. I also being an avid fan of "Doctor Who" had seen some more examples from a fans blog here & here. I took the 'hacked/hijacked painting' idea to the next level, by not only including light, but also sound in an existing painting.

The main components used for this project were a large led, a prototype board, and a 555 timer chip. By including resistors of different levels, I was able to get the blink rate of the led synced up to the sound the Tardis makes creating the illusion that it is landing within the landscape of the painting. I also used a sound recording + playback module purchased from Radio Shack. On the module I was able to record an audio sample of the Tardis' takeoff.

This project taught me how to work with 'hard' circuits, the basics of circuit building, how to read a circuit diagram and a better understanding of the scientific principles of electronics. I had soldered in the past with my father on welding projects, but I had never soldered on a smaller scale, but was happy with how easy it came to me. Working on small projects (tatting and miniature painting) in the past probably helped me be able to solder on a small level. Areas of improvement could be being more careful with the exacto-blade--I cut myself twice--once on this project and once on the next one.

There is promise for the future with this project. It's a way of transforming unused, abandoned, works, and turning them into something nerdy and cool. Some paintings that feature strange, desolate, or boring landscapes can be seen in an entirely new light and context when put within the storyline of "Doctor Who" visting different planets and locations within time and space. In further research online, I saw no one else integrating led-tech into paintings, so there is a possibility that I could turn this into a small business for craft-fairs, comic conventions and Etsy.

Here's video of the painting in action: