INTRODUCTION

Sheila Nyaboke(Left) and David Kanjiri(Right) have developed an innovation to cater for the rising motorist accidents in Kenya due to poor reflectors on their motorbikes and poor lighting systems on the Kenyan roads. LED project was started to cater for the rising motorist accidents in Kenya due to poor reflectors on their motorbikes and poor lighting systems on the Kenyan roads. Due to this challenge, we embarked on a research on how to curb this growing menace. The led cloth ware became a promising project as to cater for the lighting problems experienced; with this the motorist will be identified from a far.

The vision 2030 in Kenya stresses on Kenyan shift on mind set, an embrace to technology is being felt even in the fashion industries in Kenya. The led cloth ware is an evidence of the technology revolution.

BACKGROUND

PROJECT REQUIREMENT

Solder breadboard

Wires, wire clip and parallel port connector

LED Matrix Displays

Transistors

Resistors

An Adruino mega (linked) is used so that it can enable me to individually program all 300 lights

For the circuit design, all connect these strips to the power source in series or in parrarells.

The maximum draw is 60Ma *300 BULBS= 18000mA

Connect 10 led strips (hyperlinked to product) each led strip will have approximately 30 led RGB light, with each of the 3 ccolurs maxing out at 20mA of full brightness, for a 600mA (hyperlinked to specification) per light. This will ensure the creation of a portable matrix display.

DESIGN
1. Pick a garment to sew on, a pattern that will let you sew your own garment, or design your own pattern.

2. Design your display. decide on the number of LEDs you want and their general placement. This will depend on the garment you chose and the microcontroller you intend to use as well as how you’d like the display to look. I decided to sew a simple tank top and I chose to place the LEDs evenly across my tank top every 2″. Since my tank top is approximately 28″ around and 12″ tall I need 300 LEDs.

3. Decide on the microcontroller you want to use. Choose one with an internal oscillator, and make sure you have enough i/o pins to control your matrix. It’s a good idea to pick a microcontroller you are familiar with and read the data sheet carefully! It can take some reading to discover that what you thought was a general purpose I/O pin is input only or an open drain output.

4. Decide on the power-source you want to use.

Construction

  1. Package your LEDs into sequins. Get out the crimping beads and surface mount LEDs. Tip an LED on its side. Using a soldering iron with a very clean tip, place the tip of the iron into a bead. Tin the bead with lead-free solder; melt some solder onto the outside of the bead. With the 2 soldering iron, drag the bead up to the LED.
  2. In a similar way, solder beads to the appropriate leads for your battery and switch so that they can also be sewn on.
  3. Mark the lines for your LED matrix on your garment. Also mark where you want your microcontroller (IC socket) and power-supply to be.
  4. Sew out your LED matrix. Using conductive thread in the bobbin of a sewing machine will allow you to sew conductive horizontal traces on one side of your garment and conductive vertical traces on the the other side, taking advantage of the fabric as a natural insulator.
  5. Sew on the IC socket that will hold your microcontroller. Trim the pins off of the bottom of the socket and pull off any tape or other material blocking the holes. If necessary, drill out the holes so that a needle can pass through them.
  6. Sew on your LEDs. Attach the cathode end of each LED to a row and the anode end of each LED to a column or vice versa
  7. Sew on your power supply and switch.

sheilareflector

OBJECTIVE

  1. With the rampant motorbike accidents that we are experiencing in Kenya, our gadget will go a long way into solving this. Motorist can way our led clothing gadget during all times of the day/night to reflect  to create a description of where they are headed and the speed they indent to move with
  2. The led clothware can be used for fashion basis .both celebrities and politicians can use our ware use our custom designed gadget during concerts and political rallies
  3. For advertisements. Our gadget can be used by firms and organizations to advertise their brand and products through our platform