Colour Tail Wearables
Introduction
Creating fun wearable projects is easy with CodeBug Colour Tail extensions. They are plugged into CodeBug using the black Extension connector at the bottom of CodeBug.
Colour Tails give your CodeBug easy control of colourful lights in interesting shapes. They are really fun to play with and easy to use. The LED lights on Colour Tails are RGB (Red Green Blue) so they can produce any colour you can think of, by mixing different brightnesses of the Red Green and Blue light. Colour Tails can be sewn to fabric to create awesome wearables.
CodeBug | ||||
Micro USB cable | ||||
Computer | ||||
ColourStar | ||||
Needle | ||||
Thread | ||||
USB battery pack | ||||
Jumper |
Connecting your Tail
It is recommended that you connect your Colour Tail after plugging in the Micro USB cable into CodeBug and disconnect your Colour Tail before unplugging the Micro USB from your CodeBug, to avoid damaging the devices. Take care when plugging in or unplugging devices from CodeBug.
To fit a Colour Tail to CodeBug, place the Colour Tail on a table with the LEDs facing upwards, then placing CodeBug with LEDs side up, gently slide CodeBug’s expansion socket onto the 6 pin connector on the Colour Tail.
When reprogramming CodeBug with the Colour Tail attached, you can pull the end of the USB cable that plugs into the computer instead of the end that plugs into CodeBug, then (while holding button A) plug it back into the computer.
Controlling your Colour Tail
There are special blocks that allow you to control your Colour Tail.
Follow the tutorial below to write your Colour Tail program.
Sewing your CodeBug Colour tails
CodeBug Colour Tails have mounting holes and CodeBug has 6 legs, that can be sewed to. To secure your Colour Tails and CodeBug to fabric, tie a knot in one end of the thread and then thread the other end of the thread through a needle. Place your jumper onto a flat surface and hold your CodeBug and Colour Tail in place. From inside the jumper poke the needle up through the jumper and through a mounting hole in the Colour Tail. Repeat this a couple of times so that the hole is secured to the jumper, then inside the jumper loop the needle around the thread you have already sewn and then create a knot by looping the needle over and under the thread you have just laid. Gently pull this knot until it is tight, then cut the thread.
Repeat this process for all of the holes on CodeBug and your Colour Tail.
Powering your Colour Tail
Your CodeBug and Colour Tail can now be powered by a USB battery pack. Unplug your Micro USB cable from your computer and plug it into a battery pack that you can place in your trouser pocket.
You can now decorate your jumper with more festive cheer. If you wrap the USB cable in kitchen foil it will make it look like the tail of a shooting star.
What next?
Think of other ways you can use CodeBug Colour Tails as wearables. You could try using conductive thread to add extra LEDs and buttons to CodeBug’s legs, click here to see how.
Using popper buttons you could make the Colour Tail and CodeBug detachable from the jumper so that the jumper can be washed.