Beating Heart Headband

From MAKE Magazine

From MAKE Magazine

This project first appeared on the pages of MAKE magazine.

Display your heart rate on a heart-shaped display.

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This project is a collaboration with Jimmie Rodgers. Build a pulse-sensing headband that flashes a heart-shaped LED display to the beating of your heart! Uses a scratch-built perf board Arduino built from Mintduino parts, the Open Heart LED display, Yury and Joel's pulse sensor, and a rechargeable lithium battery and power board. The circuit is built into a brocade headband with elastic at the back.

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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Beating Heart Headband  ¶ 

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Add Note Edit Step 2  ¶ 

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Add Note Edit Step 3  ¶ 

  • Build the Mintduino circuit on the enclosed solderless breadboard to start out, and fire up the Open Heart test code.

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Add Note Edit Step 4  ¶ 

  • Add the pulse sensor, load the headband's Arduino sketch onto the microcontroller, and test the sensor.

  • Be sure not to pinch the connectors on the back of the sensor's circuit board, just touch the side with the heart.

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Add Note Edit Step 5  ¶ 

  • Dry fit the components onto a piece of perfboard.

  • Fit the heart display over the components, and mark the component layout with a marker.

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Add Note Edit Step 6  ¶ 

  • Trim the circuit board to fit behind the heart display with a pair of shears.

  • Double check the fit by pairing the board with the display.

  • File the edges of the fiberglass perfboard to be smooth.

  • Wear a dusk mask!

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Add Note Edit Step 7  ¶ 

  • Solder up the components of the perfboard Arduino, using component leads and small bits of wire to make connections as necessary.

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Add Note Edit Step 8  ¶ 

  • Headband time! Measure around the circumference of your head, then cut two pieces of ribbon to that length.

  • Thanks to Britex Fabrics for supplying the beautiful brocade and grosgrain ribbon for this project!

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Required Tools

SOLDERING IRON,16-30W, 120VAC W/ REMOVABLE TIP

$19.95

Related Products

Mintronics: MintDuino

$19.95

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