Project ChromaStrike: the Fencing Coach Jacket🤺

The proposed Fencing Coach Jacket is a smart wearable designed to enhance fencing practice accuracy through real-time visual feedback and performance data analytics.

The prototype jacket integrates LED lighting panels at key impact zones. When a fencer lands a strike, the affected area instantly changes color to indicate impact. After a short period, the fabric reverts to its original color, ready to record subsequent strikes.

To quantify the strike accuracy and dynamics, the prototype jacket shall incorporate embedded sensors such as capacitive touch elements for impact detection and an inertial timer to capture time data.

Electronical:

1. Adafruit Circuit Playground Bluefruit
2. Connection Cable
3. 8" x 11" stainless steel mesh (x6)
4. 30 units NeoPixels LED strips (x2)
5. M3 bolts (x16)

Structural:

1. Cardboard
2. Metal Wire
3. Base Vest

Tools:

1. Wire strippers
2. 3D Printer
3. Screwdriver
4. Scissors
5. Hot glue gun
6. Pliers
7. Soldering station

Supplies:

1. PLA 3D printing filament
2. Electronic Tape
3. Electronic Wire

Before starting production, we must complete a circuit to test the software and hardware. The circuit we will use is very simple, requiring only the Adafruit Circuit Playground Bluefruit mainboard, six stainless steel meshes, alligator wires to connect them, and two LED strips.

Use a data cable to connect the Adafruit Circuit Playground to your computer. Import the .ino code into the Adafruit Circuit Playground using Arduino IED.

If the transfer is complete, the Adafruit Circuit Playground automatically initializes and plays the completion sound, and the LED area lights up in red. Touching the mesh of the designated strike area will trigger the striked sound effect, and the light will change from red to green.

A new strike area will be randomly generated and a designated LED area will be lit up, completing the cycle. Touching the wrong area will trigger the mistake sound effect. If everything is normal then the test is complete

As a sensor Base plate, it needs to be able to mount sensors and actuators. It also needs to have structural strength and be able to diffuse LED light.

Use 3D printing to manufacture six base plates:

1. Filling the 3D printer with clear PLA filament
2. Import stl 3D model into slicing software in the up right direction.
3. Modify the infill parameters in the software, change the density to 5%, and change the pattern to Allied Rectangular. This is needed to achieve diffusing effect
4. Print the base plates 6 times.

As an extension of the capacitive sensor, the stainless steel mesh as a conductor needs to be wrapped on the outside.

1. wrap around the stainless mesh onto the base plate.
2. Fold all of its edges to the back side, be careful of the sharp edges.
3. Secure everything with hot glue.
4. Repeat the process 6 times.

We need a fixture to mount the sensor/actuator units:

1. Measure the frontal area of the body.
2. Cut a piece of cardboard as the base plate
3. Prepare the base vest by wearing it in reverse
4. Mark the hole locations on the vest.
5. Puncture the holes on the vest and the cardboard
6. Connect them with metal wire.

We need to make a fixture to better fix the Circuit Playground on the clothes and more easily connect the various components with wires.

Use 3D printing to manufacture the fixture:

1. Filling the 3D printer with regular PLA filament
2. Import stl 3D model into slicing software in the up right direction.
3. Print the Circuit Playground Fixture

1. Connect all six sensor units to the Circuit Playground with wires through holes on the base plate. Wires could be secured by tightening bolts through holes in the Circuit Playground Fixture.
2. Fix the sensor units on the main cardboard base plate. Be careful of the wires and make sure there is space between units.
3. Slide LED strips on each side of the vest, then connect them to the circuit playground with wire.
4. Secure all the wires on the inside of the vest.
5. Plug the battery into the Circuit Playground and mount it in the slot on the fixture.