The Creative Cap: Phase I

The Creative Cap is a performative sculpture that empowers the creator with their own creativity potential!

Here are the supplies that I used, but the materials you use are completely up to you! I would hope that, for example, not having a 3D printer would not limit one from trying out this project. There are a variety of ways the frame could be built our of diverse materials. Use the materials you feel comfortable with.

I tried to list the supplies in the order I used them in construction.

• white PLA (3D printer filament)
• 3D printer
• superglue
• x13 clear or translucent ornaments (I got some on clearance after Christmas)
• Rustoleum frosted glass spray paint
• an Arduino Uno
• x13 LEDs
• x13 220ohm resistors
• breadboard
• soldering iron
• solder
• 22 awg wire
• wire strippers
• electrical tape
• needle nose pliers
• a skein of yarn
• scissors

The first task I engaged in was creating a frame to build my sculpture on. I was inspired to use OpenBCI's Ultracortex "Mark IV" EEG Headset. I had originally printed the frame with the intention of using it as outlined by OpenBCI: a tool for recording research-grade brain activity (EEG). I wanted to record a a specific brain wave, alpha waves, to investigate "what is creativity?" However I reached a barrier with the cost of the technology and decided to refashion the headset while still gesturing towards the frame's original purpose as well as my own original purpose.

The Ultracortex "Mark IV" EEG Headset is open source and assembly is well documented. Instructions and documentation can be found here: https://docs.openbci.com/docs/04AddOns/01-Headwear...

If you do not have access to a 3D printer, I would consider developing a frame out of wood, wreaths, or other interesting materials.

I tend to work with "found objects" and I was searching for some sort of object that could fit in the holes of the frame and "light up." That's when I came across these clear glass ornaments on clearance after Christmas.

I designed a 3D printed "ornament holder" to hold not only the ornament, but also an LED and "LED holder." I designed it in such that they could "pop" into the holes and the ornaments could "pop" into the holders and stay without glue, but could be removeable for prototyping. ( I ended up having to glue them anyways though.)

I later painted them with frosted glass spray paint to encourage the LED light to fill out the bulb more.

I knew I wanted the bulbs to light up, but I was rusty on my Arduino skills. So I started with programming a single LED on a breadboard, separate from the rest of the piece.

I leveraged off the internal Arduino "blink" sketch. https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/BuiltInExamples...

Once I felt comfortable with that, I modified the code to blink an external LED with a 220 ohm resistor. Then after testing that, I modified again to include 13 LEDs that take turns blinking using a for loop.

After verifying all the circuitry using breadboards, I soldered 22 awg wire to each of the LED leads.

I tested that each LED lit up as I went along by plugging them into the Arduino with a resistor. Some of them actually did not work, either due to bad solder or getting the connections backwards, so I redid those.

Then I popped them into the black holders, and popped those into the custom design ornament holders which fit into the frame.

I weaved the wires through the frame and braided them down the back.

With the bundle of wires hanging down the back, I soldered them to a board and added jumper wires to plug into the Arduino. And it did not work! I tried everything I could think of, checking every solder connection. (It held me back for months). Alas, I finally decided to cut it off.

This was the best decision I made in my design because it allowed me to go completely modular! I added some length to the wires that were hanging off by twisting some stripped jumper cables around them and taping them. Then I plugged them into the breadboard with their resistors and got the Creative Cap to light up!

If you are designing your own iteration, I would encourage you to consider how to leverage off your own strengths! If you are unsure how to solder or program, perhaps consider how to "naturally" light up the cap, perhaps with gems, or sunlight (a few of my other ideas :) )

Once I went modular, I realized I could incorporate any Arduino sensor into this since I was not limited by the soldered components.

I gave my Creative Cap a head of "hair" using yarn. And then unplugged one of the LEDs to make room for a DHT11 temperature sensor. I placed the sensor in the "hair" so that once it heats to a certain level with a hairdryer, the lights will go off.

Again, if yarn isn't your thing, perhaps try another interesting material (maybe you enjoy clay, paint, or jewelry making?). The Creative Cap has no limits for your own unique creativity!

The Creative Cap is an ongoing project. There is also a brainstem made of natural wood in development and a variety of other wearable circuits being created. My version of the Creative Cap has transitioned into being called "My Head." It would be fantastic to see a library of the Instructable community's Creative Caps!

There is also a very brief overview here focusing on the DHT11 portion of the sculpture.