Maker SHED

The Open Heart is a matrix of individually addressable LEDs you can use to create a brooch or bag light with highly customizable animations. Attach it temporarily to fabrics with headers that you simply push through, or sew it into a project with conductive fabric for a more permanent setup. It's "Charlieplexed" so you need only 6 wires to control the 27 LEDs, and it works great with Arduino microcontrollers. We ♥ LEDs! You'll need an Arduino microcontroller (not included) to complete this project as well as a soldering iron and basic hand tools.

• Check out the full build here.
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Uses a Charlieplexing technique for addressing the LEDs. This means you need only 6 wires from a microcontroller to light things up. Works great with the Arduino microcontroller, which has a low cost of entry, is easy to program for, and easy to find information on. An Arduino can run 2 Open Hearts at once, as well as take input. You can also store up to 500 frames of animation or so, which could lead to some very complex animations. There are many versions of the Arduino out there, including the LilyPad, which can be used for sewable projects.