Wearable Wednesday at Adafruit is more than just a day of the week; it’s a celebration of the cutting-edge developments in the world of wearable technology. We’re thrilled to showcase the most dazzling, fashionable, and innovative wearables from across the internet and from our own groundbreaking projects that feature our wearable, Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. If you have an inspiring wearables project, we invite you to share it on our forums or send us a link. You might just find your creation spotlighted on the next Wearable Wednesday!
The wearable devices we utilize to surf the web and run AI algorithms through the cloud typically rely on chips that function like “brains,” using central processing units (CPUs) to handle tasks. However, these “brains” lack “nerves”—a peripheral nervous system to efficiently transmit data. Without this, wearable devices rely on high-energy electromagnetic waves, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, to communicate. This method severely limits battery life and hampers the ability to support complex AI algorithms directly on the chip.
Enter Shreyas Sen, an Elmore Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. Sen is paving the way for a new era of wearable technology by designing chips that enable AI to function offline within a network of wearable devices. Inspired by the human nervous system, his chip design aims to facilitate high-speed data transfer while consuming ultra-low power.
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Why waste time breadboarding and soldering when you can dive straight into creating? Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is a treasure trove of LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads, and more. With the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, you can build projects in mere minutes. Learn computer science fundamentals through the CS Discoveries class on code.org, or explore CircuitPython, TinyGO, and even the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the latest and greatest board in the Circuit Playground series, boasting support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It features a robust processor, 10 NeoPixels, a mini speaker, InfraRed capabilities, dual buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and a variety of sensors for touch, proximity, temperature, light, motion, and sound. The possibilities are endless, and they fit right in the palm of your hand.
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