James Bruton's 512 LED Helmet for Musical Performance
The YouTuber's device uses Arduino Mega and DMX control with a portable LiPo power supply.
If you like LEDs and music, then this project from James Bruton may be just the thing! His new LED DJ helmet mounts 512 LEDs, looking like a medieval knight’s helmet from outer space.
To start off the build, Bruton uses a standard face shield that you might use for protection when using a grinding wheel. He then removes the shield itself, substituting in a 3D-printed visor on which an 8x32 WS2812 LED matrix is mounted. This looks interesting as he tests it out around the 1:45 mark in the video below, but quickly decides that it needs more face coverage as well as a place to put the Arduino and other electronics.
His solution is, of course, more LEDs, arranged in four 8x8 matrices on top and bottom of the main assembly. Theoretically each LED on the helmet can draw up to 60mA, giving a maximum total current of roughly 30A for the 512 LEDs — quite a lot to have in front of one's face, and enough power to make things rather bright.
In the end, Bruton opted for a 10A power regulator, supplied by a portable LiPo. An Arduino Mega is used for control, connected to an RJ45 jack for DMX functionality, and supporting electronics are mounted to a belt clip so that all of the weight isn't focused the head. Bruton gives a short concert using the helmet as a prop at around 8:30, with his barcode MIDI guitar featured here used as his musical instrument.