For my final project at the makerspace I wanted to customize my graduation cap. I knew I wanted to put a quote on cap using the glowforge laser cutter and incorporate electronics somehow into the design.
Modify a graduation cap that incorporates electronics and a quote of my choice without the design being too cumbersome. Also wires for electronics needed to be hid as best as possible.
An acylic quote by Frank Sinatra, gamecock logo, and USC letters were glued onto the cap. A bluetooth controlled LCD screen was placed on top for an electronic component.
While I was thinking of how I wanted to approach the electronic portion of the design, I began brainstorming quotes for my cap. For the next couple of weeks I began searching through all of my songs for a perfect quote. A quote that wouldn't be corny but would have meaning to me. After some time, I settled on a Frank Sinatra - My Way quote: "I did it my way". I've always deeply resonated with this songs message and I try my best to life my life - my way. I cut out the quote with red acrylic on the glowforge laser cutter as well as the USC letters and gamecock logo.
For the electronic portion, I knew I wanted to have an LED component but couldn't decide what to display on it. One morning, while taking a shower I had the realization that I didn't have to settle for only displaying one phrase on the LCD screen. Only months earlier I had bought an LED hat that I could control via bluetooth on my phone for my friend Emma Grace's birthday bar crawl. I simply pulled out the LED screen and placed it on the cap while hiding the conveniently small charging port and on/off switch under the brim of the cap.
I was able to change the LCD sign all throughout graduation. From displaying "Hi Mom" to fancy animations, I made the commencement ceremony much more entertaining for myself and my neighboring classmates. In addition, I became a landmark during the ceremony for families to find their graduates.