Here's a simple, fun project for sunny days, or dark rooms. We'll take a Circuit Playground Express and a micro servo and make a pair of automatic sunglasses/flashlight.

If you haven't used servos before we have some guides that will provide a good introduction: Using Servos With CircuitPython and Arduino, and the servo section of the Adafruit Motor Selection Guide.

Parts

A Black woman's manicured hand holds a round microcontroller with lit up LEDs.
Circuit Playground Express is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and...
$24.95
In Stock
Micro servo with three pin cable
Tiny little servo can rotate approximately 180 degrees (90 in each direction) and works just like the standard kinds you're used to but smaller. You can use any servo...
$5.95
In Stock
Angled shot of a Lithium Ion Polymer Battery 3.7V 500mAh with JST-PH connector.
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This...
Out of Stock
Group of Small Alligator Clip to Male Jumper Wires
When working with unusual non-header-friendly surfaces, these handy cables will be your best friends! No longer will you have long, cumbersome strands of alligator clips. These...
$3.95
In Stock

Supplies

  • A pair of glasses, an old/cheap pair preferrably.
  • Flip up sunglasses, or a cheap pair with the arms removed. 
  • Hot glue and glue gun
  • Superglue
  • Depending on how you want to wire the servo, you'll need soldering equipment or alligator clip jumper wires.

This guide was first published on Aug 15, 2018. It was last updated on Mar 18, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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