Dress your dog up for Halloween! This project mods a pair of Doggles brand dog goggles with a swiveling laser diode for targeting all those ghouls and goblins lurking near ground level.
While this is a fairly simple electronics project suitable for intrepid novices, there are a few common sense safety considerations to keep in mind throughout:
- Any battery-powered circuit is capable of burning your pet, but you can mitigate the risk of injury (but never completely eliminate it).
- Protect batteries from a scratching paw with adhesive, fabric tape, or both. Mount batteries on the exterior components, never in direct contact with your pet's face. Do not allow lipoly batteries to be abused and remove/discontinue use immediately if your battery is damaged.
- Adhesives can give off fumes an should be completely dry (sometimes 24 hours or more) before going anywhere near your pet's face, especially its eyes.
- Never leave your pet unattended while wearing any costume. Observe for signs of discomfort.
- While positive reinforcement with treats can help some pets aclimate to any costume, other pets may not tolerate wearing your project at all. Be ready to accept this fact, and don't push the issue or abuse your pet!
- Do not shine lasers directly into anyone's eyes. The laser used in this project is relatively safe but could still cause eye damage if stared at for more than ~30 seconds.
"Pfft, of course, I've thought of all these things and have a few more safety pointers, Becky!"
"That all makes sense to me and I would never put my pet in danger by forgetting to follow proper safety measures!"
Ok then, I think you're ready to proceed.
Prerequisite guides:
Tools & Supplies:
- Doggles ILS dog goggles (with clear lenses for night visibility)
- laser diode (dot, line, or cross will work great)
- Trinket M0 (recommended) or Trinket 3v microcontroller
- micro servo motor
- 150mAh lipoly battery and charger
- JST battery plug
- slide switch
- JST extension (optional)
- heat shrink tubing
- black gaffer tape
- hot melt glue
- E6000 adhesive
- wire strippers
- flush diagonal cutters
- scissors
- soldering iron and solder
- USB cable
- solderless breadboard for prototyping
- header pins
After building these, your dog can be Terminator, Robo Cop, or, in my case, Tank Girl's kangaroo boyfriend.
Portaits by Andrew Baker
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