How to make an Iron Man Mask

Step 5 Eyes and LED's

I never intended to add eyes to this mask, I make too many masks that you just can't see out of. When it got to this stage I realised that the mask actually needs it.
The eyes on the movie mask are white with illumination. In the real world this translates to white paper with white LED's shining at it.

I took the same white LED's that I used in the Arc Reactor and made two pairs of lights, each with 2 LED's and a 180 Ohm resistor. This allows me to drive the lights from the same battery as the reactor. Each light pair was glued to a small piece of card that allowed me to position the lights in the mask before I committed to sticking them into it.

A sheet of white card was then placed over the back of the eyes and it was all stuck in with tape. The wire to provide power ran across the mask and out the back where the elastic ran. From the back of my head it ran into my shirt where it was connected to the arc reactor. Care was taken with this connector, I used a very loose fitting connector with mating pins. If the mask is ripped off for any reason it is the connector that will seperate rather than the wires from each other or my head from the rest of my body.

Photos of this to be added when I get home tonight.

Comments

[monkeys98]

what are these connectors called and were can you get them?

[msraynsford]

Molex connectors and I tend to acquire mine from work. More seriously though any connector from pretty much an electronics store would be fine.

[p4trick95]

What if you were to use tracing paper instead to be able to see through? if it doesnt ruin th elook, it may increase visibility. Or you could be totally awesome and install a camera outside the helmet and make a cool HUD.

[therimmer96]

you could use a pair of 3d ar glasses and use a pc so that when they 'see' certain images, they can load somthing on the display, just like in the film

[Coranu]

 The only problem with that is, the human eye can't see images that are closer than 4" away. Thus, forcing the mask to be pushed further away from the face and making it bulkier overall. And ruining the effect.

[mangomango]

contact lenses are being made that allow the eye to focus much closer

[Darthscout]

Good job on bursting a bubble. I don't mean that in a Mean way. But that is a cool idea though. but considering that and eye can't see an image thats 4 or less inches away that would be hard

[msraynsford]

I believe I saw a technology once that actually projected an image onto the back of your retina directly so the eye didn't have to focus on a screen 4" in front of your face.
Long live the Dream :D

[kbottner]

Its called Virtual Retina Display (VRD), there has been quite a bit of work on it although I know of no current commercially available systems. But this will be coming eventually.

[SoFloWinchSkate88]

 That would be rediculous... I like it!

[MdP1632]

If by ridiculous, you mean freaking awesome, then I agree.

[TFElite]

Ridiculously awesome...
I had an idea like that once, too!

[rhoddity]

Maybe some clever use of optics (fresnel lens mayhaps?) could make it work?

[DracoMorgendorffer]

and trasnparent plastic instead paper? or make it retractable?anyway it's cool.

[barf_malak]

please show how to wire the LEDS to the Resistor!!!!

[toddshmack]

It looks fantastic, but I can't figure out - Can you see with it on?

[msraynsford]

Um, the honest answer is no. There are two very small holes in the eyes which give you minimum visibility, as I said before why let common sense get in the way of a good costume?