Introduction: Crash Detecting Helmet (using Cpx Board)

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we will be creating a crash-detecting helmet powered by a cpx board.

Supplies

  • Adafruit Circuit Playground Express (CPX)
  • Accelerometer (integrated in CPX)
  • Bicycle helmet
  • USB cable for CPX
  • Battery pack for CPX
  • tape
  • Hot glue gun or strong adhesive

Step 1: Plan

In the early stages, I decided to have two designs one for an American football helmet and one for a bicycle helmet. I decided on the latter option as it was easier for my time frame and less crucial that I get all of the calculations perfectly correct.

Step 2: Prepare the Helmet:



  • Mount the CPX Board:
  • Find a suitable spot inside the helmet to place the CPX board, ensuring it won't interfere with wearing the helmet.
  • Use hook-and-loop fasteners (Velcro) or hot glue to secure the CPX board inside the helmet.

Step 3: Connect the Battery Pack:

Connect the Battery Pack:

  • Attach the battery pack to the CPX and secure it inside the helmet.
  • Ensure the battery pack is firmly attached and does not move around.


Step 4: Write the Code:


  • Open Arduino IDE or Mu Editor.
  • I used the Make Code Adafruit code editor
  • main points needed
  • calibrate accelerometer, 10000 mg= 1 g
  • calculate the force needed for a concussion
  • next, i calculated the force needed to cause concussion (100 g) create the lighting on the board with a concution being fully red and each of the lowerstages being one pixle less red
  • then for each of the lower stages create the force needed to cross the threshold. this can be kind of random but still needs to be estimated.

Step 5: Upload the Code

  • Connect the CPX board to your computer using the USB cable and upload the code


Step 6: Test the Setup:


  • Wear the helmet and simulate different impacts by tapping it lightly and then harder.
  • Observe the NeoPixels on the CPX board to ensure they light up when a significant force is detected.


Step 7: Adjust Threshold and Response:


  • If needed, adjust the force threshold in the code
  • Modify the NeoPixel response or add other responses (e.g., sound) based on your preferences.


Step 8: Optional Enhancements:


  • Add a Buzzer:
  • Connect a small buzzer to one of the CPX's output pins and modify the code to produce a sound when a force is detected.