Arduino LED 3D Printed Sandal

In my engineering class we needed a project to combine three or more lessons that we had learned that year. I decided to combine our Auto-CAD, 3D printing and Arduino units to create a kind of wedge, platform sandal as summer is fast approaching. I designed the platform of the shoe on Google Sketch-up and programmed LED's to blink randomly using an Arduino. Of course, the addition of the blinking LED's is completely optional depending on you taste in footwear. However, the main design for the shoe can still be used and the process can be used for other pieces if you do not want the sandals I made for myself.

Step 1: Building the Platform

The first step, of course, is to make the main platform for the rest of the building, in this case, we need the shoe model. I designed my shoe on Google Sketch-up, but you can use any program you are comfortable with or you can use my simple design, which I have attached for you.

Step 2: Light It Up

Next, you need to figure out what lights you want. If you do it the same way I did then you need a design on the side of your shoe to insert the lights. I included my design, but you can make it anyway you want. I also in cluded the code to make the LED's blink randomly. I am using an Arduino Shield so my boards will take up less room within my shoe, but you can do the soldering any way you feel the most comfortable, the shield is pretty small and a little difficult to solder.