By Mike Walters - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Built by Mike Walters and Brian Buchanan, 2002
From 2002:
My friend Brian Buchanan and I built this wearable device called "My Helmet The Helmet" in 2002 for his birthday. I modified a circuit from a crib toy that was shaped like a turtle. I made it repeat a simple sequence, and keep one original song. The operation is very simple. The speed of the sound circuit is governed by two body contacts, which are 2 wires soldered to two safety pins. These are attached to the chin strap, so the sound in theory changes when your head moves. The big switch turns everything on. The lights blink like a Simon (everyone thinks it's from a Simon), press the button to play "London Bridge". On top is a spring that serves no purpose. There is an internal speaker inside. It's fun to use. It sounds just like R2D2, really. It was a bitch to move around all the foam padding. Some was replaced with his father's sock. This helmet has lost its DOT and SNELL approvals, I'm quite sure. Pictured here is the Brian Buchanan in his My Helmet The Helmet...
Brian Buchanan wearing "My Helmet the Helmet" 2002