The core of the project, which Staacks documents under his creative umbrella "There Oughta Be," centers around two 128-by-64 LED matrix displays. These panels are engineered to conform to the wearer’s face when paired with a standard protective face shield, acting as the structural canvas for a rotating cast of digital characters. Driving this dual-panel display system is a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W, a compact yet remarkably capable microcontroller that handles the heavy lifting of processing and rendering imagery across the dense grids of light-emitting diodes. To secure the electronics to his head while maintaining mobility, Staacks relied on a pragmatic mix of custom 3D-printed brackets, industrial-strength magnets, and standard zip ties.
When combined with a deep, obscuring black hood, the visual result in low-light conditions is striking. The technology allows the wearer to seamlessly transition from one distinct face or graphic to another on a complete whim, offering a dynamic alternative to static holiday masks. However, this high-tech approach does come with a few notable engineering trade-offs. In his technical breakdown of the build, Staacks notes that visibility is somewhat constrained due to the narrow viewing slit required to navigate the room safely. Furthermore, the costume operates with approximately three amperes of electrical current running mere millimeters away from the wearer’s face, a detail that underscores the raw, experimental nature of ambitious DIY electronics projects.
While the LED mask serves as the primary visual focal point of the costume, the most complex and interactive engineering is actually housed within the accompanying staff. Like the mask itself, the staff is powered by a standard USB power bank and driven by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W. What sets the prop apart, however, is its integration of onboard controls and a built-in accelerometer. This motion-sensitive hardware allows Staacks to interact with the costume dynamically in real time, using physical gestures and button presses on the staff to toggle different visual settings, animations, and display modes on-the-fly without needing to manually adjust the mask or fiddle with hidden controls.
To complete the immersive holiday experience, the entire setup is linked wirelessly to a portable Bluetooth speaker clipped securely to his belt. This integration synchronizes the visual transformations of the mask and the glowing effects of the staff with matching audio cues, delivering a fully realized multi-sensory presentation that merges advanced embedded systems with traditional holiday costuming.
For intermediate makers and electronics enthusiasts interested in replicating the project, Staacks has published an extensive documentation and blog write-up on his website. The comprehensive guide includes specific part numbers, wiring schematics, and assembly details, providing a transparent roadmap for those who wish to construct their own pixel-packed hoods and interactive props for future celebrations, or simply discuss the finer points of the build with the broader maker community online.
