DEF CON 34 · United States · 2026
Maker-published physical silent-disco badge; organizer role and handoff unverified
LastZactionHero's public repository is titled DEF CON Silent Disco Badge and documents a wearable electronic badge that plays local DJ mixes, drives a music-linked light show, and syncs badge-to-badge over infrared. Its August 4 maintainer update says the boards were fabricated, assembled, and playing music, and that every badge's QR silkscreen points to the repository. The public archive contains KiCad design and fabrication material, firmware, and a MIT license, sufficient to record a distinct maker-published physical DEF CON 34-associated artifact. No reviewed DEF CON, venue, silent-disco organizer, sales, or handoff source establishes official issuance, a run size, recipient allocation, or completed event distribution.
People
The repository's root MIT-style license names Zach Dicklin as 2026 copyright holder for project software, associated documentation, and hardware design files. This credits the stated repository-license scope only; it does not establish a full creator/manufacturer identity, DEF CON authorization, event role, distribution, third-party rights, or reusable-image permission.
SourceThe commit-pinned README says the DEF CON Silent Disco Badge was designed and built by Pikkolo Assembly. This credits only that maker-stated design/build role; it does not establish a legal entity, manufacturing quantity, DEF CON or silent-disco organizer affiliation, distribution authority, endorsement, image-rights authority, or ownership of third-party components/media.
SourceIt records an unusually current physical and technical badge release without converting an independent repository's DEF CON naming into organizer authorization, an attendee benefit, a badge-pickup record, or a completed conference outcome.
The current README identifies an RP2040, four addressable RGB LEDs, infrared sync, sawtooth interlocking edges, USB-C, local media, and headphones. The maintainer's versioned hardware documentation also describes microSD, a LiPo power path, a 3.5 mm audio chain, and an SAO header. It distinguishes rev-1 and rev-2 bring-up details, while the reviewed public sources do not provide a production manifest, serial/batch record, final unit-by-unit BOM, cell identity, electrical safety validation, compliance result, tested headphone/SAO compatibility matrix, or proof that every physical board matches one published revision.
The repository publishes MicroPython-based badge firmware, a native MP3-decoder path, a prebuilt `firmware-mp3-universal.uf2`, and source/fabrication directories. Its root README describes local mix playback, music-linked LEDs, and infrared friend-sync behavior. The repository has no tagged release, signed production image, source-to-unit hash, independent security review, support policy, event-deployed media set, or published record tying a particular firmware revision to every assembled badge.
The maker calls the artifact a wearable silent disco: each badge plays its own local DJ mix and two badges can use infrared to converge on the same track position and light timing. The current maintainer commit says a QR code silkscreened on every badge points to the repository. Those are source-publisher statements about the project and physical run, not evidence of DEF CON authorization, a particular silent-disco event programme, attendee entitlement, admission function, maker-marketplace terms, or a completed recipient handoff.
Lifecycle
The maker README describes local DJ mixes played through headphones and a music-linked light show. This documents a stated badge experience, not a particular playlist, licensed media set, audio level/safety result, event programme, radio broadcast, attendee allocation, final firmware configuration, or confirmed conference deployment.
SourceThe README says two badges can use infrared to converge on track position and light timing, while the firmware notes document revision-specific infrared context. This is a high-level maker-published interaction claim, not an interoperability guarantee, protocol specification, privacy/security assertion, reliable-range result, safe operating instruction, or evidence of an event-wide synchronized session.
SourcePublic documentation identifies an RP2040, microSD/local media, LiPo power path, 3.5 mm audio chain, addressable LEDs, USB-C, infrared components, and an SAO header. It records a high-level technical surface rather than a verified final BOM, pinout, voltage/current budget, cell specification, charger protection result, electrical test, compatibility matrix, compliance record, or safe-modification guide.
SourceThe repository publishes KiCad/fabrication material, MicroPython-based firmware, a native MP3-decoder path, and a prebuilt universal UF2. This supports a public technical trail, not an audited/reproducible build, signed release, source-to-device mapping, third-party dependency audit, installation instruction, event-installed media package, warranty, support channel, or security review.
SourceOperational history
The catalogue records a documented independent physical DEF CON 34-associated maker badge, not an official DEF CON artifact, organizer-issued silent-disco credential, guaranteed attendee benefit, access pass, or completed conference distribution.
The United States record remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying source-page media, documentation screenshots, event photos, social media, placeholders, or generated approximations.
The record preserves the documented hardware/software trail without treating it as a complete electrical specification, safety assessment, support promise, security claim, universal compatibility result, or unit-by-unit production record.