Inspiration
We wanted a personalizable decoration that you could put in your room. This eventually grew into the fixture that it is today.
What it does
The fixture funnels light from an LED strip through a lithophane (a 3D-printed picture) to create a glowing effect. The user can cycle through different color settings and adjust the brightness of the image using the controls on the box. The light only turns on when the environment is dark in order to get the best glowing effect, otherwise it will turn off to save energy. The user can swap out the lithophane in order to personalize it for themselves.
How we built it
The enclosure, frame, and lithophane were 3D printed. The rest of the circuitry uses basic sensors, jumper cables, and an Arduino nano.
Challenges we ran into
Programming the LED strip in order to get it to work properly was probably the hardest part of the project. The photoresistor to detect darkness was also hard to hook up properly. Both of these were difficult because we had no prior experience with them, but we were able to follow it eventually using documentation online.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We were finally able to get it to work at the end of it and it looks super cool! Anthony was able to CAD the box with minimal prior CAD experience!
Next Steps and Application
When mass produced, the fixture is extremely low cost. The Arduino circuitry can be replaced with a simple printed circuitboard, and the frame can also be lasercut or injection molded. In bulk, this could be a very low cost decoration and is very versatile because of its accessibility and customizability.
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