Exercise, Week 10 - Applications and Implications
Night lights are useful to the general public by revealing the general layout of a room late at night without requiring a major light to be switched on which cause discomfort to our eyes, and for avoiding tripping over stairs, obstacles, or pets, or to mark an emergency exit. It’s highly recommended by the gerontologists for elderly to use night lights to prevent falls, which can be life-threatening to them. And young children use nightlights for the sense of security which having a light on provides, or to relieve fear of the dark while preserving a comfortable sleeping environment. Reports of night lights close to flammable materials were cited as responsible for fires, is recommended the use of night lights with bulbs or LEDs of low power rating (1).
The low cost of night lights has enabled a proliferation of different decorative designs, some featuring superheros and fantastical designs, while others feature the basic simplicity of a small luminous disc. There are many products of nightlights in the world but most of these products I prefer does not have the shape, designs or functions, and I propose to design and build a NeoPixel Night Light with Bluetooth Control as my final project.
Below is the simple drawing a LEDs night light with Bluetooth control.
What will it do?
NeoPixel Night Light with Bluetooth Control allows the use of mobile devices with an Android App installed to conveniently control the colors illuminated by the NeoPixel. There are 7 main design parts used in this NeoPixel Night Light with Bluetooth Control:
1. A fabricated ATmega328 microcontroller board to control the operation of NeoPixel Night Light.
2. NeoPixel LEDs for generating lights.
3. A Bluetooth module interface with the microcontroller to control the colors illuminated by the NeoPixel.
4. A DC-DC Boost Converter connect to a Lithium ion cell to provide a 5 volts output.
5. Pentagon panels with design pattern.
6. 3D printed parts to support and hold the NeoPixel LEDs.
7. An Android App connected via Bluetooth to set the colors on the LEDs of NeoPixel Night Light.
Who's done what beforehand?
There are many LEDs Nights Lights being developed, 2 interesting example are Bucky Glow & Geodesic(k) RGB LED Spheres.
1. One Bit Kit LED Geometric Sphere, USB programmable and Arduino: Bucky Glow (2)
The Bucky Glow is an interactive LED dodecahedron consisting of 11 LEDs, which are controlled with an Arduino Nano. Using the Arduino programming environment, user can create endless light-up patterns using the Bucky Glow App. It includes break-out header pins, so user have access to eleven digital I/O pins, a TX (transmit) pin, a RX (receive) pin, reset pin, and ground pin. Using the pins provided, there are tons of unique ways to make the Bucky Glow musical and interactive, and there are example files to get started can be downloaded from their site. Bucky Glow is suitable for people above 9 years old, and the price is US$64.
Bucky Glow constructively engaged children in their creative and fun learning, and this can be more interactive for user when this kit include an Android App connected via Bluetooth to set the colors and creating attractive patterns on its light-up panels.
2. Geodesic(k) RGB LED Spheres Developed by Whity (3)
Geodesic(k) RGB LED Spheres is a 180 mm diameter spheres assembled with 180 pieces of 3D printed PLA faces, and each of these faces contain a W2812B LED. It is control by an Arduino Nano controller board integrated with a sensor (MPU6050 IMU) of 3-Axis accelerometer and 3-Axis gyroscope creating beautiful endless light-up patterns on its spheres faces. Power source for Geodesic(k) RGB LED Spheres is a Lithium ion pack (8 cells of 2S4P) with BMS to protect the batteries. And a step-down converter for a 5 volts output to power up the electronic components. Geodesic(k) RGB LED Spheres is assembled using UHU glue (strong and fast glue), a 3D pen (to melt the single triangles and hot glue) and 60 magnets to hold the two halves of the spheres together.
Geodesic(k) RGB LED Spheres is an artistic project, it can produce very beautiful endless light-up patterns of colors on its spheres faces, And this can be more interactive for user when this project include an Android App connected via Bluetooth to set the colors and creating attractive patterns on its light-up panels.
Video of Geodesic(k) RGB LED Spheres: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSOMBKVU9OY&feature=youtu.be
What will I design, make and the processes to be use for the parts and systems?
I will design and make several parts and systems for my NeoPixel Night Light with Bluetooth Control, and I will briefly explain processes used for making these parts and system.
1. I will design and fabricate an ATMega328P microcontroller board to control the operation of NeoPixel Night Light. First, I will use an EDA application EAGLE to design my schematic and the printed circuit board (PCB) layout for my ATMega328P microcontroller board. Next, I will generate a gcode file for my design board using MODs and then using a CNC machine STEPCRAFT 420 to mill my ATMega328P microcontroller board. Finally, I will assemble and program my ATMega328P microcontroller board to ensure it is working.
2. I will integrate a NeoPixel onto a 3D printed cylinder core for generating lights in my project. First, I will use Fusion 360 to create a 3D design of a cylinder core to support for my NeoPixel LED strip. Next, I will use the application CURA to create the G-Code file for 3D printing. Then using an Ultimaker 3D printer to print the core (an additive fabrication process). Finally, I will integrate a strip of NeoPixel onto 3D printed cylinder core.
3. I will use a Bluetooth module HC05 interface with my fabricated ATMega328P microcontroller board to control the illumination of LED lights. To establish a Bluetooth communication, I will use MIT App Inventor to create an Android App for my Android mobile device to communicate with the Bluetooth Module HC05 in the circuit to set the colors on the LEDs of NeoPixel Night Light.
4. I will use a DC-DC Boost Converter MT3608 connect to a Lithium ion cell to provide a 5 volts output for my electronic circuit.
5. I will create a 2D design of pentagon lighting panels with design pattern for my project using Fusion 360, then I will perform a laser cutting for 12 pieces of these pentagon design panels (subtractive fabrication processes). Finally, I will assemble all the panels together to form a pentagonal dodecahedron.
6. I will create 3D designs of mounting blocks for lighting panels and a pentagon box for electronic components using Fusion 360. Next, I will use the application CURA to create the G-Code files for 3D printing. Then using Ultimaker 3D printers to print the design parts (an additive fabrication process). Finally, I will assemble all the parts to supports NeoPixel Night Light.
7. Finally, I will combine the assembled 3D printed parts and laser cut parts together, and interface it with the electronic parts to form the NeoPixel Night Light with Bluetooth Control. Then, I will use Arduino IDE to program the fabricated ATMega328 microcontroller board interfacing with a Bluetooth module HC05 and using the developed Android App on my Android device to control the NeoPixel to generate lights.
Below is my planned timeline for completing my final project.
What materials and components will be used? Where will they come from? How much will they cost?
I had created a Bill of materials (BOM) to address the materials
and components used for my NeoPixel Night Light with Bluetooth Control,
and indicated the source and cost of these material used.
What questions need to be answered?
Question 1: Can user replace the pentagon lighting panels with their prefer design pattern?
Answer 1: Yes, user can replace the existing pentagon lighting panels with the prefer design pattern.
Question 2: Can user use a non Android device to control NeoPixel Night
Light with Bluetooth Control?
Answer 2: No, current Android App is designed for an Android device with Bluetooth function. But user can create their own App with Bluetooth control function on any other devices.
Question 3: Can user create their own illumination of LED lights?
Answer 3: Yes, user can use Arduino IDE to create their prefer color coding on the program.
How will it be evaluated?
User can evaluated the NeoPixel Night Light with Bluetooth Control using the following question.
Question 1: Can it illuminate light in the dark?
Answer 1: Yes.
Question 2: Can user control the NeoPixel Night Light using their Android device?
Answer 2: Yes.
Question 3: Is this NeoPixel Night Light with Bluetooth Control looks attractive?
Answer 3: Yes, and user can make and replace the existing pentagon lighting panels with their prefer design patterns.
Citation
1. Reference from URL on 04/03/2020: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightlight
2. Reference from URL on 04/03/2020: https://www.amazon.com/One-Bit-Kit-Geometric-programmable/dp/B07F5ZR1SX
3. Reference from URL on 04/03/2020: https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/40182-geodesick-rgb-led-spheres