Applications & Implications¶
This week is all about planning the final project and answering some specific questions about it. I dedicated this week to the progress of the project and that can be read on the Final Project Diary.
What will it do?¶
I want to make a diorama that plays a light show (and possibly music). My idea is to have a modular electronic installation that can welcome any diorama afterwards. I already did a diorama last year, but the electronics were messy and I can’t touch to anything anymore without breaking it. For this project, I’d like to improve the concept and be able to install a lot of LEDs and program them efficiently.
Who’s done what beforehand?¶
A lot of YouTube videos shows how to make a diorama with pre-programmed LEDs or just some lights. I also found one diorama made by a former Fab Academy student in 2021. However, none of the examples below are very modular and some are really messy with the electronics. I’d like my scene to be electronic-free in front but when you have a look inside the box, you can see how everything is working.
As an added bonus/spiral, I would like to create an interface that could control the all system: I had the issue with my first attempt: To launch the music and the lights in the same time I have to be very synchronized: I would like this system to be easier to launch from a phone or a button.
- Fab Academy student Lana Sattelmaier in 2021
- Automated diorama with Arduino nano
- Musical automated clock diorama
- My first tentative as an illuminated diorama in 2021
What will you design?¶
I will design the box that contains everything, the electronics, and the diorama itself.
I will not design the LEDs strips as it would be a very long and tedious process.
What materials and components will be used? / How much will they cost?¶
I was surprised that the most expensive parts were the LEDs and the PMMA. The powerbank can be replaced by a simple phone charger (5V).
| Item | Specs | Quantity | PPU |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOX | |||
| MDF plank | 6mm, 600*300 | 5 | 1,00 € |
| PMMA (scattering) | 3mm, 600*300 | 1 | 12,00 € |
| Acrylic paint | |||
| MODEL | |||
| Plywood | 3mm, 600*300 | 2 | 1,75 € |
| Birch | 1mm, 600*300 | 1 | 8,20 € |
| PMMA (transparent) | 3mm, 600*300 | 1 | 12,00 € |
| Resin (3D printing) | eSun - Clear | 1 | 4,00 € |
| Wood glue | |||
| ELECTRONICS | |||
| 200+ LEDs | NeoPixels 5m | 1 | 35,00 € |
| Nedis Portable Powerbank | 5000 mA | 1 | 14,95 € |
| ESP32 | 1 | 3,92 € | |
| SAMD11C | 1 | 1,60 € | |
| ATtiny 3216 | 1 | 1,30 € | |
| Qwiic connectors | 3 | 0,50 € | |
| TOTAL | 115,22 € |
What processes will be used?¶
- 2D & 3D modelling: I designed everyhting using FreeCAD, Blender, KiCAD and Inkscape. I’m very proud because I only used open source softwares.
- Resin printing: the fountain in the center will be resin printed
- Laser cutting: the facades were all made by cutting different planks of plywood and PMMA
- FDM printing: I printed the arcades to give the all scene a little more depth
- PCB milling: I milled two PCBs, the main one with an ESP32 and a SAMD11C, the second one with an ATtiny 3216
What questions need to be answered?¶
- Is it possible to make a modular system ?
- How many LEDs can be powered ?
- How to start animations and synchronize them with sound ?
How will it be evaluated?¶
On the diorama side, I would like the project to be beautiful at the first sight, event when it’s not turned on. It would be a beautiful diorama to look at on the house (I plan to offer it to my mother who loves the real place).
On the technical side, I would like it to be a modular system that I can reuse for other projects. I should have all files easily replicable.
About this week¶
This week I made the soldering! It was very, very long, but so worth it! You can read more about this process in the Final Project part