Final Project¶

1. Project Overview¶

My final project is an interactive physical dashboard shaped like the map of Côte d'Ivoire a device that sits at the intersection of digital fabrication, electronics, embedded programming, and interactive visualization. The system is built as an interactive electronic map of Côte d'Ivoire that visualizes, in real time, UNDP's (United Nations Development Programme) regional actions across the country. RGB LEDs are geo-located on a custom PCB mounted beneath a translucent map silhouette, with each LED corresponding to a specific city or region. When UNDP has carried out an activity or development project in that location, the corresponding LED lights up transforming complex, distributed data into a tangible, light-coded experience that makes the country's development landscape immediately readable at a glance. The project doubles as a Smart Clock Trophy: a TFT screen embedded in the base displays the real-time clock and date, so the object functions both as a functional desk piece and as a live data display, anchoring the map visualization in an everyday, always-on object. Beyond its technical build, the project is designed to serve as a communication and resource-mobilization tool. It stands as a tangible proof of concept that digital fabrication and project management can work hand in hand offering a panoramic, at-a-glance view of the many interventions carried out by organizations and national partners across the country's cities and regions, and helping make that impact visible to stakeholders, donors, and the public alike.

Slide¶

Video¶

GANTT¶

2. What Will the Project Do?¶

The project will: - Display the map of Côte d’Ivoire - Illuminate LEDs representing cities where UNDP projects are implemented - Create an interactive visualization system - Demonstrate embedded electronics and digital fabrication integration

Possible future improvements: - Interactive buttons - Web or mobile control - Data visualization system - Animated lighting sequences

3. Previous Related Work¶

Several interactive maps and educational visualization systems already exist.

Previous projects include: - Interactive LED world maps - Smart educational geographic displays - Embedded visualization systems using LEDs and microcontrollers

However, this project specifically focuses on: - Côte d’Ivoire - UNDP activities visualization - Local educational and awareness applications

4. What Will I Design?¶

I will design: - A physical map of Côte d’Ivoire - Electronic circuits for LED control - A custom PCB - Embedded software for LED management - Structural support and packaging

The design includes: - 2D vector design of the map - 3D support structures - Electronic integration

5. Materials and Components¶

The project will use:

6. Source of Materials¶

The materials and components will come from: - Local electronics stores - Fab Lab inventory - Online suppliers

Possible suppliers: - Electronics shops - Hardware stores - Digital fabrication laboratory resources

7. Estimated Cost¶

| Total | $84.82 |

8. Parts and Systems to be Made¶

The project includes: - Physical map structure - LED lighting system - Electronic control board - Embedded software - Support structure and packaging

Main systems: - Mechanical system - Electronic system - Embedded control system

9. Processes Used¶

The fabrication process includes:

2D Design¶

• Vector drawing of the map

3D Design¶

• Support and enclosure modeling

Additive Fabrication¶

• 3D printing of supports

Subtractive Fabrication¶

• CNC cutting or laser cutting of the map

Electronics Production¶

• PCB design and soldering

Embedded Programming¶

• ESP32 programming
• LED control system

System Integration¶

- Assembly of all components¶

10. Questions to be Answered¶

Important questions during development:

• How to optimize LED placement?
• How to improve system reliability?
• How to organize electronic wiring?
• How to make the system scalable?
• How to improve visual presentation?

11. Project Evaluation¶

The project will be evaluated based on: - Functionality of the LEDs - Quality of fabrication - Electronic integration - Programming performance - Final presentation - Innovation and creativity - System reliability

The success criteria include:

• Correct LED operation
• Accurate representation of cities
• Stable embedded system
• Clean assembly and packaging

12. Integration of Fab Academy Topics¶

This project integrates multiple Fab Academy units:

LICENCE¶

Like all Fab Academy students, my work is supported by the MIT License, which ensures it remains open and freely accessible.

In addition, I have chosen to apply the following Creative Commons license to this project:

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This means you are free to share and adapt this work, under the following terms:

Attribution, You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. NonCommercial, You may not use this material for commercial purposes. ShareAlike, If you remix, transform, or build upon this material, you must distribute your work under the same license.

Final Project Files¶

All files related to this project are available for download below. For details on how each file was produced, refer to the Project Development page

Downloads¶