✦ Project Overview
This week documents the applications and implications of my final project: an interactive ambient lamp inspired by mushroom-like forms. The lamp combines a NeoPixel lighting system, a Pepper's Ghost holographic display, capacitive touch interaction, and WiFi control through a Seeed XIAO ESP32-C6 microcontroller.
The holographic system uses a GC9A01 round display and a 45-degree acrylic reflector to create floating visual effects. The final version focuses on holography, lighting, electronics and interaction.
✦ What will it do?
The lamp operates as an interactive ambient object that combines four main functions simultaneously:
- Holographic visualization — floating animations projected through a Pepper's Ghost optical system
- Ambient lighting — customizable NeoPixel ring with multiple color modes
- Touch interaction — capacitive sensor to toggle power and cycle lighting modes
- WiFi control — web interface accessible from any browser on the local network
✦ Who's done what beforehand?
Several existing projects and products were researched as references during concept development:
- Pepper's Ghost systems - optical illusion technique used in theater, museums, and consumer displays
- Ambient lighting products — commercial lamps using addressable LEDs and smart controls
- Interactive electronic objects — maker projects combining touch sensors and microcontrollers
- Holographic display experiments — DIY and academic projects using acrylic reflectors and OLED displays
This project integrates all of these references into a single compact object designed and fabricated entirely within Fab Academy.
✦ What sources will you use?
Source
Purpose
Fab Academy Documentation
Weekly assignment references and process guidelines
ESP32-C6 Datasheet
Microcontroller pinout, power specs, WiFi and BLE configuration
Adafruit NeoPixel Docs
LED ring wiring, library usage, and animation examples
GC9A01 Display Docs
Round display initialization, SPI configuration, graphics libraries
Seeed Studio Wiki
XIAO ESP32-C6 board setup and pinout reference
Pepper's Ghost References
Optical geometry, reflector angle, and acrylic specifications
✦ What will you design?
All physical and electronic components are designed from scratch. The following elements were developed during the project:
Enclosure
- Lamp outer structure
- Mushroom-inspired form
- 3D printed parts
Holographic Chamber
- Acrylic reflector 45°
- Display housing
- Laser cut base
Electronics
- Custom PCB
- Touch interface
- WiFi web interface
Lighting
- NeoPixel system
- Color modes
- Diffuser dome
✦ What materials and components will be used?
Component
Type
Application
Material
Seeed XIAO ESP32-C6
Electronics
Main microcontroller — lighting, hologram, touch, WiFi
PCB module
Custom PCB
Electronics
Connects and distributes all electronic subsystems
Copper-coated fiberglass plate
NeoPixel Ring WS2812B
Electronics
Ambient RGB lighting with multiple color modes
PCB + LEDs
Round Display GC9A01
Electronics
Generates holographic animation content
1.28" TFT display
TTP223 Touch Sensor
Electronics
Capacitive touch for power and mode cycling
PCB sensor
Acrylic Reflector 45°
Laser Cutting
Creates Pepper's Ghost holographic effect
Transparent acrylic 0.5–2mm
Base
Laser Cutting
Structural base for electronics and holographic chamber
MDF 3 mm
Dome Diffuser
3D Printing
Diffuses NeoPixel lighting
PLA filament
Structural Rings
3D Printing
Main visual and structural lamp elements
PLA filament
Internal Supports
3D Printing
Hold display, reflector and electronics in place
PLA filament
Wooden Dowels
Structure
Connect and align structural rings
Wood
✦ Where will they come from?
Supplier
Components
Seeed Studio
XIAO ESP32-C6
Fab Lab Puebla
PCB milling, laser cutting, 3D printing
Local suppliers
Acrylic sheets, MDF, wooden dowels
Amazon/ Mercado Libre
NeoPixel ring, TTP223 sensor, GC9A01 display, PLA/PETG filament
✦ How much will they cost?
Category
Estimated Cost
Electronics
$29–51 USD
Materials & Structure
$8–14 USD
Fabrication (Fab Lab)
$3–5 USD
✦ Total Estimated
$40–70 USD
✦ What parts and systems will be made?
The project is organized into four main subsystems that operate simultaneously once the lamp is powered on:
✦ What processes will be used?
Process
Application
Tool / Software
2D Design
Laser cutting files, PCB layout, technical drawings
KiCad
3D Design
Lamp enclosure, structural rings, internal supports, dome
OnShape/Shapr3D
3D Printing
All printed structural and enclosure components
Bambu Lab, PLA filament, PETG filament
Laser Cutting
Acrylic reflector, structural base rings
Epilog/ Trotec laser cutter
Electronics Production
Custom PCB milling and soldering
Roland SRM-20, soldering station
Embedded Programming
ESP32-C6 firmware, NeoPixel, OLED, WiFi, touch sensor
Arduino IDE, C++
System Integration
Assembly, wiring and functional testing
Multimeter
✦ What questions need to be answered?
- How visible is the holographic effect under different ambient lighting conditions?
- What is the optimal brightness balance between the OLED display and the NeoPixel ring?
- How responsive and reliable is the capacitive touch sensor in normal use?
- How stable and accessible is the WiFi web interface on different devices?
- How compact can the final assembly be while maintaining all subsystem functionality?
- How durable are the 3D printed structural components over time?
✦ How will it be evaluated?
Criteria
Expected Result
Status
Holographic visibility
Floating image clearly visible in normal room lighting
To test
Ambient lighting
NeoPixel ring activates and cycles through all 3 color modes
To test
Touch interaction
Single touch toggles power, second touch cycles lighting mode
To test
WiFi control
Web interface accessible from phone browser on local network
To test
PCB functionality
All components powered and communicating correctly
To test
System integration
All subsystems operate simultaneously without conflict
To test
Structural integrity
Enclosure holds all components securely during operation
To test