![Smart controlled daisy-chain RGB LEDs](https://images.beastsofwar.com/2019/02/76281905-RGBLED-999.jpg)
Smart controlled daisy-chain RGB LEDs
A quick-and-dirty controller app
I’ve only had a couple of hours at this, but – like many “completed” projects – it’s functional enough to call done for now! Here’s a simple controller app that lets the user select any of the LEDs in a string (of WS2812B daisy-chained together) and both set the colour or turn it on/off with a simple toggle switch
Obviously the immediate purpose is to be able to embed these little RGB LEDs throughout some terrain and to be able to control them remotely.
Possible uses include atmospheric lighting (increasing/decreasing the lighting in a dungeon, as players progress towards a goal, for example) door lock indicators (red could indicate locked and once the player has opened the door, the LED can be set to green).
You could even use it with vehicles for laser fire or explosions!
(maybe an update to the firmware is in order, to trigger pre-programmed animations, such as flickering lights, fading sequences and so on).
Anyway, there we go – a string of fully controllable, full-colour RGB LEDs that you can change via a smartphone/tablet.
The intensity of the colours and the pin-sharp focus of the LED lenses doesn’t really come across in the video (my camera is obviously trying to automatically adjust white balance and lighting levels for the best overall image) – in real life, the LEDs look a lot more impressive (and the range of colours is much greater).
All that remains is to actually embed some LEDs into some terrain, perhaps using super-fine magnet wire and tiny little connectors, instead of the hulking great chunks of perfboard I used in the prototype.
But as a proof-of-concept, I reckon we’re pretty close to calling this one done….?
Have been following this project (think I’m your first comment). A few things that have been bouncing around my head. Many backlit keyboards (well just the Razer ones actually) use a big bit of white plastic to “bounce” the light from the LED towards the user (you can’t actually see the LED). So was thinking along the lines of a sci-fi corridor and applying underlighting at the bottom of the wall and some white plastic to try and achieve a constant lighting effect so the illumination is constant along the entire corridor. Might be possible to wrangle something out of… Read more »