(Such a perfect  PLA color for an ocean theme(aesthetic), though failed during the testing process lol )

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I want to create a unique night light with a breathing effect in the Kawaii aesthetic(maybe focusing on marine mammals, to stay consistent with other objects in my room).
I’m trying to create a night light, in that style of elegance and cute in the final project.
The timeline of this project is as below. I started with getting the RGB LED, and then did the 3D printing for testing the color and infertility of PLA can successfully let the correct amount of light pass through it or not, as the video below shows, the PLA works well when it’s solid, but after I poked the holes on it for testing the projection, it failed. Therefore, I concluded the material used- I should use other materials other than PLA to reach the project’s strengthened points.

 

 

 

Then I browsed and found some tutorials about Rhino on Youtube, and I’m working on the CAD modeling process. On 4/1, I finished the programming with Arduino IDE, and let it work on my Sparkfun Redboard as the video below. I think the changing colors and breathing effects are quite satisfying.

After the inner build-in and soldering did (I plan to do the soldering by the end of this week), I will start working on the enclosure. Now I have different sketches of the possible design, the most approachable one for testing is in a shape of a cube, estimated as 10cm x 10cm x 10cm’s size.

In my previous posts, my initial idea(the product’s image in my brain) was to build the night light as an “electric candle”, with the shape of marine mammals, as below:
“The shape of the “candle” will be something that could be directly connected to the image of peace and calm. The color of the RGB light will be controlled via Arduino IDE. I will build a set of colors(maybe pick a color from a color palette) that serves the function with adjustable lights. And the aesthetic I chose for this project is the Kawaii style. Kawaii means cute in Japanese, and I want to make the candle blend with my current room style. The main color of my room is navy blue, the other colors are black and white. I have a blue whale(bought from IKEA, its name is BLÅVINGAD) on my bed. So the ocean may become a possible theme to the candle’s future design.”

(Timeline & Sketches)

Actually, I have changed my mind during these weeks. According to my current sketch, I tend to let the stand be simple, in a cube structure, then add some switchable plates for the top surface of the night light, so that the shapes can be projected with light and shadow.

In my schedule, I will do the first version prototype on Friday, to see how it works on cardboard, then on 4/14, I will finish the video demo of the night light. In the end, I will finish the documentation including the detailed description and the video by 4/26.

Presentation Link: https://vimeo.com/817396741

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4 Comments. Leave new

  • Shrey Naresh Solanki
    April 12, 2023 4:10 pm

    It’s exciting to see how far this project has come! The breathing action and changing colors appear to be very satisfying, and the switchable plates for projecting shapes is an original idea. The attention to detail and consideration of various materials for the final product is outstanding. Continue your excellent work!

    Reply
  • Hi, great prototype! I see from your design sketch you have the Arduino placed outside of your light. Have you considered using a smaller board like an Arduino Nano or a Teensy to maybe hide those away in your project instead of using the full-size Arduino Uno board? Otherwise, the functionality looks great and it looks like you are on track to a successful and aesthetically pleasing project. It would be interesting to see the light tested in a fully dark room, which is where I expect you would see it being used most. This may reveal some additional changes needed if it doesn’t match how you want the light to diffuse through the cube.

    Reply
    • Chin-Hsuan(Andrea) Wang
      April 11, 2023 11:17 am

      Hi Nic! Thanks for leaving the comment!
      Yes I’m actually considering about the smaller board, maybe I can get a nano board for this project!
      The dark room testing process you mentioned above is inspiring , it will be included in the next post! (Hopefully I can shoot the video with my iPhone! Let’s see how it is)

      Reply
  • Wow that prototype turned out fantastic for a first try, what material are you looking at now to get your desired effect? The thickness of the print will also play a large role in what the final product looks like.

    Reply

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