A temperature-sensing Pac-Man/Ghost LED matrix for retro avid gamers

Instructables customers Monserrath Velasco and Santiago Guerra have created an LED matrix that not solely options basic Pac-Man characters, but additionally exhibits the present ambient temperature by coding it because the Ghost’s shade which ranges from blue (chilly) to pink (scorching).

The matrix itself was customary out of a number of WS2812B LED strips, which include a complete of 71 individually-addressable LEDs. After soldering them collectively utilizing some wire and gluing them to a cardboard backing, the staff related the strip to an Arduino Uno together with a BME280 environmental sensing module. The ultimate element was a single momentary pushbutton swap that offers customers the choice to vary between the Ghost  and Pac-Man figures.

With the {hardware} now assembled, Velasco and Guerra then moved onto the following step of setting up a small enclosure. This course of concerned slotting strips of cardboard right into a matrix configuration and protecting your entire factor in white translucent paper as a way to diffuse the sunshine. Buil;ding the housing required reducing small notches into one other sq. of cardboard, attaching 4 aspect panels to every edge, after which putting the matrix onto the entrance face.

After loading the code into the Arduino, it was lastly time to see the illuminated sprites in all of their glory. Urgent the aspect button begins the Pac-Man animation, whereas subsequent presses trigger the matrix to change to displaying the temperature-sensitive Ghost. You may learn extra about this venture right here on Instructables.