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 traditional Pac-Man characters, but additionally exhibits the present ambient temperature by coding it because the Ghost’s colour which ranges from blue (chilly) to purple (scorching).

The matrix itself was normal 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 workforce related the strip to an Arduino Uno together with a BME280 environmental sensing module. The ultimate element was a single momentary pushbutton swap that provides customers the choice to alter between the Ghost  and Pac-Man figures.

With the {hardware} now assembled, Velasco and Guerra then moved onto the following step of developing a small enclosure. This course of concerned slotting strips of cardboard right into a matrix configuration and protecting the complete factor in white translucent paper as a way to diffuse the sunshine. Buil;ding the housing required slicing small notches into one other sq. of cardboard, attaching 4 facet 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 facet button begins the Pac-Man animation, whereas subsequent presses trigger the matrix to change to displaying the temperature-sensitive Ghost. You’ll be able to learn extra about this undertaking right here on Instructables.