Happy Star Wars Day! Not only has the Star Wars universe brought us massive amounts of joy, fun, and cultural content, it’s also been an incredible source of inspiration for makers over the years (including us!) We’re celebrating May the 4th over here by reviewing some of our favorite Star Wars themed projects, plus searching the web for ideas and builds from makers around the world.
We hope you’re celebrating in style! (And, of course, May the 4th be with you)
Here’s a round-up of some cool stuff/resources for this year:
We’ve got so much happening here at Adafruit that it’s not always easy to keep up! Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered. Each week we’ll be posting a handy round-up of what we’ve been up to, ranging from learn guides to blog articles, videos, and more.
This Expansion board is designed for the Seeed Xiao, and since the QT Py is pin compatible we thought we’d try it out with the RP2040 QT Py we just released to see how it works with CircuitPython. The RP2040 has toooons more flash and RAM than the SAMD21 so it’s a great little add-on! There’s a 128×64 OLED, button, piezo beeper, battery charger and booster, SD card and RTC.
Make a custom USB-HID keypad in the shape of a citrus fruit. This keypad features six mechanical switches for controlling media players like Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, etc. Powered by the Adafruit QT Py RP2040 and CircuitPython.
Inside the case is a NeoPixel Jewel that slowly fades in and out making the keypad illuminate. The QT Py and NeoPixel are housed in a 3D printed case with parts that snap fit together.
We’ve got so much happening here at Adafruit that it’s not always easy to keep up! Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered. Each week we’ll be posting a handy round-up of what we’ve been up to, ranging from learn guides to blog articles, videos, and more.
BLOG
This week, we said goodbye to the year of the Rat as we ushered in the Year of the Ox.
Check out the latest tutorial from Erin St. Blaine: make a magical floating fireball prop for your Cosplay character. A snap of the wrist makes the LED flames flare up brightly! This is a fun beginner project, with no soldering required. The code is done in Microsoft MakeCode, with a drag-and-drop code block editor, so it’s easy to change colors or animation triggers.
From the guide:
Complete your cosplay with this Magical Item: a floating fireball that flares up at your command. Whether you’re portraying Kael’thas Sunstrider from WoW or trading flaming shots with Super Mario and Luigi, this fireball will push your outfit over the top. This is a very easy project, with no soldering required. The Circuit Playground board makes motion-sensing programmable lights a snap. Customize your colors and your animation speed with Microsoft MakeCode’s drag-and-drop code editor. You’ll be stopped for so many photos that you’ll never make it to that panel discussion at DragonCon.
Take a look at the latest guide from Erin St. Blaine: build a three tiered chandelier with hanging DIY paper-craft crystals that light up with pixels inside. Easily add your own custom animations using CircuitPython and the LED Animations Library. This guide takes animated lights a step further, adding a rotary encoder knob that controls the brightness or the animation speed of the pixels, and also acts as an on/off switch. From the guide:
Floating crystals and glowing lights are a match made in heaven. This project combines a wide variety of skills and tools into one lovely project. Make a gorgeous hanging lamp with sparkly beads, glowing crystals, live edge wood and of course, lots of NeoPixels.
My chandelier is unique, and designed to show my personal style. Since you, dear reader, have your very own unique style, this tutorial will focus on giving you the tools to design and create your own one-of-a-kind bespoke hanging lamp. This tutorial will provide source files and ideas, and give guidance on how the electronics fit together.
This tutorial will also get you started with customizing your own software animations. The sample code uses CircuitPython and the delightfully easy to use LED Animations Library by Kattni Rembor. This code gives you a framework that allows speed and brightness control using a rotary encoder knob, so you can adjust the lighting to suit any environment or mood.
Every Wednesday is Wearable Wednesday here at Adafruit! We’re bringing you the blinkiest, most fashionable, innovative, and useful wearables from around the web and in our own original projects featuring our wearable Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. Be sure to post up your wearables projects in the forums or send us a link and you might be featured here on Wearable Wednesday!
In this project we’re making a case for the Raspberry Pi HQ Camera. This 3D printed an enclosure that houses the Pi 4 and the HQ Camera module. It’s compatible with any C or CS-mount lenses so we can use a wide variety of interchangeable lenses. See more in the Adafruit Learning System
Build a guitar hero inspired MIDI controller! Features Cherry MX switches, accelerometer and whammy bar! Features a strumming mode so you can power through chords and notes giving you a playing style unlike typical MIDI controllers. The whammy bar lets you pitch bend making it feel like an electric guitar. Using an accelerometer, you can move the guitar to adjust modulation giving you an expressive playing style. See more in the Adafruit Learning System
These cases are designed for the new line of PyPortals. The PyPortal original, PyPortal Titano and PyPortal Pynt. It’s like a mini desktop PC that you can have on your desk and display all sorts of data. The ports are accessible on the side and there’s even a spot to hold a speaker. The 3D printed enclosure is designed to snap fit so it’s easy to assemble and take apart. See more in the Adafruit Learning System
WiFi Weather Station with 8Bit Icons and SFX. Build a weather station with retro inspired 8bit graphics! Use CircuitPython to display data from the Open Weather Maps API. Get temperature, weather conditions, location, time and date! All rendered in chunky fonts and blocky icons. See more in the Adafruit Learning System
This design supports 3-hole punch system for use with sheets. Visor features covered top and tight tension across 8.5x11in sheet. Tested shield clearance with safety goggles and face mask.
Full 8.5x11in sheet is used with exception of trimming corners near chin area. 3-hole punch applied to both sides. Visor and bottom holder use same 3-hole punch (2 x 4.25in – 0.25in hole diameter).
Curls on the ends of arm holds a rubber band. Arms are thin to minimize head coverage and use less material for faster print times. See more in the Adafruit Learning System
Build a NeoPixel Infinity Mirror with Bluetooth Remote Control! 3D printed parts snap fit together so it’s easy to build. Use Circuit Python to code bluetooth hardware and NeoPixel LEDs! See more in the Adafruit Learning System
Building an Infinity Cube with NeoPixels and BLE control! The frame is 3D printed and the acrylic panels are coated with see-through mirror film. Trigger LED animations with the bluetooth controlled mobile app. See more in the Adafruit Learning System
Build a 3D printed light up tombstone with an animated eye! Use the HalloWing M4 and NeoPixels to make a backlit sign with a custom message or spooky face!
Use the HalloWing M4 with it’s pumpkin spiced silkscreen to make this years projects really pop! Features the crispy IPS display, gobs of on-board sensors, and a nice assort of expansion ports. Create your own eye graphics and change them by swap out bitmap images.
The parts are designed to snap fit together and for support-free 3D printing! Use black LED acrylic to make a panel with vinyl graphics. The design features Victorian style aesthetic with floral ornaments and chamfered edges. See more in the Adafruit Learning System
Build a smart planter with Adafruit PyPortal and CircuitPython. Monitor your plants vitals with Adafruit STEMMA Soil Sensor and plot moisture and temperature data. Use Adafruit IO to create a visual dashboard with gauges of your plants water levels. See more in the Adafruit Learning System
Over the next couple of weeks we will be posting Adafruit’s Top 10 lists covering social media posts and much more! Be sure to check back every weekday! Check out Adafruit’s top 10 tweets of 2020 below!
We have about 50 left of the Matrix Portal – CircuitPython Powered Internet Display @adafruithttps://t.co/1GUvv3l1ef Wi-Fi, Python-powered, make cool art, IoT, BLINKY … no solder, no wiring, just instant plug-and-play! pic.twitter.com/rOgfepwcE8
1 day – you can register to vote on election day in the following states: AK, CA, CO, CT, HI, ID, IL, IA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MT, NV, NH, RI, UT, VT, WA, WI, WY + Washington DC.#VOTE#Vote2020pic.twitter.com/7XhrijYhIP
If you like lofi radio as much as the author, you’ll want to make your project into something more permanent, and that means 3D printing!
Grab the STL files from prusaprinters.org to get started. All files should load in your slicer in the intended orientation for printing. If you want to customize or remove the lettering, you can use the free software OpenSCAD to edit the scad source.
