A comprehensive approach to creating dynamic 3D animations on decorative LED lights using a mesh network of ESP32s3 microcontrollers.
ESP32s3, LEDs, animation, mesh network, ESP-Now, shader development, real-time updates
This thesis presents a comprehensive approach to creating dynamic 3D animations on decorative LED lights using a mesh network of ESP32s3 microcontrollers. The work addresses the challenge of wirelessly synchronizing multiple devices to control thousands of LEDs arranged in arbitrary physical configurations.
The idea for this product was originally inspired by a video from Matt Parker, who presented the complex challenge of scanning a Christmas tree adorned with LEDs. His video highlighted a major drawback: the slow and cumbersome scanning process, which took nearly two hours as he scanned each LED individually. Additionally, running animations scalably and with good developer experience is hard with traditional approaches. This created the need for a solution that can support developers optimally in creating animations for one-of-a-kind scenes.
The animation engine developed in this thesis facilitates rapid shader development by eliminating the need for in-depth knowledge of the subject. It streamlines the testing and deployment of new animations, offering support for real-time updates. The engine is equipped with user-friendly development tools, enhancing accessibility and efficiency in the animation creation process. This thesis establishes a solid foundation for the final product: A scalable, reliable, and easy-to-use platform for creating visually appealing LED installations and programming beautiful and interactive shaders on it.
Project Duration: 01.02.24 - 16.08.24
Effort in hours per person: 360
Team Size: 2
CyNova AG
cynova.ch
info@cynova.ch
Noah Siegrist
Sean Goff
Prof. Dr. Hilko Cords
hilko.cords@fhnw.ch
