Arduino RGB Paper Lamp

by ENG249GroupProject

59510

Intro: Arduino RGB Paper Lamp

This project is to create a decorative triangular lamp that is able to change colors.

Tools

The tools you will need are:

  • A computer with a USB port and access to the web
  • Scissors and X-Acto knife
  • Ruler
  • a pencil.

Materials

The materials needed are:

  • x1 Arduino board with a USB connection cable
  • x1 Breadboard
  • x1 common anode RGB LED
  • x3 220 Ohm resistors
  • about 6 wires
  • graph paper
  • thick opaque paper
  • thin translucent paper (graph paper)
  • glue

STEP 1: Assembling the Tools and Materials for the Paper Lamp

In this part you will be constructing the paper lamp.

Tools

The tools you will need for this part are:

  • Scissors
  • X-Acto knife
  • Ruler
  • A Pencil.

Materials

The materials for the paper lamp are:

  • Thick opaque paper
  • Thin translucent paper (Graph paper)
  • Glue.

STEP 2: Drawing the Template - Part 1

Start by drawing a triangle with all of the sides being 6.5 in long. Now draw a line from the top of the triangle down to the middle of the bottom side. Now draw lines half an inch inside each of the sides. Do this again with the lines one fourth of an inch inwards for the inner triangle. This should create a triangle within the bigger triangle. Next draw two lines parallel to the middle line and about a fourth of an inch away. This creates a center beam in the triangle.

STEP 3: Drawing the Template - Part 2

Now draw lines half an inch inside each of the sides.

STEP 4: Drawing the Template - Part 3

Do this again with the lines one fourth of an inch inwards for the inner triangle. This should create a triangle within the bigger triangle.

STEP 5: Drawing the Template - Part 4

Next draw two lines parallel to the middle line and about a fourth of an inch away. This creates a center beam in the triangle.

STEP 6: Cutting Out the Template

Now that we have drawn the template it is time to cut it out. First we are going to cut out the large outer triangle from the piece of paper using the scissors. Once that is cut out, you are going to cut out the diamonds at each of the corners of the triangle to create some tabs. Once the diamonds are cut out, cut the ends of the tabs so that they are perpendicular to the sides they are attached to. Now using the X-Acto knife cut out the two innermost triangles, these are separated by the middle beam we created earlier. The template should now be complete!

STEP 7: Tracing the Template and Cutting It Out

Trace the outline and inside of the template 2 times onto a thick opaque piece of paper. Cut out these traces from the piece of paper, the same way you cut out the templates in the previous step, to create the sides of the lamp. Now trace only the outline of the template 2 times onto a piece of thin translucent paper. Cut out these outlines, with scissors, from the piece of paper.

STEP 8: Gluing the Translucent Pieces to the Opaque Pieces

Split the four piece into opaque and translucent pairs so that you have pairs with 1 thick opaque piece with 1 thin translucent piece. Glue the two separate pairs together so that there is a thin translucent piece behind a thick opaque piece.

STEP 9: Cut Out the Joining Strip

Draw and cut out, with scisssors, a strip of paper that is 10 inches long and 5 inches wide. This will be used to join the two triangular sides.

STEP 10: Glue Together the Lamp

First, bend the strip of paper you cut out in the last step in half. Next, bend the edges of the triangular faces, leaving the faces intact.

STEP 11: Final Gluing Step

Caution: Leave the bottom the lamp open in order to move on to the next step!

Finally, glue the top two bent edges of the triangular faces to the outside of the long side of the bent strip of paper to make something that resembles a roof.
The Lamp is Complete!

STEP 12: Gathering the Tools and Materials for the RGB LED

In this part we will be wiring up the RGB LED.

Tools

You will need a computer with a USB port and access to the web.

Materials

The materials for the RGB LED are as follows:

  • x1 Arduino board with a USB connection cable

  • x1 Breadboard

  • x1 common anode RGB LED

  • x3 220 Ohm resistors

  • about 6 wires

STEP 13: Wiring Up the LED

Connect the LED to the breadboard with the longest wire connected to ground. The grounding wire is one of the middle two wires. Then connect each of the other wires as follows:

[Pin on arduino] to [220 Ohm resistor] to [wire on LED]

We will connect the 5v pin and ground pin to the breadboard later.

STEP 14: Setup Arduino IDE

Open a web browser and browse to the arduino.cc website. Click on the software tab along the top. Download the version of the Arduino IDE for your operating system and follow the setup procedure outlined through the downloaded software.

STEP 15: Connect to Your Arduino Board

Once the Arduino IDE is setup open the IDE and connect your arduino to your computer with the USB cable. Next click the tool tab on the menu bar and expand the Port sub menu. From the Port submenu click on the port your arduino board is connected to.

STEP 16: Copy and Paste the Code

When the Arduino IDE opens, there will be some code already typed, make sure to delete it so you have a blank screen.

Now copy the code below and paste it into the IDE window. Make sure the code within the void setup() and void loop() is indented. If it is on the same line, the code will not execute properly.

The arduino code

const int redLEDPin = 9;

const int greenLEDPin = 10;

const int blueLEDPin = 11;

const int redValue = 255;

const int greenValue = 0;

const int blueValue = 0;

void setup() {

pinMode(redLEDPin, OUTPUT);

pinMode(greenLEDPin, OUTPUT);

pinMode(blueLEDPin, OUTPUT);

}

void loop() {

analogWrite(redLEDPin, redValue);

analogWrite(greenLEDPin, greenValue);

analogWrite(blueLEDPin, blueValue);

}

STEP 17: Upload the Code to the Arduino

Now click on the rightward facing arrow along the top to compile and upload your code to the arduino.

STEP 18: Finishing Up the Connections

Finally connect the 5v pin of the arduino to the + rail on the breadboard and then connect the ground pin of the arduino to the - rail on the breadboard.

Place the Lamp on top of the RGB LED and the Lamp should now be lit!