Introduction: Memory Lamp

[ Intro ]

This product can you a way to keep your memory in a self-made frame, combining with a lamb decorated by yourself, increasing the visibility and exposure of the image being kept in the memory lamp, creating your own unique memory.

Features of this memory lamp:

1. Can be decorated in your own way.

2. Can change the image any time.

3. Work as a night lamp, becoming the only thing you will see when going to bed is the image kept in the frame.

Supplies

[ Materials ]

1. foam board

2. Arduino Leonardo*1

3. wires*5

4. LED*1 (choose any color you prefer)

5. variable resistor*1

6. transparent file folder*1

For decoration (choose any style you like)

1. paper tape

2. wrapping paper

[ Tools ]

1.utility knife

2. cutting mat

3. ruler

4. white glue

5. glue stick

6. pencil

7. eraser

Step 1: Planning

The first step of building anything is planning. So first, think of what functions and appearance you would like the product to have?


Function

1. Can control the brightness.

solution: add a variable resistor to control the LED

2. Can hold photos.

solution: create a frame on the front of the box.

3. Easier to fit any size of photo but not cutting off the focuses of the photo.

solution: keep the frame in square shape.

4. Can change the photo.

solution: open a place on the top for changing photos.

5. The photo should be protected.

solution: put the photo into a transparent protective film.

Appearance

1. The shape should not affect the storability.

solution: The model will be a cube. Having a flat platform allows the box to be places anywhere stably and other objects can be place on the top of the box, too, increasing the storability.

SO THIS IS WHAT CAME OUT AS A RESULT

according to the design layout, we need 6 pieces of foam broad in different sizes:

11.7cm*12cm / 2 (1 will be cut to let the wire out.)

12cm*12cm / 2 (1 will be cut as the frame.)

11.7cm*11.7cm / 2 (1 will be cut to put the variable resistor.)

(this measure is base on 0.3cm foam boards, if the foam board you're using has a different thickness, this measure will not fit.)

(The size of the box built by the foam boards should be 12.3cm*12cm*12cm)

Step 2: Constructing the Outer Box of the Product

1. Draw and cut out six 12cm*12cm squares (pencil, eraser, utility knife, cutting mat, and ruler is needed) (picture 1)

2. Crop the boards base on the measurements (utility knife, cutting mat, and ruler is needed)

11.7cm*12cm / 2

12cm*12cm / 2

11.7cm*11.7cm / 2

3. Get one board from each measurement and crop them to fit their functions (pencil, eraser, utility knife, cutting mat, and ruler is needed) (The final should look like picture 2)

4. Stick all the boards on the wrapping paper. (glue stick is needed.) (picture 3)

5. Cut off the wrapping paper. (picture 4)

6. Draw and cut the file folder with a measurement of 11cm*11.5cm. One of the 11cm sides should be connecting the two pieces of the transparent folder, which is the folded side. (picture 5)

7. FOR DECORATION: wrap the sides of the frame with paper tape. (picture 6)

8. Stick the cut file folder onto the backside of the frame. Make sure the folded side is on the bottom and the upper side needs to align the board. (white glue is needed.) (picture 7)

9. Construct all the foam boards together, except the board on the very top. (It will be closed later when the Arduino is placed inside.) (picture 8)

10. Stick the variable resistor on. (white glue is needed.) (picture 9)

picture 10 provides all the measurements and the construction of the boards.

Step 3: Coding and Wiring

1. Download Arduino(app)

2. Copy the code and paste it on your Arduino. https://create.arduino.cc/editor/anitalilee/2fee26...

3. Start wiring! (connect all the wires, LED, and the variable resistor in the right place as the picture shown.) (Put the whole thing into the box as you connect Arduino to the variable resistor, which is already stuck on the board.)

4. Connect the Arduino board to your computer using the USB cable.

5. Select "Arduino Leonardo" for your evaluation board. (tools > evaluation board > Arduino Leonardo)

6. Select the right serial port. (choose the one that has Arduino Leonardo with brackets at the back)

7. Upload the code.

8. Check if it is working the way you expect: the brightness of the LED should change as you turn the variable resistor.)

Step 4: Assembling

1. Fix the LED onto the board that wasn't sticking to the other boards. (the board on the top.) (picture 1)

2. Stick the last board onto the box.

3. DO SOME DECORATION IF YOU WANT.

Step 5: Testing

If your model works just like what the video shows, then you're done :)