How to Make a "chameleon" With Arduino

You must have seen chameleons changing colors and blending in the surroundings, in an amazing way. The way that chameleons actually do this is really molecular. If you look at the skin of a chameleon, you find that they have several layers of specialised cells called chromatophores and these are cells that can change colour. And that's where I came up with an idea of building a device that acts alike, with arduino.

Step 1: Intro

You must have seen chameleons changing colors and blending in the surroundings, in an amazing way. The way that chameleons actually do this is really molecular. If you look at the skin of a chameleon, you find that they have several layers of specialised cells called chromatophores and these are cells that can change colour. And that's where I came up with an idea of building a device that acts alike, with arduino.

Hardware Used

TCS3200 Color Sensor from DFRobot, $7.90

Arduino Nano from DFRobot, $22.00

Light Disc with 7 SMD RGB LED, $8.90

Breadboard, x1

Jumper Cables, a few

Here I used Arduino Nano because I want the device to be as compact as possible with a low power consumption. However, if you do not have power or sizing requirements, any other Arduino microcontroller will just do the job —— and saves money.

Step 2: Wiring

To connect the TCS3200 Color Sensor with Nano, you'll need to expand some extra ports. The wirings should follow correctly with the program, to ensure functionality. Connect the LED port of color sensor with 3.3V on Nano. See attached wiring diagram for details.

Step 3: Programming

After all wirings done, you can now go to Arduino IDE and upload the codes for your chameleon. Note: the Metro Library is needed. You can find it here and install it in advance.

Here I leave a zip file with the the code.

Step 4: Test and Enjoy!

I used different colored papers to do demo tests. Just put the colored paper beneath the color sensor, and it starts to change color accordingly! Looks a bit more like a "chameleon" now :p

The sensor data will also be affected by ambient light, so it works better in the night.

The container I used is a printed vase found on Thingiverse, I am sure you will easily find a nicer one at home or made by your self.

Enjoy.