Introduction: LED Music Boxes (Hummingbird)
For this project we will be making acrylic boxes that are timed to light up to any song of your choice.
Step 1: Gather Your Materials and Your Tools
For this project you will need many different materials and tools.
Materials:
- Cell Cast Acrylic (We got a sheet on Amazon that was 24" x 48" x 0.118")
- Glue for the Glue Gun
- Hummingbird
- 4 LED bulbs
2 Tri-LED bulbs
Tools:
- Laser Cutter
- Glue Gun
Step 2: CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
You must design your box on a CAD software of your choice.
We used OnShape because it is the software that we are most familiar with and it is quite simple to get the hang of.
We created 36 squares to assemble the 6 boxes:
3.764 x 3.764 (6)
3.764 x 3.764 with a hole (6)
4 x 3.764 (6)
4 x 4 (6)
3.882 x 3.764 (12)
Step 3: Laser Cut
Once you have your designs on OnShape you can begin to upload it to the computer to be laser cut.
At my school we have Universal Laser Systems so it was ready for us to use. However, if you do no have a laser cutter available, you can go to your local Staples store and get it laser cut.
Step 4: Assemble the Boxes
After laser cutting the squares, use a hot glue gun to glue the pieces together.
Make sure to use a 3.764 x 3.764 with a hole and a 4 x 4 as opposite bases.
Step 5: Code the Music
Now that you have assembled the boxes, the final step is to code the LED lights to the music.
First, pick a song of your choice (we used a song that we made on the GarageBand App).
Next, record the time per beat by timing the song and counting the number of beats.
Finally, code the LED and tri-LED bulbs to flash different colors on each beat now that you know how long they are.
Step 6: Prepare to Be Amazed
Copy and paste this link into your browser and see what we were able to accomplish! https://youtu.be/Yq9Nyb6zBWQ
