There’s beauty in microelectronics, and sometimes, there are microelectronics behind beautiful works of art. Today, we have a lovely Raspberry Pi Pico-powered decoration that’s cute and easy to customize or modify. Maker and developer Adrian Cruceru uses a Raspberry Pi Pico to drive the RGB lights inside the hexagon-shaped cells comprising this 3D-printed heart.
The project is designed to be portable and features a battery so that you can move it wherever it is most convenient. Cruceru describes the project as a night light, so it makes sense that it offers some mobility. The light can be programmed with different modes or respond to predetermined cues. In the demo pictures, we see a rainbow of colors alongside solid white for maximum illumination.
As mentioned, this Pico-powered RGB hex heart is a relatively versatile project. It’s already based on an existing project that Crucero has dubbed the Hex Light, which is a testament to its flexibility regarding customization. You can explore details about the original Hex Light and how it works at GitHub. It’s also worth noting that the light can receive power via USB when the batteries are removed.
If you want to recreate this project, you’re in luck. Cruceru was kind enough to share a complete parts list and the 3D printable files you’ll need to create the housing. The main board is a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller. It’s connected to WS2813 LED strips, which are placed carefully behind each hex cell. A battery holder is also thrown in to help keep the power hardware mounted.
All of the software used to operate this night light has also been made open source. You can explore the source code for this heart hex light specifically over at GitHub. You’ll also find progress pictures of the assembly process and a demo video of the hex heart light in action.
To get a closer look at this Raspberry Pi project, check out the original thread shared on Reddit. Cruceru has already mentioned plans to program the heart hex light with animations, so be sure to follow them for more cool creations and any future updates to this project.
