Jagi Natarajan built an audio-reactive LED sculpture that transforms the phyllotaxis double-spiral - the sunflower seed pattern - into a physical Voronoi-tessellated LED matrix. Starting from a Processing sketch that places radial points rotated by the golden ratio, edge data was exported to Python/CadQuery to carve merged cell geometry, subtract individual cells, and drill LED-sized holes. The geometry was split into quadrants for 3D printing and finished with a thin faceplate backed by mulberry paper for diffusion. Eighty-nine RGB addressable neopixels are soldered to a controller; a lookup table of floating-point LED positions enables shader-style code to render radial sine-wave and spiral effects driven initially by an STM32 Blackpill and a custom SPI neopixel driver.
Audio reactivity comes from an INMP441 I2S microphone and ARM CMSIS DSP routines for FFT, auto-gain and multiband energy analysis, producing patterns that respond dynamically to music. After noisy perfboard electronics, custom PCBs and a bamboo backplate were designed; a second version uses five radially tiling PCBs to match fabrication batches, though hand-soldering neopixels required hot-air reflow assistance. The finished installation runs on an ESP32 with firmware rewritten in Rust and a tiny WebAssembly-backed web interface for uploading sketches. Planned improvements include easier-to-solder LEDs or PCB assembly, a protective acrylic layer, and magnetic faceplates as preparation for a version 3.
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Ceiling fans are experiencing increased popularity and innovative designs to improve energy efficiency and airflow. Some models now incorporate smart technology for remote control and automation. (mcmansionhell.com)
High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) is expected to decline by 90% in volume over the next 7-10 years, according to Irrational Analysis. DRAM stocks could double before experiencing a drop of at least 70% from their peak within a decade. (irrationalanalysis.substack.com)
Framework has opened pre-orders for its 192GB Desktop DIY Edition featuring AMD Ryzen AI Max 400 Series, starting at $11,239. Customers can choose between DIY or pre-built options, with the ability to order multiple units and customize configurations. (frame.work)
Groundrun automates Wi-Fi setup testing on the ESP32, ensuring reliable connection methods like Bluetooth, Soft AP, and WPS are consistently functional. A simple custom app sends credentials via different protocols to test each setup process. (groundrun.io)
China's 2.2MW EV chargers are already in service across five cities, enabling charging in under five minutes. The US is considering 750kW chargers, expected to arrive next year after delays from 2026. (electrek.co)
The CHOMPI portable sampler instrument has been released as open-source, with hardware and software files available on GitHub for developers to customize. The project is discontinued and no further updates will be provided, but the community can discuss and share creations on the CHASE BLISS Discord. (chompiclub.com)
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