In this element14 presents episode, Katie embarks on a whimsical adventure to create an interactive light-up cauldron that responds to potion bottles, just in time for Halloween! Katie's journey starts with a store-bought cauldron, the foundation for her magical creation. To bring her cauldron to life, she harnesses the power of an Arduino Uno R3, an Adafruit NFC shield, and a length of Adafruit Neopixel strip.
The core of the project revolves around coding the Arduino Uno. Katie's code sets up a visual display with ten distinct colour blocks. Each colour block corresponds to an NFC tag, which will be affixed to the cork of a potion bottle. When an NFC tag is held over the sensor for one second, it lights one of the blocks with a beautiful colour, adding an enchanting element to the cauldron's brew.
With the code in place, it's time to bring the cauldron to life. The Neopixel strip is carefully placed around the inner edge of the cauldron, secured in position with adhesive strip. A power socket is placed at the base of the cauldron, giving the Arduino and Neopixel strip the energy they need to enchant the cauldron.
To create the mystical atmosphere of a cauldron filled with bubbling potions, the NFC reader is carefully placed in the center of a frosted acrylic sheet, custom-cut to fit snugly at the top of the cauldron. This gives the cauldron a visually captivating, ethereal look, as if something magical is brewing inside.
Katie doesn't stop with just the cauldron; she introduces a whimsical "wand" to mix the colours within. She crafts a magic wand using a piece of 4mm dowel, using air-dry clay to give it a wooden appearance. A small NFC tag is discreetly hidden just beneath the surface of the clay, creating an interactive experience that adds another layer of wonder.
Additionally, Katie introduces a game element: a color-changing crystal. She meticulously crafts a beautiful resin crystal that is designed to light up with a particular colour. The challenge is to use the potion bottles to match that colour, adding an element of interactivity and excitement to the project.
With all the pieces in place, Katie puts her cauldron to the test. By using the potion bottles, she can add various colour components to the cauldron and then mix them with the magic wand, creating a captivating range of different colour effects within the cauldron.
Katie's interactive light-up cauldron is a blend of creativity and technology, adding a magical touch to any Halloween celebration. So, get ready to brew your own concoctions and enjoy the enchanting world of colour and magic within her cauldron. Happy Halloween, and let your creativity flow like a potion!
Downloads and Bonus Content:
Bill of Material:
| Product Name | Manufacturer | Quantity | Buy Kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| A000066 ARDUINO SBC, Arduino UNO Rev3, ATmega328P, 8bit, 2KB RAM, 32KB Flash, 14 I/O pins | ARDUINO | 1 | Buy Now |
| FC681445 | CLIFF ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS | 1 | Buy Now |
| ST25-TAG-BAG-UI1 | STMICROELECTRONICS | 1 | Buy Now |
| 1506 Light Strip Length:1m | ADAFRUIT | 1 | Buy Now |
| 789" | ADAFRUIT | 1 | Buy Now |
Additional Content:
| Toy Cauldron |
| Potion Bottles |
| Air dry clay |
| 3mm Grey frosted acrylic sheet |
