Awesome Leds

This cool, single-purpose device connects to your phone and displays album art. Instead of a standard screen, it uses a grid of 4096 individual RGB LEDs to create artful, pixelated images. It works with iOS and Android devices and is compatible with Spotify, Apple Music, Sonos, and last.fm.

This showy Bluetooth speaker has a cylindrical screen that displays song lyrics and other animations. The trick is a rapidly spinning LED bar that produces a persistence-of-vision illusion. Its see-through display can be viewed from any angle, and its audio system incorporates two full-range drivers and a subwoofer. Sign up to be notified of the Kickstarter launch here.

It’s easy to find LED grids that can be programmed to display animations. So this build by Dr. Tõnis Gadgets that uses fiber optics to direct light into a smaller matrix seems unnecessarily complicated. It still looks cool, like something out of the engineering lab in a science fiction movie. The display was inspired by Elliotmade’s fiber optic display from Instructables.

There are a number of LED light curtains on the market, but Twinkly’s is the most densely packed with RGB lights we’ve seen. The result – more detailed patterns and animations. It uses a mobile app to display custom images and can also mirror a Windows PC screen. Available in 3.3 x 3.3-foot and 1.6 x 7.9-foot versions.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are found everywhere these days, so they must be produced in mass quantities. Scotty Allen from Strange Parts scored a tour of China’s World Semi factory for a fascinating look at how they crank out millions of RGB LEDs that can be programmed to change colors. The automation used in the process is truly incredible.

There are some pretty cool backpacks on the market with LED screens, but this one from Yihong Technology works its visual magic differently. It uses a spinning fan blade with 510 flickering LEDs that display moving images using a persistence of vision illusion. It’s just for advertising and not carrying things, though.

Ivresse Films shot this awesome promo spot for Decathlon ski and snowboard brand Wedze. Filmed in the wee hours at Saint Gervais Mont Blanc, they captured video of three skiers heading down the slopes with LED-wrapped skis and poles. Check out the behind-the-scenes video for a look at the post-production work.

This 15″ tall, outdoor-friendly speaker from Monster can run for up to 24 hours on a charge. It cranks out big volume with 80 watts of amplification, a 5.25″ subwoofer, and a 2″ tweeter. A full-color LED panel behind its grille offers six lighting effects that react to music. Connect two for stereo sound.

We recently got a look at Sean Hodgins’ unique (and dangerous) spinning Christmas tree that creates the impression of a tree using lights and a persistence of vision illusion. After fans asked him if it could be programmed to play DOOM, he posted this video demonstrating the tree’s ability to be used as a gaming display.

We’ve seen a lot of cool custom guitar builds over the years, but we’re particularly enchanted by this one. Woodworker Ray Whitby created this beautiful and unique electric guitar from layers of wood and epoxy resin, cut into chevron shapes, assembled and shaped into the guitar’s face, and backlit with LED lighting.

LCDs and LEDs are everywhere, from smartphones to watches to TVs, to headlights. Musician and tech enthusiast Posy dives deep into one specific use of these technologies – displays which use segments to create numbers and letters. After a little history, he shows off some concepts for his own segmented designs.

When is a coffee table not just a coffee table? When it’s a light show, of course. Dashing Axe built this unique piece of furniture with hexagonal cutouts filled with resin, then backlit with colorful rings of RGB LEDs and sensors that respond to movements. Sadly, a Kickstarter to make a production version was unsuccessful.

Performing artist Amy Inspiral shows off some sweet hula hoop moves, enhanced by a hypnotic light show courtesy of her Moodhoops FutureHoop Pro. The high-tech hula hoop has embedded RGB LEDs and can display animated patterns animations using a persistence-of-vision effect.

These neat desktop gadgets add a splash of color and light anywhere you have sound. Each of these light bars creates a colorful light show using 32 LEDs and a built-in microphone and can be set to 18 different color schemes. Grab a 2-pack in The Awesomer Shop for just $35.

We’ve seen how The Mandalorian uses a giant wraparound screen and camera tracking tech to produce immersive environments. Jelle Vermandere doesn’t have a Disney-sized budget, so instead, he built a homebrew rig that uses a ring of lights synced with a virtual environment to match his lighting to the scene.

Get up-to-the-minute information on stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and more with the Fintic desktop scrolling LED ticker. The 128×32 full-color display can also show sports scores, news, weather, instant messages, animated GIFs, and more. It measures 15.3″ w x 4.3″ h x 2.3″ d. Stack multiples for information overload.

Playtime doesn’t have to end at sundown with the Flashflight Light-up Flying Disc. The LED fave from Nite Ize lets you select from six colors or leave it in color-changing Disc-O mode. Stays lit for up to 20 hours of playtime on a single charge and stays afloat when it lands in the drink.

Engineer and inventor Tim Hunkin is back with the second episode of his in-depth series celebrating the components used to build things. This time he turns his attention to light-emitting diodes, the now ubiquitous source of illumination that can be found in everything from televisions to cars to flashlights.

Burls Art has built some pretty interesting guitars. His latest creation incorporates a series of LED lights and mirrors into its body, creating a disco-inspired infinite mirror effect. It really gives the guitar the illusion of a tremendous amount of depth.

Adafruit Industries produces some really nifty components for making electronic gadgets. In this video, they show how their NeoPixel LED strips can be used with a one-way mirrored sheet, acrylic, and some 3D-printed bits to make an infinity mirror you can toss in your pocket. Build details and parts list here, and the source code is here.

There are lots of different ways to tell time, but if you’re looking for something a little different, check out the Timedrop, a slimline desk/wall clock from Mareike & Felix. It features three stacks of LEDs which represent hours, minutes, and seconds. As the day goes on, each column fills with light, resetting when it reaches the top.

rctestflight shows of a custom pickup that combines a 1960s Ford F-100 with a Dodge chassis and Cummins diesel drivetrain, and has what may be the brightest vehicle lighting ever. He built two versions – first with 40 100-watt LEDs, but decided it was too diffuse, so “downgraded” to just 18 units with parabolic reflectors.

Spectrum analyzers are a nifty way to visualize music. But maker Platinum Kit decided the displays that come with graphic equalizers were too small, so he built a jumbo version with colorful LEDs placed behind acrylic blocks. He reversed the lows and highs, but it’s still super cool.