Moonlight

CSC 235 - Physical Computing

Moonlight

By: Bailey Henderson

Description:

My project is a night light that actively displays the Moon's phases. The eight phases, in order, are new Moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full Moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent. The moon completes all its phases after roughly 29.5 days. One of the most interesting things about my creation is that it follows these lunar phases and correlates to show the exact phase of the night. This was done using a series of calculations. The project itself is made from plywood, 3D-printed materials, and uses Arduino software to perform all the functions, including the lights.

Purpose:

The purpose behind the creation of this light was the idea of creating something that actively displayed the lunar phases. I have always loved all things space! The universe is very complex; therefore, having something visual can help individuals understand major concepts. It may be challenging to remember the exact days that the lunar phase changes or the sky may be too cloudy to tell. This project provides a solution to these issues. That way, anyone can see the Moon's phase, no matter where they are.

Process:

The process behind the creation of this project involved lots of trial and error. Before jumping into anything crazy, I started with a basic sketch of what I thought my project could look like. I also tried to find some inspiration from other projects that I thought fit my ideas. Below are these concepts.

I then began by writing the code that would perform all the functionalities, including the lunar phase calculator. After the calculator was functional, I started working on making a certain amount of Neopixels turn on based on a specific phase. This was done in code using a Finite State Machine. Below is a diagram that explains the transition and pictures of the practice done with a larger Neopixel strip.

The 3D-printed aspects of the project were the model of the Moon, as well as LED supports that are situated inside the Moon. After a few prints, I finally ended up with the perfect sizes. Below are the pictures of this step. LED support is on the left, Moon model is on the right.

After these 3D prints were complete, I began combining the functional and physical aspects of the project. This included soldering strips of Neopixels together to fill in the gaps on the LED support. By separating the Neopixels with dividers, the Moon's phases will appear more defined instead of fading into one another. Below are pictures of this process.

Then, I experimented with what shape box I would like to use to contain all the hardware and display the Moon model. I designed a rectangular box and laser cut it on foamcore and finally on plywood. Below are pictures of this step. At this point I also started working on some aesthetic aspects of the project, like sanding down some of the edges of the box to make it more polished.

After refining all the code, functionality, and incorporating the physical components, I was able to create a diagram that reflects the final wiring. The image below is an EasyEDA circuit diagram, also known as a schematic, that explains how I wired the Arduino components. This is what controls all the different functions within the project.

Finally, it was time for some paint and finishing touches to make the project look as best as possible. I decided to use some matte black paint for the edges of the box. I also added some decorative paper to help tell the story of my project.