Story
I had an 11th hour change of heart, and felt inspired to make something more challenging than my previous idea. I originally thought of making myself into a giant walking camera–the housing would be around my waist and I pictured a neopixel ring for the perimeter of the lens, with a few white LEDs acting as the flash to go off at timed intervals.
But then I had the idea to make a Visual Rain Stick. My thought is to have the LEDs travel down inside a hollowed out wood tube with chamfered edges, sparkling as they go, through sporadically placed drilled out holes. My goal is to create a visual embodiment of an audial product. I’m opting for warm white lights to compliment the wood (which I plan to finish in a rich, potentially darker tone), and to give it a more natural feel. For the light sequencing I’ll be utilizing the falling, wipe and twinkle animations in my Arduino code.
with CNC’d holes for the lights.
Parts List
Adafruit Mini Skinny NeoPixel LED Strip – Warm White 3000K – 60 LEDs/m – 1m long, Anker PowerCore 5,000mAh Portable Charger, 470Ω resistor, 1000µF capacitor, ~2″ x 36″ pinewood strip, Poly or paint to finish the wood.
Build Plan
Cut (2) 1″ x 40″ wood panels
Dado cut a 1/2″ channel in each
4″ dado cut at one end of each to accommodate the power bank (+ 4mm)
Drill holes along panels
Build circuit
Hot glue LED strip along dado
Glue wood halves together
Poly or paint to finish
Circuit
(Still in progress!)
I think this has the potential to feel quite magical. It could be cool to include some sort of tilt sensor that senses when the stick is flipped and initiates the light sequence, either in this iteration or in a further version.
https://learn.adafruit.com/tilt-sensor/overview
This concept is incredibly imaginative — transforming the soothing sound of a rain stick into a visual light experience is such a poetic idea. The combination of warm white LEDs and wood will create a beautifully organic atmosphere. To make it even better, you might consider adding a thin frosted layer inside to diffuse the light and make the falling effect smoother. Integrating a gentle sound response or small chime could also enhance the sensory connection between sight and sound. Since the piece is fairly long, it might help to think about how to carry or display it comfortably if used as a wearable element. Overall, it’s a thoughtful and artistic project that balances natural warmth with digital elegance.
Hi Josh, this idea reminds me of an ASMR video 💧
You mentioned it’s a stick, but I think it would be really cool if you wore it on your arm or leg.
If you wear dark black clothing and highlight only that part, it could create a really striking effect!!
Wow I love a conceptual idea like this. Its so creative to depict sound with light! Once achieved, you will have something that stands alone as an art piece which will be really awesome. I think this will be a challenge because you will need to trigger the lights in a way that reflects the beans falling at different times. I hope you own a rain stick so you can continually use it and listen, during your process.
Hey Josh, I think this idea looks really fun — it kind of looks like a giant ring light! I agree with Jisu, maybe you could consider wearing black.