Reactive-LEDs — Initial public release (firmware v1.0.3)

Initial public release

Reactive-LEDs is an open-source DIY lighting system I built for live coding performances. It uses ESP32-S3 microcontrollers and 3D-printed LED tubes to reproduce visuals generated on a computer screen in real time.

This first public release makes the hardware design, firmware, software and assembly documentation available.

What's included

• Hardware: 1-meter LED tubes built with 24V FCOB LED strips, ESP32-S3 controllers and 3D-printed enclosures and diffusers.
• Firmware (v1.0.3): ESP32-S3 firmware for real-time LED control over WiFi, with USB and BLE provisioning.
• JavaScript client: Maps browser-generated visuals to LED strips.
• CLI tools: Device configuration, testing and a WebSocket-to-UDP bridge for real-time communication.
• 3D models: Printable parts for building the LED tubes and controller enclosures.
• Documentation: Assembly instructions, wiring details, firmware installation and configuration.

How it works

The JavaScript client samples areas of a browser canvas and sends the resulting colors through a local WebSocket-to-UDP proxy. The ESP32-S3 firmware receives the data and updates the LED strips.

The goal is to make the lights a physical extension of the visuals generated during live coding performances, without controlling lighting effects separately.

Links

• [Project website](https://reactive-leds.genbs.dev/)
• [Source code and build instructions](https://github.com/genbs/reactive-leds)
• [Video demo](https://youtube.com/shorts/z1Bkg0t3RoA)

Firmware downloads

The attached binaries contain firmware v1.0.3 for ESP32-S3 devices. See the project documentation for installation and configuration instructions.