THIS README IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS

Fusion Totem

Sound-reactive RGB LED strips mounted under a portable sun umbrella.

Preface

When attending big music festivals it's easy to lose your friends in the crowd so people sometimes use an umbrella, a flag or similar to spot each other easily. Some people get creative and make something custom, sometimes called a "festival totem". I was going to go to Fusion festival (outside of Berlin) with a big group of people and I was also looking for some kind of project to learn more about electronics and Arduino programming so this was a perfect opportunity to create something for me and my friends.

Requirements

• Light-weight and durable (to be carried around and danced with for hours)
• Battery time of 3 hours
• Final assembly on-site (We went to the festival by bus so I wanted to transport the bigger parts in the baggage compartment and the the delicate electronics with me on the passenger deck)

Nice-to-have

• Look cool af
• Reactive to sound
• Battery time of 6 hours or more

Main parts

These are the main parts I bought specifically for this project. I already had a stock of basic electronics components, various screws and bolts, plastic case, cables etc. I also already owned a light-weight 5V/10.000 mAh powerbank that I wanted to use as my power supply.

• Electronics
  • 2 x Arduino Nano (these cheap Chinese clones)
  • 5m WS2812B programmable RGB strip (60 LEDs/m)
  • Adafruit MAX9814 Mic + amp
• Structure
  • Telescopic aluminium handle
  • "Hawaii" sun umbrella
  • Velcro strips

Schematic