Build a Cloud Workshop Jan 2018

Materials

• one cardboard box (provided by attendee)
• one 5 meter strip of neopixel addressable LEDs
• one Arduino-like Nano microcontroller
• two usb power supplies
• one extension cord
• sewing pins
• polyester batting; sheet and fluff types
• spray adhesive
• hot glue gun
• box-cutter

Process

• Prep your cardboard box by cutting the corners off with a box cutter to shape it into a vaguely cloud-like shape (round?).
• connect the pre-programmed Nano microcontroller, LED strip, USB power supplies, and extension cord together, and power the system up to ensure they work.
• Pin the led strip to the box with the sewing pins, through either:
  • only the plastic shield on the LED strip.
  • through the plastic shield and GROUND pad on the LED strip.

Consider the layout of your LEDS around the entire box, you want your cloud to have even coverage on the areas that you will be able to see from where it is going to hang. (maybe the top doesn't need so many LEDs?)

Be sure to place the microcontroller end of the LED system near the center/top of the box.

• Cut off one or many (maybe up to three?) pieces of the sheet-style batting to initially wrap your cloud, pinning the batting to the box.

Careful not to poke your LED strip!

• Spray a face of your box with the spray adhesive, then adhere tufts of the fluff-style batting to the sheet-style batting.

consider hot-glue for the bottom of your cloud, where the fluff will have the hardest time hanging on.

• Repeat the spraying/adhering process until all of the faces of your cloud have been covered with the fluff-style batting.