Revive your inner child with this Interactive LED Table!

The main goal was to create a functional electronic device from scratch, based on RGB LEDs, using acquired knowledge and encouraging group work.

Product Description

The interactive LED table is an entertainment game console as shown in Figure 1. Interactive LED Table, is designed for retro games and electronics lovers and includes different game modes with a selection mode screen, infrared sensors for touching gameplay, as well as buttons. Permits the user to design new games and applications. Bluetooth connection for alternative control via App is also provided.

Figure 1. Interactive LED Table

Hardware

A schematic representation of the hardware systems and connections is shown in Figure 2. The system includes the following items:

• A LED screen made by welded RGB LEDs on a wooden made base and Plexiglas panel.
• Arduino UNO placed on PCB board.
• Infrared sensors, speakers, Bluetooth, and buttons

Figure 2. Schematic representation of the hardware system and connections between the different modules.

Technical specifications and interface buttons to operate the system are described below.

Technical Specifications

• Device dimensions: 60x30x15 cm
• 128 Addressable RGB LEDs model “WS2812D”
• 8x16 resolution screen with Plexiglas panel.
• Arduino Uno Microcontroller.
• 4 Infrared modules.
• Audio module “DFPLAYER MINI”.
• “HC-06” Bluetooth module.

Interface buttons

The control interface is composed by:

1. USB programming port.
2. RESET button.
3. Power interrupter ON/OFF.
4. Power connector.

Figure 3. Interface buttons layout.

PCB Design

A PCB board (see Figure 4) was designed to be used as an Arduino “Shield”, place the speaker module, and provide easier connexion for infrared sensors, and other components.

Figure 4. PCB Design, both sides.

Mechanical Design

The device shell was made of two different shells (See Figure 5) made of 3 cm wooden pieces cut by a laser engraver.

Figure 5. Shell design plans

Firstly, the LED screen shell was made, designed with holes for placing the LEDs, buttons, and other connexions. LEDs were then welded setting up 4 matrixes of 32 LEDs each, as the power supply was not enough to contain all the LEDs in the same matrix. The result is shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. LED Screen shell assembly

Secondly, a second shell was made for containing the power supply, PCB, Arduino and all the modules and buttons. It contains a shelve for the power supply and the PCB Shell, as well as a removable cover to facilitate the device opening.

The final result is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Final device assembly containing both shells

Game modes

3 different game modes were implemented on the table (see Figure 8): Game of Life, Tetris, and Snake. The first of them is an automatic mode with evolving patterns that configure a lovely changing screen. For retro games lovers, Tetris and Snake were included, which are controlled by 4 infrared sensors located in the device.

Figure 8.Main menu and game mode screens

Results

The following video shows the device in operation and its different game modes.