Welcome to this instructable, this time I will be showing you how to make the newest version of my ARC Reactor Mood lamp I did a couple of months ago. This time it won’t be a mood lamp, but a lamp that changes depending on the different colors used by Iron Man Suits in the Marvel Universe. As I said last time, this is a homemade lamp inspired by the fictional artifact from Marvel Studios, the ARC Reactor.
Also, this new version requires a 3D Printer, so if you don’t have one, you may check the first version of the lamp, that is entirely handmade. This version is still programmed in Arduino.
Let´s get started!
Supplies
For the electrical part of the lamp you will need:
– Arduino UNO
– AA Battery holder (4 units)
– 10 Neopixels
– Potentiometer 10KΩ
– Power Switch
– Small Protoboard
– Jumpers
– 3m of protoboard cable (one different color per meter)
For the structure of the lamp you will need:
– 3D printer
– White PLA (400g aprox.)
– Silver and red spray paint (or any combination you desire)
– Superglue
– Silicone gun
Step 1: Wiring
The first step is to connect everything before transfering the code to the Arduino. Connect the battery holder to a mini breadboard. The ground wire goes directly into the breadboard, weld the positive side to a switch, so you can turn it on and off.
Then each line goes like this:
Ground line:
– Ground of the potentiometer
– Ground of the neopixels
– Ground of Arduino
Voltage line:
– Voltage of the potentiometer
– Voltage of the neopixel
– 5V of the Arduino
Finally, connect the neopixel middle jumper to the 7th pin of your Arduino and the potentiometer to the A0 pin.
Step 2: Code
One of the most important parts of the creation of the lamp is the code. Fortunately, here it is, already explained in comments. The only necessary adition is to install the Adafriut neopixel library, from the “program” list on top of the Arduino app.
Step 3: Printing the Arc
Now, we should start by printing the structure of the ARC reactor. This is a design made by me with the tool Inventor, there is a bug that might show the piece really small when opened in Cura or another similiar program, this is fixed by setting the size of the piece to a 1000% of its size.
The pieces here are:
INTERNAL PIECES: are pieces that will contain the neopixels inside, they made up the structure of the ARC.
TOP: the “face” of the ARC, this is a version inspired mainly on the Iron Man 2 movie version.
ATTACHMENT (X2): This piece must be printed twice. It is an aditional piece that will allow you to have the ARC attached to your chest with a belt.
The pieces shown above can be printed with white PLA and then painted, or printed in the desired colors, my personal recommendation is to paint all of this section silver.
Step 4: Print the Box
Then it is time to print the portable power source. This is a portable box designed to carry the Arduino UNO, the small breadboard, the 4 battery carrier and to have the standard switch and potentiometer to stick out of it.
The pieces here are:
PORTABLE: this is the main box, with slots for three plates.
PLATES: these are mainly decorative, you can paint them a different color to make the portable box pleasing to the sight, and give it Iron Man vibes. The colors are up to you.
CAP: the upper removable part of the box. Designed with a hole to stick out the neopixel´s wires.
ATTACHMENT 2 (X2): This part must be printed twice. It is also an attachment to carry the box in your belt.
Step 5: Suit Up! (Assamble the Whole Thing)
When everything has been painted it is time to stick everything together with superglue following the next steps:
1. Stick the neopixels inside the bigger structural piece of the ARC.
2. Cover with foil paper the pilars in the small structural piece.
3. Assemble the ARC as seen in the video.
4. Assemble the box as seen in the video.
Stick everything together with superglue, as this do not damage the painting, the neopixels neither the plastic.
Step 6: Final Details
When everything is assambled, place the attachments also with superglue, place all the electrical components inside the box and make sure to stick the three long wires out of the hole on the top. Also, make those wires long enough so the wires go from the box in the hips to the ARC in the chest.
Attatch the cap of the box with sillicone so it can be removed easily to change the batteries if needed.
Use some belts to put them in you and there you go! You are Iron Man! 😀
Step 7: Watch the Final Product! 😀
Source: ARC Reactor Lamp MKII
