a lightbox that changes color based on temperature. it uses an attiny84 microcontroller reading a temperature sensor to shift the led between shades of blue — colder temperatures produce a deeper blue, while warmer temperatures shift toward lighter tones.
how it works
the attiny84 reads the temperature sensor on a timer and maps the value to an rgb color. the color smoothly transitions as the temperature changes, so the lightbox gives a subtle visual cue of the room temperature at a glance.
design
- case designed in fusion 360 and laser cut from acrylic
- led array driven by the attiny84 via pwm
- temperature sensor for continuous reading
- front panel artwork created in inkscape
tech details
the attiny84 was programmed via arduino ide. the code maps the sensor's analog reading to a color range, applying a simple smoothing filter to avoid abrupt shifts. the whole circuit runs off a small usb power supply.