Divoom's Pixoo-64 Is a 64x64 Wi-Fi-Enabled Smart Pixel Art Frame — and Could Be Open Sourced Soon
Higher resolution successor to the Pixoo-Max boasts 4,096 pixels and standalone Wi-Fi support — but has it ironed out the glitches?
Pixel art specialist Divoom is back on the crowdfunding circuit, hoping to fund production of a Wi-Fi-connected 64x64 LED display panel — and it says it's looking to release its source code by the end of the year.
Divoom launched its first crowdfunded pixel-art device, a speaker-slash-display dubbed the Aurabox, back in 2015 after its founder was impressed by pixel art projects spotted at the Maker Faire in San Francisco the year before. The success of the Aurabox led to multiple other LED matrix products, including its first Kickstarter-funded design: The 32x32 Pixoo-Max.
Now, the company's back with a higher resolution, smarter alternative: The Pixoo-64, a 64x64 pixel LED matrix display — offering 4,096 LEDs in total - with Wi-Fi support.
"Pixoo-64 is a Wi-Fi pixel art display with a 64x64 LED panel," explains Divoom's Lap Kwo Chan. "It's a unique lighting decoration with a mobile companion app. Through this app, you can DIY and display your favorite pixel art animation. You can set up [an] online information counter, and the Pixoo-64 will automatically fetch the selected information, such as: YouTube channel followers, Game KDA [Kill-Death-Assist] scores, Twitch streaming info, and more."
While the Divoom Pixoo-64 is presently closed source, the company has indicated that could change: "We are also considering its open source capability," Chan explains, "which is scheduled in a later time frame (Q4 2021). We will continue to develop and expand the functions on the Pixoo-64, so it can support and display more information, like IFTTT and Alexa."
The hardware includes wall mounting, hanging, and desk stand options, a power button, a lighting button, and a microphone — though it hasn't yet showcased any functionality that makes use of this latter feature.
The Pixoo-64 is funding on Kickstarter now, priced at HK$930 (around $120) for early bird backers, with shipping expected to take place in October this year. The company successfully delivered on its promises for previous products, though some Pixoo-Max backers have complained of stuttering animations, poor battery life, and other technical glitches — issues the company has hopefully resolved for its bigger sibling.