Persistence of Vision Staff Creates Stunning Light Shows with Just a Few Quick Movements
This DIY staff is made for easy modifications with its open source software. All it takes is a few fast twirls for dazzling results.
If you have been to a festival or a beach party, you’ve most likely seen those LED-based toys that “paint” pictures before your eyes by quickly moving a strip of LEDs in quick succession. They’re dazzling and pretty, yet they come at a steep price and with little to no room for modifications. Now, there’s an open source version that uses readily available components.
This DIY persistence of vision staff is a 55" two-sided staff equipped with 288 LEDs that create stunning light shows when moved quickly. It’s powered by a pair rechargeable 18650 Li-ion batteries, which lasts for one to two hours, depending on the light show's intensity. The staff features an IMU, which detects when the staff is in motion. The software is also used to adjust the frequency for images and for controlling the show. For example, stopping the staff in a particular position could signal the next slide.
The open source software is based on Arduino IDE and can easily be modified. All you have to do is upload your own designs or programs to it, and it’s ready to go. To produce those eye-catching visuals, images are uploaded to the staff by connecting to a computer via USB. The current version has enough room for roughly 50 images.
The POV staff is impressive and capable of generating stunning light shows, but there are already plans for improvements. The batteries still consume a significant amount of power while the LEDs are off, which slows down the charging process. The staff is also very rigid, making it easy for assembly but not ideal for storage. A collapsible design is being considered for the next iteration of the staff.
If you have the right tools and want to create your own light show, check out the step-by-step process after the jump.