"smart" Gingerbread House

Made by Mellow_Labs / Art / Holidays / Home Automation / Lights / Robotics

About the project

Transforming a classic gingerbread house into a tech marvel with RGB LEDs, servos, and a web interface!

Project info

Difficulty: Easy

Platforms: Espressif

Estimated time: 3 hours

License: Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0)

Items used in this project

Hardware components

	Adafruit NeoPixel Digital RGB LED Strip 144 LED, 1m White	x 1
	Espressif Wemos D1 Mini	x 1

Story

This holiday season, I've combined my love for crafting and technology into one unique project. I transformed a classic gingerbread house into a dynamic "smart" home, featuring RGB addressable LEDs, servos, and a user-friendly web interface.

Project Overview:

My goal was to create something distinctive – a gingerbread house that not only looked festive but also brought in an element of modern technology. The project showcases how traditional holiday crafts can be enhanced with a touch of tech.

Technical Implementation:

The project is centered around the D1 mini, a compact microcontroller. It's the brain behind the RGB addressable LEDs and servos, bringing the gingerbread house to life. The most exciting feature is the custom web interface I developed, hosted on the D1 mini, allowing real-time control of the house's lights and movements.

Building Process:

The challenge was integrating the tech components without losing the gingerbread house's traditional charm. Finding this balance between craft and technology was both challenging and rewarding, offering a new perspective on holiday decorating.

Final Thoughts:

This gingerbread house project has been a fantastic journey of blending holiday traditions with my passion for technology. It's a testament to how creativity can bring new life to even the most classic of holiday activities.