LED Panels
These LED panels are my DIY version of the Nanoleaf panels because the original version costs way to much. I took inspiration from Hexaleafs on the general shape but there were many things about the Hexaleafs that I felt I could improve upon.Â
Diffuser
My design uses a 3D printed diffuser rather than acrylic which significantly reduces the material cost. If cost was no issue I would use acrylic but the only time you can tell the diffuser is 3D printed is when you are really close to it. The diffuser uses 3 small snap fit joints to secure itself to the body.
Body
The body of the panel is also 3D printed and uses about 72g of plastic and is almost twice as fast to print as the Hexaleaf that my design is based on. In each body there are 6 segments or 18 individual WS2811 LEDs that draw ~250mA when set to full white.
Electronics
The 9 panels have 54 segments or 162 WS2811 LEDs that are all controlled using an Arduino Nano. When all LEDs are set to white I get ~10% voltage drop from the first led to the last and the color change from the voltage sag is more of a feature than a bug as it gives me a natural color gradient without extra work in the code.