PoliceBox / Tardis with Light

thingiverse

Easy project, hardest part is getting everything neatly tucked away inside. The breathing effect doesn't show up clearly in the video, but it glows nicely out of the windows too. Check out this YouTube video for a closer look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMVMIuP2tLc You can customize most aspects of the project because, for example, you don't need a huge battery pack. However, with two AAs, it can last up to a month. To get started, you'll need: - A 5mm LED (or a 3mm one if you print at less than 130% scale). You can find these on Banggood: https://www.banggood.com/50Pcs-5mm-Round-Red-Green-Blue-Yellow-White-Water-Clear-Diffused-LED-Light-Diode-Lamp-p-1077217.html?p=UB260317544198201712 - An ATtiny45 or 85 microcontroller: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-MCU-IC-ATMEL-DIP-8-ATTINY45-20PU-ATTINY45-TINY45-20U-TINY45-20U/401500435379?hash=item5d7b4a73b3:g:LLoAAOSw~CFY5gv0 - An Arduino or other device to program the ATtiny - A 2x AA battery pack with a switch: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-x-AA-3V-Battery-Holder-Connector-Storage-Case-Box-ON-OFF-Switch-With-Lead-Wire/112855488640?hash=item1a46b61880:g:6GIAAOSw01dZnWnZ You can easily fit an Arduino Nano inside the police box, but I opted for an 8-pin ATtiny45 because it can operate with just 1.8V. Keep in mind that you still can't use rechargeable cells or the LED will be too dim. Initially, I followed an outdated tutorial for programming the ATtiny, so be cautious not to waste your time. However, this link should get you started: http://highlowtech.org/?p=1695 If you encounter any issues, please describe them in the comments below. After getting the test code working, I modified the example fade sketch and uploaded it. Then, I wired everything more permanently and added an extra button to bypass the chip so the TARDIS could be used as a static night light. It took about an hour to get everything inside the TARDIS, but hot glue made everything perfect. P.S. If you're feeling lazy, here's the code: int led = 0; int brightness = 0; int fadeAmount = 2; void loop () { analogWrite(led, brightness); brightness = brightness + fadeAmount; if (brightness == 0 || brightness == 180) { fadeAmount = -fadeAmount; } delay(38);