Crutch LED System
I broke my foot and decided my crutches needed an upgrade. They are painted blue with LED strips along the structure. The Arduino-controlled LEDs twinkle like stars when idle, and with each step a blue shooting star soars around crutch.
This is the code and wiring for the interactive LED system for crutches that react to walking motion using an IMU sensor.
Features
-
Idle Mode
Soft white twinkling LEDs. -
Step Detection
Detects motion using IMU acceleration data. -
Dynamic Ripple Effect
On each step, a ripple travels up the LED strip. -
Color Cycling
White, Light Blue, Dark Blue, repeat. -
Queued Animation
Steps during an active ripple trigger the next ripple seamlessly.
Hardware Requirements
- Arduino Nano (LAFVIN or compatible)
- WS2812B LED strip (100 LEDs recommended)
- BNO055 IMU sensor
- 470Ω resistor (data line protection)
- External 5V power supply (I use a USB power bank)
- Jumper wires (I used perfboard)
Required Libraries
Install via Arduino Library Manager:
- FastLED
- Adafruit BNO055
- Adafruit Unified Sensor
Wiring Diagram
