Water Surface: a DIY Arduino Lamp

Water Surface is a DIY atmosphere lamp that creates hypnotic ripples of light when touched. First-year designer, Qiting Fang, says the device is intended to “be placed on your table, shelf, or bedside to create a harmonious ambiance and absorbing experience.” Indeed, the lamp simulates the relaxing sensation of watching ripples appear on a placid lake.

Over 8,000 users have already visited the Water Surface Instructables.com project page, where Qiting shares detailed step-by-step directions of how to build your own lamp. It is now a featured project on the Instructables website. Her project has inspired other Arduino enthusiasts to build their own Water Surface Lamps, including this variation by Wilko Lunenburg.

Qiting built her lamp using a range of materials, including an Arduino Uno, a Capacitive touch sensor, and an assortment of Neopixel rings. Check out this short video that shows the assembly testing phase of the project, revealing the inner-workings of the Water Surface Lamp:

Qiting learned circuit building and coding while taking the first-semester course, Making Studio, taught by Becky Stern.
“The next step for the project is to create waves when two people touch it at the same time,” Qiting shares.

For step-by-step details on how to build your own Water Surface Lamp, check out Qiting’s Instructables.com project page.