HomeHome Automation$20 Automated Staircase RGB LED Lighting: DESIGN #part1

$20 Automated Staircase RGB LED Lighting: DESIGN #part1

I say NO to broken TOES!

My staircase has claimed a broken toe some time ago. Fortunately, it wasn’t my toe, but I feel for the poor fella.  The toe is OK now, but it got me thinking, is there anything I could do to reduce the risk of dealing with another victim?  I write about home automation, it’s time to create an automated staircase RGB LED lighting. This going to be a 3 part build log.  This project has been also sponsored by banggood.com – big shout out to them for getting in touch!

Automated staircase RGB LED Lighting  – Design

I came up with a rough sketch of what I have in mind just by staring at the staircase. To create nice lighting effect and keep things tidy, I would run the lights on the right side of the stairs.  To trigger the lights automatically, I will need motion sensing.  With that in mind, it was time to finalise the design and go shopping.

Staircase RGB LED Lighting

The best layout I could come up with would be enclosed in some sort of trunking, with two LED’s  per step. I have 13 steps which means I would need a total of 26 RGB LEDs to create the staircase RGB LED lighting.

As the total length of the stairs is 4m, each LED is spaced every 15cm  creating a light spot in the middle of the step and one pointing directly at the edge. This means I will use roughly a half of the 1m RGB LED strip. At each end of the strip, I would have a motion sensor module. The staircase RGB LED Lighting will be driven by the Arduino Nano.

Shopping time – Staircase RGB LED Lighting

Obviously, the project is too big for any 3D printing to be reasonable, it was time to find some materials that will fit the bill and they won’t look out of place. I went to the local DIY store to find some ideas.  White cable trunking looked like a pretty and a viable solution to my problem. It comes in various sizes and lengths.

Staircase RGB LED Lighting
Plus some cables

Part List:

PartPrice
White cable trunking (25mm x 16mm x 2m) x2£1.75
Arduino Nano x1£2.15
Individually Addressable LEDs WS2812 x26 (1m strip but using only 26/60 LEDs)£5.43
Motion Sensor  x2£1.39
Power Supply 5V/2A x1£2.85
TOTAL (just used components)£13.88/$18.50

It’s actually cheaper than I was expecting it to be. I know I will end up printing the enclosures for PIR sensors as they are slightly bigger than the trunking I have. I don’t want to buy a wider one, to keep the low profile. The 16mm trunking blends nicely with the skirting board.

I might consider later adding a WiFi connectivity to the setup but for now, I will focus on the automated lights via PIR sensors. It is time to take it to the Hackspace. My office is too small to deal with 2m long pieces anyway!

Conclusion

In the second post, I will share the hardware stage of the build. The last post will cover the software and a proper showcase. Follow me on social media if you are interested in this project.

PayPal

Nothing says "Thank you" better than keeping my coffee jar topped up!

Patreon

Support me on Patreon and get an early access to tutorial files and videos.

image/svg+xml

Bitcoin (BTC)

Use this QR to keep me caffeinated with BTC: 1FwFqqh71mUTENcRe9q4s9AWFgoc8BA9ZU

Smart Ideas with

Automate your space in with these ecosystems and integrate it with other automation services

client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image

Learn NodeRED

NodeRED for beginners: 1. Why do you need a NodeRED server?

0
To server or not to server? That's a very silly question!

Best Automation Projects

Tuya SDK for beginners: Intro to Tuya Cloud API

0
Working with Tuya Cloud API. A guide to Cloud automation for beginners, get started with REST!

NEST your old thermostat under $5

0
Nest-ing up your older thermostat under $5

Sonoff Zigbee Bridge – review

0
Sonoff line up will soon include Sonoff Zigbee Bridge and more Zigbee sensors - here is the first look

DIY Smart Washing Machine – for about 15 bucks!

0
Learn how to add washing machine notifications to your Google Home on the cheap

Nora – Google Assistant in NodeRED

0
Integrate Google Assistant with NodeRED thanks to Nora - NodeRED home automation

Smart Home

Multi-lights for your ceiling from Aqara

0
This is the biggest light I held in my hands so far. It's ZigBee and it comes from Aqara - meet Aqara Ceiling Light T1M

Almost the fastest PIR sensor you can buy

0
ITEAD introduced a new ZigBee sensor - Sonoff PIR (SNZB-03P) which is also the fastest PIR sensor in their line up. Is it good? Read more!

Smart Panel automation by Tuya

0
I'm checking out two smart panels by Tuya. Both run Linux systems, fit inside the wall switch cavity and offer a range of automation options

Adding Matter to Sonoff BasicR4

0
Sonoff goes back to basics with Sonoff BasciR4 - a new and improved basic smart relay - and I'm about to add Matter to it (and Tasmota)

Sonoff Presence Sensor (SNZB-06P) is not what you think

0
This mm wave radar sensor combines cool tech and ZigBee 3.0, but it's not what you think it is. Closer look at Sonoff Presence Sensor