Distance-Based LED Visualizer WS2812B LED, Arduino

Introduction

This project uses an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor and a WS2812 NeoPixel LED strip to visualize distance measurements. The LEDs dynamically light up based on the distance detected by the sonar sensor. Each LED represents a specific range of the measured distance. The closer the object, the fewer LEDs light up, creating a real-time visual feedback system. Perfect for interactive and educational projects!

Required Components

• Arduino UNO / Nano
• Ultrasonic Sonar Sensor
• WS2812B LED strip
• Jumper wire
• Bread Board

Circuit Diagram / Wiring

• Sonar Sensor With Arduino
  • Sonar Sensor VCC → 5V (Arduino)
  • Sonar Sensor GND → GND (Arduino)
  • Sonar Sensor TRIG→ Pin 9 (Arduino)
  • Sonar Sensor ECHO→ Pin 10 (Arduino)
• WS2812B With Arduino
  • WS2812B VCC → 5V (Arduino)
  • WS2812B GND → GND (Arduino)
  • WS2812B DO→ Pin 6 (Arduino)

Arduino Code / Programming

Make sure you have the required libraries installed:

• Adafruit NeoPixel library for WS2812B LED Strip
• HCSR04 library for Ultrasonic sensor

#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#include <HCSR04.h>

#define PIN        6 // Which pin on the Arduino is connected to the NeoPixels?

#define NUMPIXELS 29 // How many NeoPixels are attached to the Arduino?

Adafruit_NeoPixel pixels(NUMPIXELS, PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);

UltraSonicDistanceSensor distanceSensor(9, 10);  // Initialize sensor that uses digital pins 9 and 10.


int current_Last_LED=0;

void setup() 
{  
  pixels.begin(); 
}

void loop() 
{
  
  pixels.clear();                               // Set all pixel colors to 'off'
  current_Last_LED=distanceSensor.measureDistanceCm()*0.8;
 
 
  for(int i=0; i<current_Last_LED; i++)                      // For each pixel in strip...
  { 
    pixels.setPixelColor(i, 0,0,255); 
  }
  
  pixels.show();                                  // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
  
}

Explanation

• Distance Measurement: The HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor measures the distance to an object in centimeters.
• LED Control: The measured distance is used to light up a portion of the WS2812 LED strip, where each LED represents a segment of the distance.
• Dynamic Feedback: The closer the object, the more LEDs light up in blue; the farther the object, fewer LEDs light up.
• Visualization: The LED strip provides a real-time visual representation of the proximity of objects based on the distance sensor’s output.

Interface HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor With Arduino