The purpose behind this project was to take a simple object and bring it to life. This LEGO® set provided the perfect foundation to expand with some LEDs, a distance sensor, and a microcontroller. By integrating these components and modifying aspects of the set construction, a more realistic and captivating representation of this Star Wars® vehicle is possible.
The final product in action will ignite once set down and turn off when picked up. This effect is accomplished by attaching a range finder to the bottom of the vehicle. Inter-integrated circuit communication is used to interface between the microcontroller and the range finder. Once the output of the range finder hits a certain threshold, the LED sequence begins, mimicking the ignition sequence of a struggling, old land speeder.
For more information on the ideation, construction, code, and hardware behind this project, check out the project tutorial I wrote for sparkfun.com.
