Task Lamp

Throughout this process, I realized how much iterative making shaped the final outcome. Every failed print, wiring issue, and material change showed me something about the constraints of my design and the tools I was using. Switching from 3D printing to laser cutting helped me to clarify the structural logic of the insert and refine the geometry more intentionally. Troubleshooting the electronics taught me about power limitations and component placement. I also became more aware of how small tolerances can quickly accumulate into bigger functional problems. These challenges pushed me to slow down, test more frequently, and make more deliberate design choices instead of assuming the first version would work.

“Understanding the context and place will definitely help flesh out future functionality iterations.” It was helpful to hear that my context wasn’t fully communicated during the demonstration. This feedback made me realize that I need to more clearly define where and how my lamp would be used, since its functionality could shift depending on different users’ environments and routines. Another comment that stood out to me was, “Add a timer feature [that] gets triggered to start the timer at like 7pm to tell you to begin making dinner.” I appreciated this suggestion because it aligned with an idea I initially had to add a timer feature but didn’t have time to implement. It was reassuring to see that others saw potential for that kind of interaction, confirming that there’s room to expand the project’s functional complexity.

I’m happy with how the project turned out, especially considering the challenges I faced with 3D printing. The physical design was satisfying to complete, but I would like to keep refining it based on what I’ve learned. If I were to revisit the project, I’d better balance the physical build and electronic integration earlier in the process. I became too focused on the form and had to rush the circuitry at the end. I also wish I had explored ways to supply more power to illuminate additional LEDs. One major issue was the lid functionality. I experimented with both a tactile push button and a capacitive touch sensor, but neither worked as intended. I misunderstood how the touch sensor detected input, it relied on changes in capacitance, not direct contact. If I were to fix this, I’d solder copper tape to the sensor so it could better detect touch between the lid and the user’s finger.

I found CAD modeling to be one of the most enjoyable and useful parts of the process because it allowed me to refine my form precisely. However, 3D printing was tedious since each of my three parts failed multiple times, taking up a significant amount of time. In hindsight, I would have started by laser cutting the clear insert, which would have given me more time to focus on the electronics and iterate the lid design. I also got stuck early on trying to get the sensor to toggle the light and provide enough power to light all five LED strips. Despite these challenges, I learned to troubleshoot systematically and to anticipate how material and technical constraints affect design execution.

I plan to create another iteration of this lamp. I would print the body in black and redesign the clear insert at a steeper, more intentional angle. I’d also prototype the lid earlier, first testing with soldered copper tape, and if that fails, modeling a mechanism to integrate a button more effectively. Additionally, I’d increase the number of LED strips and introduce a nightlight mode controlled by two buttons for adjustable brightness. These improvements would make the lamp both more functional and refined in its interaction design.

/*

Project Title: Task Lamp

  Description:

  This Arduino program controls a two-strip LED lamp using a 

  capacitive touch sensor. A short tap cycles through dimming 

  sequences by toggling each strip on or off one at a time. 

  A long press (2 seconds or more) triggers a full sequential 

  fade-out of both LED strips, turning the lamp off completely. 

  The behavior enables users to track tasks through ambient 

  lighting feedback—each tap representing task completion.

  Pin Mapping:

    - Touch Sensor Input: Pin 10  

    - LED Strip 1 (Lower Layer): Pin 3  

    - LED Strip 2 (Upper Layer): Pin 4  

    - Power: Both LED strips share 5V and GND with the Arduino.

  LED Overview:

    - Strip 1: 15 LEDs (warm white)

    - Strip 2: 20 LEDs (warm white)

    - Both use PololuLedStrip library for fast RGB updates.

  Credits: Much of this code structure, debugging help, and logic flow 

  was developed with assistance from ChatGPT (OpenAI), including 

  guidance on long-press detection, fade sequencing, and LED 

  state management.

*/

#include <PololuLedStrip.h>

// Pin definitions

const int touchPin = 10;      // Capacitive touch sensor

const int ledStripPin1 = 3;   // First LED strip DI

const int ledStripPin2 = 4;   // Second LED strip DI

// Number of LEDs

const int NUMLEDS1 = 15;

const int NUMLEDS2 = 20;

// LED strip objects

PololuLedStrip<ledStripPin1> ledStrip1;

PololuLedStrip<ledStripPin2> ledStrip2;

// LED arrays

rgb_color strip1[NUMLEDS1];

rgb_color strip2[NUMLEDS2];

// Colors

rgb_color warmWhite = rgb_color(255, 100, 50);

rgb_color black = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);

// State tracking

bool strip1On = true;

bool strip2On = true;

bool lastTouchState = false;

unsigned long touchStartTime = 0;

bool longPressTriggered = false;

bool fingerPressed = false;

int nextToggleStrip = 1; 

void setup() {

 pinMode(touchPin, INPUT);  

 updateLEDs();              

 Serial.begin(9600);

}

void loop() {

 bool touchState = digitalRead(touchPin);

// Touch started

 if (touchState && !lastTouchState) {

   touchStartTime = millis();

   longPressTriggered = false;

   fingerPressed = true;

 }

 // Long press (≥2 sec): sequential fade

 if (touchState && fingerPressed && !longPressTriggered) {

   if (millis() - touchStartTime >= 2000) {

     fadeOutStrip1();

     fadeOutStrip2();

     strip1On = strip2On = false;

     nextToggleStrip = 1; 

     updateLEDs();

     longPressTriggered = true;

   }

 }

 // Touch released

 if (!touchState && lastTouchState) {

   fingerPressed = false;

   unsigned long pressDuration = millis() - touchStartTime;

   // Short tap (<2 sec)

   if (pressDuration < 2000 && !longPressTriggered) {

     // If both strips are off, turn both on

     if (!strip1On && !strip2On) {

       strip1On = strip2On = true;

       nextToggleStrip = 1; // reset sequence

     } else {

       // Otherwise, toggle next strip in sequence

       switch (nextToggleStrip) {

         case 1: strip1On = !strip1On; break;

         case 2: strip2On = !strip2On; break;

       }

       // Move to next strip for next short press

       nextToggleStrip++;

       if (nextToggleStrip > 2) nextToggleStrip = 1;

     }

     updateLEDs();

   }

 }

 lastTouchState = touchState;

 delay(20);

}

// Update both LED strips according to on/off state

void updateLEDs() {

 for (int i = 0; i < NUMLEDS1; i++)

   strip1[i] = strip1On ? warmWhite : black;

 ledStrip1.write(strip1, NUMLEDS1);

 for (int i = 0; i < NUMLEDS2; i++)

   strip2[i] = strip2On ? warmWhite : black;

 ledStrip2.write(strip2, NUMLEDS2);

}

// Fade out strip 1 gradually

void fadeOutStrip1() {

 int steps = 30;

 int delayMs = 50;

 rgb_color startColor = strip1[0];

 for (int step = steps; step >= 0; step--) {

   rgb_color color = rgb_color(

     (startColor.red * step) / steps,

     (startColor.green * step) / steps,

     (startColor.blue * step) / steps

   );

   for (int i = 0; i < NUMLEDS1; i++)

     strip1[i] = color;

   ledStrip1.write(strip1, NUMLEDS1);

   delay(delayMs);

 }

 for (int i = 0; i < NUMLEDS1; i++)

   strip1[i] = black;

 ledStrip1.write(strip1, NUMLEDS1);

}

// Fade out strip 2 gradually (after strip1)

void fadeOutStrip2() {

 int steps = 30;

 int delayMs = 50;

 rgb_color startColor = strip2[0];

 for (int step = steps; step >= 0; step--) {

   rgb_color color = rgb_color(

     (startColor.red * step) / steps,

     (startColor.green * step) / steps,

     (startColor.blue * step) / steps

   );

   for (int i = 0; i < NUMLEDS2; i++)

     strip2[i] = color;

   ledStrip2.write(strip2, NUMLEDS2);

   delay(delayMs);

 }

 for (int i = 0; i < NUMLEDS2; i++)

   strip2[i] = black;

 ledStrip2.write(strip2, NUMLEDS2);

}