A 3D printed coaster that creates colored effects based on the drink temperature.

The other day I started to imagine a coaster that would change colors based on the temperature of the cup placed on it. And not just that, the colors would animate like a spinning wheel. Cool colors for cold drinks and warm colors for warm drinks was an obvious place to start. Maybe there could be different modes or color 'moods'.

I happened to have everything needed to put one together in my old box of arduino parts:

  • Brain = Arduino Pro Mini 5v 16mhz
  • LEDs = NeoPixel Ring, 24 addressable RGB LEDs
  • TEMP = Honeywell 10k Thermistor
  • The shell was 3D printed in PLA on a MakerBot Replicator 2.

The code still needs a little development to bring in all the features. But this version demonstrates my basic vision of this device and gives you a sense of the possibilities.