I created this in a class where we had to create something out of cardboard. I also teach coding so I am going to incorporate this into class where my students have to create something using cardboard and then code it using the Arduino. Each row is their own individual light so they way you can code this is unlimited.

Step 1: Step 1...making the Triangles

1st I cut all the cardboard. Using an xacto knife, I cut the cardboard into strips that was the width of a yard stick and then I cut them into 11" pieces. I cut 27 of them and I started glueing them together into triangles. I made 9 of them. After I made all the triangles, and using a spacer, I put 3 holes spaced evenly apart using a pointed object.

Step 2: Step 2...Adding the LED's

Next, I figured out the pattern of the LED's I wanted. I choose the pattern of white, red, yellow, blue, white, blue, yellow, red, white. I added the LED's from the inside of the triangle. I wrote the name of the color inside each triangle and bent the positive leg up and the negative leg down...this is how I keep everything organized. After I had all the LED's with the legs bent, I soldered a wire around the inside, attaching all the negative legs and then another wire, attaching all the positive legs. I made sure I had extra negative wire hanging down one end and then the positive extra sticking up the other side.

Step 3: Step 3...Stacking Them Together.

Next I stacked them all together. I had them stacked so they looked like a star from the top. I used a little dowel rod and using a glue gun I them the dowel rod to the inside where all the layer met. You can not see the dowel rob from the outside. I just glued them a lot in order to keep them together.

Step 4: Step 4...Attaching All the Negative and Positive Wires

Next I attached all the negative wires together so I only had one negative wire for the Arduino. I twisted them together and soldered them so they would stay together. Anywhere that the negative wire would maybe touch the positive wires of the LED's I put hot glue over to create a barrier. After all the negative wire was done I started adding a cover wire to each positive wire. I using the covered wire because I didn't want to have to worry about it touching the negative wire. I did this for each layer so I had 9 separate positive wires. At 1st I was going to wire it so the colors were all together (3 white would be 1 wire, 2 reds would be 1 wire etc.) but then I decided that I wanted more control over the coding of them.

Step 5: Step 5...Testing the Lights

I tested the lights to see which wire was which color and labeled each wire with what layer it was.

Step 6: Step 6...Coding the Arduino

The next thing I did was code the Arduino. I original thought was I was going to go in the order of white, red, white, yellow, white, blue. So that is the 1st code I created. So all the whites turn on for 1 second and then flash off. Next all the reds turn on for 1 second and then flash off. Next white again, then yellow, then white, then blue and then finally white. I will add steps for the rest of the coding I did. Really the coding is unlimited. You can do any pattern you wanted with the 9 layers.

Triangle_-_w_r_w_y_w_b_w.ino
Download

Step 7: Step 7...Another Code

This code makes the LED's turn all on for a second then flash off. Next the white LED's turn on for a second and then flash off. Then all the LED's turn on again and off. Then red followed by all, then yellow followed by all and then the blue followed by all of the LED's again.