Hello. I'm looking to build a project to make a circular display showing scrolling text, using LEDs and a controller.
Requirements:
- Can be attached to the end of a pole and carried around with me, so ideally light weight. I am thinking of simply using something like an old broom stick and bicycle wheels for the frame. I could potentially carry around a backpack with a power supply in it, but I'd like to avoid that and attach everything to the frame if possible.
- Battery powered, so ideally low energy consumption.
- Able to change the text at will, perhaps from an app on a cell phone. It could be something as simple as using an SSH program to edit a text file, doesn't need to be fancy. Doesn't need to be wireless either. If I have to connect a USB cable or similar to the device to change the text, that is fine.
- Single colour is ok, multi-colour might be nice.
Questions:
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Perhaps the most pertinent question is whether or not this project is feasible and roughly how expensive would it be?
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What platform should I use? Would Arduino be a good choice for this, or would a Raspberry Pi, Fade Candy or something else be better?
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What lights should I use? A friend recommended the WS2812B light strip for this, but I've noticed that the ones that come in a spool have a fair bit of space in between the individual LEDs. I found these Google searching:
This would be my first project with these addressable LEDs, but I do have experience with electronics and soldering. I work in software development, so I should be able to handle the coding aspect. I'm just not sure about the hardware and don't want to spend a bunch of money on the wrong stuff.
Thanks