Arduino powered taillight project.

[bttws]

Just a first working test of my prototype.
Uses 80 LEDs and an arduino uno to power it. I'm not happy with the code and wiring, its far too dim right now... but I wanted to at least get it running something.
I will be working on it as I get spare time this fall.
Just a early test, but I thought you guys might be interested.
I'll be sure to post anything I come up with

Depending on how all this turns out I may try to develop a plug and play taillight set or maybe a arduino powered snap in board to work with the stock lenses..... who knows what the future may bring.

Let me know what you think.
-Kevin

p.s. thank you Rich_NYS for the good price on the taillight!

[Bitsyncmaster]

Pretty cool. You must have cut off the stock reflector housing.

[robvanderveer]

Nicely done!

[ALEXAKOS]

Cool. Has a tail-knight rider effect of the surveillance model

[Josh]

very cool. I always wondered what the mustang style sequential tail lights would look like on a delorean.

[Domi]

Great job, almost look like the new rear tail light of the '77 & '79 Trans-Am

[OverlandMan]

I recall looking at Arduinos for another DeLorean-related project sometime last year. Looks cool!

[robvanderveer]

I recall looking at Arduinos for another DeLorean-related project sometime last year. Looks cool!

What project might that be may i ask?

[DMCMW Dave]

Depending on how all this turns out I may try to develop a plug and play taillight set or maybe a arduino powered snap in board to work with the stock lenses..... who knows what the future may bring.

Let me know what you think.
-Kevin

p.s. thank you Rich_NYS for the good price on the taillight!

What happens when you press the brake or go into reverse?

[bttws]

What happens when you press the brake or go into reverse?

Right now, nothing
I haven't got that far with the coding yet. This video is of my first working test of the hardware. I am basically teaching myself to code, and this is been a learning experience.
My goal is to allow easy customization of different animations via a SD card. A set of animations could be designed on a computer with a simple program and then loaded to the taillights with the SD card. You could make your own style for Brakes, turn, parking, startup/sundown, etc.

I have some new parts coming next week, those should give me better control of the LEDs and make more complex animations (and brighter.... that video has the LEDs at about 30% of their potential brightness, even less for the white ones)

the idea has been in my head for years and I have finally started working on it. Not sure how far it will go, I hope to have a car next year sometime, and maybe have a working prototype by DCS 2016
Here are some images I made a long time ago showing what I had in mind.

Sequental brake lights

Sequential turn signal

Startup animation