LED Noodle Nightlight
A simple, low-cost nightlight that turns on when the room gets dark, using a bendable LED noodle instead of a NeoPixel strip.
Key Features
- How a photoresistor senses darkness
- How a transistor works as an automatic switch
- How to tune a circuit with a resistor or potentiometer
Key Benefits
- Free, open lessons. The Moving Rainbow textbook has the kit page, wiring, and MicroPython code.
- Real-world data. Students read sensors and turn measurements into decisions.
- Budget. About $4–$6 (estimate: similar parts to the Analog Nightlight; a 5 V LED noodle was not found on eBay, so that price is unconfirmed).
Parts
| Raspberry Pi Pico ($4) | Microcontroller |
| 10K Potentiometer | Input knob |
| LDR Photoresistor | Sensor |
| WS2812B NeoPixels | LEDs |
| 830-Point Breadboard ($1.10) | Breadboard |
| Micro-USB Data Cable ($2.50) | Power and programming cable |
Microcontroller listed first. Prices shown only where known; see the source book for quantities, wiring, and current prices.
About this kit: From the Moving Rainbow collection.
Source: Moving Rainbow