The WiLeCo is a wireless LED controller. The idea is to easily light up a room in the color you want. In choosing the means of control, I chose for Wi-Fi. Why? Well, everybody has a smartphone with them almost every time of the day. An app makes changing the color or turning it on and off again easy.
Aside from the product we have nature in mind. LEDs are highly energy efficient, and have the potential to fundamentally change the future of lighting in the whole world. Residential LEDs, especially ENERGY STAR rated products, use at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting.
LEDs are very versatile, especially LED strips. When studying, you can put on a blueish white to keep you awake. Later if you get tired, you can increase the reds and let the LEDs make you sleepy. Use it however you want to. The environment is an important component that all of us must think about. Therefore the WiLeCo, as the name suggests, uses LEDs to bring down energy consumption.
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WiLeCo on the left and the Raspberry Pi 2 on the right
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The goal was to make the WiLeCo as small as possible, but still make it comfortable to place somewhere. In this we succeeded: the PCB is only 61 mm by 88 mm by comprising a Raspberry Pi (small credit card sized mini PC) is 85.60 mm by 56.5 mm.
Easy to use is a must for current day technology. Not only younger people should be able to use it. Android and iOS smart devices are becoming more and more accessible, even for the elder. Because of this an app is the best solution.
The WiLeCo is easy to use: you just follow the how to get started guide, fire up the app and set the color you want. There is nothing more to it than that. One time setup and you are done.
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One of the most important factors in electronics is the price. Making the WiLeCo as cheap as possible is one of the necessities to compete in the harsh electronics world. Considering all the parts, research and design, I managed to keep the costs down. There is potential to make it even cheaper by making and selling larger amounts of the final product.
In short, the app makes using a WiLeCo child's play. With the touch of your finger you can change the mood in an entire room. The power of color can not be denied.