With the new lightbar mount installed, I’ve spent some time implementing various lighting effects to give Hugo 3 more personality and better status indication.
The lightbar is based on the Pimoroni Blinkt!, which features eight individually controllable APA102 LEDs. Controlling these via the Raspberry Pi 5 using Pi4J allows for smooth, high-frequency updates and complex animations.
Implemented Effects
I’ve added several distinct animations to the LightSystem in the rover’s Kotlin-based control software:
1. KITT-style Running Light
Inspired by the iconic Knight Rider car, this effect moves a bright red light back and forth across the eight LEDs. To make it look more natural, I’ve implemented a fading tail where the “afterglow” of the light gradually dims. I am particularly proud of this one as it really feels as if the lights are fading light bulbs instead of LEDs. So smooth.
2. Pulsing “Breathing” Effect
A smooth flood light transition from the default KITT effect to full front lighting.
These effects not only look great but also provide valuable visual feedback during operation!
Especially during night drives they light up the environment enough to actually drive around without getting lost.