Firefly

Inspiration:

There are fireflies in Thailand which synchronize their flashing in a pulse like pattern by watching others around them and flashing if they do. A professor in the math department showed us the problem as his current research into dynamic mathematical models, and we ran with it.

What it does:

Fireflies often react to flashes of other fireflies around them, creating a beautiful light effect. Our project simulates this behavior. We created a grid of LEDs in which each LED represents a firefly. An LED has a random chance of activating and the LEDs around it respond according to a probabilistic function of distance.

How we built it:

We used Python to program the logic and timing of the simulation. We used LED strips powered by the raspberry pi. We then organized the LEDs in a grid using a lot of tape.

Challenges we ran into:

We had issues with the power supply to the raspberry pi. Individual LEDs take up a lot of power, so we decided to use LED strips in their place.

Accomplishments that we're proud of:

It looks dope... like pretty dope. Also teamwork was really on point, and we actually managed to finish a project within the original given timeline!

What we learned:

We learned a bit about python programming, and a bit about manipulating Sigmoid functions, event timing and synchronization, about event delays and scheduling, and about the differences between continuous, restricted, integer, and discontinuous domains to our functions. We also learned how to manipulate LEDs using the pi.

What's next for Firefly:

We think the simulation would look much cooler with a 3D grid of LEDs, and a LOT of them. Also, this is a question that TCNJ's Dr. Mizuhara has been studying so we'll most likely show him the progress we made for feedback.