We've seen makers develop some pretty cool Raspberry Pi Pico displays, but this is the first POV Pico display we've seen! POV stands for persistence of vision and refers to a technology that works by flashing LEDs on a rotating string. Through careful timings, the lights can flash in a way that creates an image.
A maker who goes by Home Made Garbage developed this project, which relies on a Raspberry Pi Pico to control a spinning strip of Adafruit DotStar LEDs. The Pico is in charge of controlling both the LED output and rate at which the strip is spun.
The best Raspberry Pi projects are ones you can customize. Not only can users display a static image, they can also play animated sequences using GIFs.
To keep things in motion without worrying about wires, the Pico receives power from a wireless charging module. One half is mounted to the motor while the other is embedded in the LED arm, supplying juice to the LEDs and Pico.
Home Made Garbage developed a custom script for the project derived from this work on Github. Visit the official Home Made Garbage blog for an in-depth look at the project, and maybe even recreate it yourself!
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
