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Dev.to
Dev.to
7/22/2026
An ESP32 and Eight ToF Sensors Give This Antique Lamp a Sixth Sense

An ESP32 and Eight ToF Sensors Give This Antique Lamp a Sixth Sense

Short summary

A maker converted an antique brass floor lamp into an interactive installation using an ESP32, eight VL53L1X time-of-flight sensors, and a PCA9548A I2C multiplexer. The lamp detects proximity in 360 degrees, brightening LEDs and playing wine-glass tones via a Raspberry Pi as you approach. The writeup includes a scaled-down single-sensor tutorial for beginners wanting to learn the core I2C multiplexing pattern.

  • ESP32 + 8 VL53L1X ToF sensors + PCA9548A multiplexer for 360-degree proximity sensing
  • Distance readings drive 59-pixel LED strip zones and pitch-shifted wine-glass audio on Raspberry Pi
  • Includes a beginner single-sensor tutorial to learn the I2C channel-switching pattern

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