Dev.to
7/22/2026
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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