A smart LED strip controller that allows you to create complex and multi-level effects for light shows has been developed at South Ural State University. The controller can also be used at training grounds where unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operators are trained.
The author of the Smart Controller project is Artem Golenishchev, a second-year Master's degree student in the Fundamental Computer Science and Information Technologies programme at the SUSU School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science.
The working title for the engineering prototype is "Joyful LED Strip Controller 1".
In this controller, data is transmitted sequentially and very quickly due to the use of "smart" LED strips. Thanks to this, you can independently create any lighting effects in the "smart" garlands.
The product was created specifically for the Department of Aerospace Forces the SUSU Military Training Centre for training (routing) manned drones (used to illuminate UAV routes). This "smart illumination" can also be used for outdoor advertising and interior design solutions.
The uniqueness of the invention is that this controller allows you to control several devices at once. Controllers can be used individually or combined into a group. The effects requested by the customer can be set for a whole group of products, for example, for highlighting several UAV tracks. You can set different colour effects for different tracks.
Safety
This device has additional protection against short circuits (the so-called "foolproof protection"), against "reverse polarity", protection of the electronic part itself from incorrect connection. All these subtle points are thought out and provided for in the product. That is why it surpasses its analogues in many characteristics.
Another advantage of the controller is its small size. This ensures ease of installation. The controller case is easy to assemble (“without a single nail”), it does not need additional fasteners for the board. Everything is inserted and snapped very precisely, to the length of the product. The product is compact, it is convenient to place it anywhere. The case is equipped with fasteners for mounting on a rail.
Plans for further improvement of the device
The customer currently wants a wireless version of the device. For this purpose, a number of experimental design works were carried out, as a result of which the invention can be powered wirelessly. This device is the first version that is charged directly from the power supply (battery). For these products, it is planned to use a 5-volt or 12-volt unit (depending on the type of tape). The power supply is paralleled directly with the tape, and then a socket is not needed.
To work “in the field”, you need to have a Dc-Dc converter – a device that converts the voltage from the battery into the voltage required to power the tape.
In the wireless version, in order for this box to be disconnected from the socket, a five-volt strip is required.
This invention is a budget choice, and if partners are interested in the invention, it is possible to launch small-scale production.
"I started this project while still working at the SUSU Research and Innovation Services as a research engineer. I started working in the Electronics fab lab while still a first-year Master's degree student. Many of my projects started on the platform of this lab," explains Artem.
Artem has his own website, where developments created or designed on the Electronics fab lab platform are presented. In early 2025, the designer has launched his own server for his GitLab system website (allows you to develop code, can be a source for downloading and updating applications, allows users to have feedback), and a product documentation platform.
The Electronics Training and Production Laboratory (fablab) was opened at the university in 2021 with the financial support of the Priority 2030 program. The laboratory operates at the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science.