# Dragon Kite Poi with Animated Lights and WLED
## Overview
https://youtu.be/IySQiJMj_7I
May the spirit of the Dragon bring courage to your heart and fire to your dreams.
These glowing Dragon Kite Poi use flexible LED seed pixels and a Mini Sparkle Motion controller running WLED. Create flowing ribbons of animated light that float through the air, with no coding required.
These props are so much fun to customize with dazzling colors and animations. In this tutorial, you’ll build your own illuminated Dragon Kite Poi and learn how to bring a little extra fire-breathing magic to the night. These are perfect for Lunar New Year celebrations, festivals, dragon dances, flow arts, and nighttime performances,
WLED makes it easy to add fire, water, or air color schemes to bring your Dragon Persona to life, and to make them pulse or blink or dance to your whim. You can even make them sound-reactive with the Mini Sparkle Motion's onboard microphone.
No Dragons were harmed in the making of this project.
Dragon Poi are available from many sources online in various colors and lengths. Some come as a set with the head and tail, and some are sold separately, so be sure you know what you're getting. You can find a few on Amazon, or you can order directly from China using a website like AliExpress, where you'll find more variety and great prices, but a longer shipping time.
I ordered these [6m dragon tails from AliExpress](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807698740324.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.4.5bac1802VvcQDt&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa). However -- 6m is very long, and in hindsight I'd recommend starting with a 4m or 5m length. My dragons are giant and gorgeous, but they are difficult to spin without tangling, even for a seasoned poi spinner like myself. The drag created by 6m of tail is also a factor - these things give you quite a workout.
Note: these tails do not come with heads (despite the misleading photos).
For the heads, I found matching medium sized premade heads on [Amazon](https://a.co/d/06GPK9WF). The heads come in a variety of sizes. I wanted a big enough size to balance my giant tails and also leave room inside for the batteries and electronics. The medium sized head worked out great.
## Adding Lights
This is a fairly easy build, but it is a bit time consuming. The wiring and software setup are simple, but attaching the lights to the poi takes some time and care. Sewing skills are helpful!
Get one controller, switch, and light strand for each dragon you're making -- for two dragons, get two of everything.
For each of my 6m tails I used one 300-light, 15m long seed pixel strand. You'll need enough lights to go down the length of the tail and back up again, plus a few extra feet to stuff inside the head so it glows too. The [seed pixel strands](https://www.adafruit.com/search?q=pebble+pixel) are sold in different lengths and are cuttable at any point. I like the 2" pitch strands for a denser light experience.
## Parts
Featured
### Mini Sparkle Motion - WLED-friendly ESP32 NeoPixel LED Driver
[Mini Sparkle Motion - WLED-friendly ESP32 NeoPixel LED Driver](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6160)
The **Adafruit Sparkle Motion Mini** is part of our series of "Sparkle Motion" boards, that are our attempt to make the best small WLED-friendly smart LED driving board in the whole world. Our resident mermaid,
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6160)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6160/guides)
Featured
### Snap-on Enclosure for Adafruit Mini Sparkle Motion
[Snap-on Enclosure for Adafruit Mini Sparkle Motion](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6299)
Here is a cute and minimal enclosure for your [Mini Sparkle Motion - WLED-friendly ESP32 NeoPixel LED Driver](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6160) to keep it safe during use and transport. This case has been custom-designed and 3D printed to accommodate all the peripheries....
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6299)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6299/guides)
Featured
### Adafruit NeoPixel Pebble / Seed LED Strand - 300 LEDs - 2" Pitch
[Adafruit NeoPixel Pebble / Seed LED Strand - 300 LEDs - 2" Pitch](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6023)
We have all sorts of LED strips for a wide range of needs. [_Chonky_](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3869) strips? We got those! [Strips with alligator...](https://www.adafruit.com/?q=neopixel%20alligator%20clips%20stripping%20wires)
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6023)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6023/guides)
Featured
### USB Type C Sync Data Cable with On-Off Switch - 28cm long
[USB Type C Sync Data Cable with On-Off Switch - 28cm long](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6268)
This **USB Type C Sync Data Cable with On/Off Switch** cable is great when you don't want to plug-and-unplug a device to turn it on and off. It's a true USB C to C cable, with power, data and power delivery (USB C PD) lines connected so it can be used for high...
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6268)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6268/guides)
## Powering
For powering LED projects with the Mini Sparkle Motion, I like to use a USB battery pack -- the kind sold for charging up your phone. [This one is my favorite](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JZCZSH9?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1)-- it's compact and lightweight but will run your project for hours. Plus, you can charge your phone with it when it's not in the dragon! This is super handy if you're at a parade or festival.
## Additional Tools & Materials
- Sewing machine with a wide zig-zag stitch (or a needle and thread and some patience)
- Soldering iron & accessories
- [Wire cutters / strippers](https://www.adafruit.com/product/147)
- Hot glue gun
- Drill and drill bit (for drilling pupil holes in the eyes)
- Strong velcro for mounting the battery
# Dragon Kite Poi with Animated Lights and WLED
## Wiring Diagram
The three wires from the light strand will connect to the three pins on the Mini Sparkle Motion as follows:
- **Red** to **+5v**
- **Green** to **32**
- **Black** to **G**
The project will be powered through the USB port on the Sparkle Motion -- plug in your USB switch, then your battery.
# Dragon Kite Poi with Animated Lights and WLED
## WLED Installation
This page will guide you through how to install WLED on the Mini Sparkle Motion.
The Mini Sparkle Motion has a USB to serial chip which may need a driver installed before you can install WLED. Head over to the [How to Install Drivers for WCH USB to Serial Chips](https://learn.adafruit.com/how-to-install-drivers-for-wch-usb-to-serial-chips) tutorial, and download and install the new driver.
## Install WLED
These next steps require a **_Web Serial_-compatible browser**. As of this writing, that means **Google Chrome** , **Microsoft Edge, Firefox 151** or **Opera** “desktop” browsers. Other browsers (Safari, older versions of Firefox, Explorer and _anything_ mobile) won’t work.
Visit [https://install.wled.me/](https://install.wled.me/)
Plug your microcontroller into your computer with a known good USB cable. Click "Install" and select the port for your board.
Depending on the USB-to-serial bridge chip on the board, you might see one _or two_ serial ports. On Mac, for instance, there might be both “/dev/cu.usbmodem[number]” _and_ “/dev/cu.wchusbserial[number]”. Use the “ **wchusbserial** ” one.
After successful installation, enter your WiFi network name and password when prompted. This must be a **2.4 GHz** WiFi network; ESP32 does not support 5 GHz networks. If it can’t connect, then as a fallback WLED will create its own 2.4 GHz WiFi access point.
If you don't see the "Connect to Wi-Fi" prompt, you'll need to set up your WiFi network using AP (access point) mode. Open up your WiFi settings and look for a WiFi network called `WLED-AP`. Connect to this network using the default password `wled1234`. The WLED interface will pop up in its own browser.
From here, go into Config/Wifi Settings and enter your WiFi credentials near the top. Give your project a name in the mDNS field a little further down the page. Now you can type in "projectname.local" (where "projectname" is your mDNS name) into any web browser on the same wifi network to access your microcontroller.
You can also scan the QR code below to open access point mode.
For more help and troubleshooting tips visit the [Getting Started page on the WLED knowledge base.](https://kno.wled.ge/basics/getting-started/)
## Setup & Preferences
### WiFi Setup
Head to the **WiFi Setup** screen under Config and create a good URL so you can control your project from any web-enabled device. Call it something you'll remember, that's easy to type into any web browser on your WiFi network in order to connect to your project.
In Safari or Chrome on your phone or computer, type in this web address to access the WLED interface: [http://projectname.local](http://projectname.local) (where "projectname" is whatever you put into this field).
Check out the Additional Settings page for more info on accessing your project. WLED has an "access point mode" that doesn't require a WiFi network for when you're out on the go. It's also helpful to download one of the WLED apps to help manage and organize your projects.
## Enable AudioReactive Mode
Do this first before setting up your LED preferences with your GPIO number.
Click on "config" and head to the **USERMODS** tab. Scroll down a bit and you'll find the **AudioReactive** section.
Click the box to enable, then enter the settings and the Digitalmic section as follows:
- Type: **SPH0654**
- Pin I2S SD: **9**
- Pin I2S WS: **10**
- Pin I2S SCK: **23**
The other pins are unused.
**Reboot your Sparkle Motion Mini for changes to take effect.**
## LED Setup
Next, head to the **LED Preferences** tab under the **Config menu**.
Scroll down to **Hardware Setup**. Put your total number of LEDs into the ** Length** field (300 pixels if you're using the 15m strand), and change GPIO to pin **32,** the GPIO NUMBER associated with the LED data pin on your Mini Sparkle Motion. Make sure to select the correct **Color Order** for your LEDs as well. My pixels have a color order of **BGR**. You know you've got it right when your pixels come on in a warm yellow.
If the GPIO number appears in red and won't let you select it, check the previous step: this board is configured with pin 32 assigned to the microphone, so you need to change it there before you can set it up as your LED GPIO.
## Use It
Now you can use any computer or handheld device to control your LEDs.
Make sure your device is on the same WiFi network as your board. Navigate to your custom URL (projectname.local/ ) in a web browser. You'll see a color picker above a whole bunch of color palette choices.
Choose a color, choose an effect, and watch your lights animate and glow!
Save your favorite combinations as presets, create playlists, control the speed and intensity of the animations, and lots more. This web app is incredibly intuitive and easy to use.
Head over to the WLED wiki at [https://kno.wled.ge/](https://kno.wled.ge/) to delve into all the particulars.
## Troubleshooting
_If your lights didn't come on, here are a few things to try:_
1. Head back to WLED and check your pinout configuration under LED Preferences. Be sure the pin number is the correct GPIO for the attachment point you used.
2. Check your wiring! Be sure you connected to the IN end of the LED strip. These strips can be inconsistent so this is a pretty common problem. Use an [alligator clip](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1008) to try connecting the data wire on the other end (the power and ground wires should work from either end).
3. Try re-uploading the WLED software.
4. If the lights come on but you can't control them: i.e. you type in "projectname.local" into your browser and it won't connect, make sure you're on the correct WiFi network. If you're on a different network than the one you set up the sofware on, you won't see the WLED connection.
5. If your lights came on in blue or green instead of yellow, your color order is wrong. See below to fix.
6. If only half your lights came on, be sure you've got the correct number in the "length" field under LED preferences.
7. If your lights came on in a variety of weird colors and looking like a 1950s diner interior, you may have the wrong LED strip type selected. RGBW strips and RGB strips are not the same, so be sure you've got the correct strip type or you'll get very odd behavior.
8. If your microcontroller hangs or keeps rebooting, or gets really hot, you may have the power and ground lines switched. Unplug right away and check: this is a fast way to brick your controller.
# Dragon Kite Poi with Animated Lights and WLED
## Electronics Assembly
These lights have a male connector on the IN end and a female connector on the OUT end. The strands are directional -- they won't work if you hook up the wrong end.
Cut the female connector (from the OUT end) off your light strand, leaving a couple inches of wire attached.
The cut connector will attach to the Mini Sparkle Motion to plug the lights in using the IN end / male connector.
Strip a little bit of shielding from the three wires on your connector and attach them to the Mini Sparkle Motion as shown: red to **+5v** , green to **32** , and black to **G**.
Put your Mini Sparkle Motion inside the snap-fit case and plug in your USB battery, and see if your lights come on. If you've already installed the software and all goes well, they will come on in a warm yellow color.
If they come on in a different color, head back to the previous page and find the instructions for fixing the Color Order.
## Troubleshooting
If your lights don't come on or behave the way you expect, here are a few things to try:
- Click the on/off switch and press the little button on the side of your battery
- Try re-uploading the software
- Make sure your GPIO pin is set correctly in LED Settings -- it should be 32. If you don't reboot the board after setting up the audio reactive stuff, sometimes this won't get saved even if you set it up right.
- Check to be sure you actually connected to pin 32. If you connected to 33, change the number in the software to reflect that.
- If the lights still don't come on, your strand may be wired a different way. Sometimes these strands come with the male on the OUT end and female on the IN. Try switching the connectors around to plug in the other end of the strand.
# Dragon Kite Poi with Animated Lights and WLED
## Dragon Assembly
Set your sewing machine to its widest zigzag stitch with a fairly long stitch length. Place the male connector (on the "in" end of your strand) at the top of the tail where it attaches to the head, with the first light right at the top edge of the fabric.
Unplug the battery and controller from the light strand. Keep it handy for testing, but don't sew while there's power running through the strand.
Zig-zag stitch back and forth over the three wires, trying not to hit any of the wires or lights with your needle. If you do hit the wires, it's likely not a big deal - the strand will still work with a couple threads running through it, but do your best to miss it and just zig-zag over the top.
Stitch the lights to the sides of the tail. I found it easiest to follow the existing seam line along the edges of the tail. Go slowly -- if you pierce one of the resin lights with your needle you could break the strand. If you do hit a light, test your strand by plugging it into the controller and battery to make sure it still lights up.
If you break one of the lights, all the ones "downstream" will go out. This can be repaired by cutting the damaged light out and re-soldering the wires to the next light in line, but this is made much harder if you have to pick out all your stitches first -- so test the strand if you hit anything.
When you reach the end of the tail, bend the lights around in a V shape (or whatever design you wish) and then sew them back up the other side. You should have a few feet of lights left over when you get back to the top. We'll attach these inside the head so it glows too.
If you want the pupils in the eyes to light up, drill a hole right in the center of each eye. I found this easier to do from the inside of the head.
Attach the tail to the head using the included velcro, and plug in the controller, switch, and battery.
Use a hot glue gun to arrange the rest of your light strand inside the head and mouth. I made a couple spirals inside the main cranium, then went around the lower and upper jaw just behind the teeth.
Squirt some hot glue inside each eye socket and stuff about 10 lights inside each so the eyes glow really brightly. Add a dab of hot glue on the outside to finish the pupil. On the WLED Segments page you'll learn to control just these few lights to make the eyes light up in the color of your choice.
Warning: Glue guns heat to high temperatures. The tool and the melted glue can burn hands if not careful. Please exercise caution when using.
Fix the rest of the electronics inside the head. I used strong sticky-back velcro on the battery so I can remove it for charging. I securely glued one side of the velcro to the inside of the head -- the velcro itself is often stronger than the adhesive and you want the velcro to separate (not pull both sides out) when you remove the battery.
For the switch and Sparkle Motion case, I glued them directly to the inside of the head, making sure my cords reach easily and are fairly well managed.
# Dragon Kite Poi with Animated Lights and WLED
## Animations
Creating animations with WLED is fun and easy. I made a few different animations using different modes and colors, and created a playlist that cycles through them automatically when I turn the dragon on.
Choose a color palette and an effect and then mess around with the speed sliders until you've got something that looks beautiful on your dragon. I used the "chase" effect a lot with different color palettes for this project.
## AudioReactive Presets
To use AudioReactive mode, select one of the effects that has a music note next to the name. WLED has a handful of audio-enabled effects you can play with. Try them with different speeds and colors, and try them in different audio environments as well. Some work better at a piano recital and some work better at a noisy festival.
Mess around with the Gain settings to adjust for the sound of the wind in the dragon fabric.
Save your presets into a playlist. You can tweak the amount of time each animation plays for, and change the duration of the transition too. Once you're happy with it, check the "Apply at Boot" checkbox. This will make your playlist start up automatically when the dragon is powered up.
It's a good idea to back up your presets once you're happy with them, in case the board needs a re-install for any reason. Go to config \> Security & Updates to find the backup screen.
# Dragon Kite Poi with Animated Lights and WLED
## WLED Segments
For this project, I want to be able to light up the head in solid red, the eyes in white, and the tail in various rainbow or colored animated effects with a mirror effect so the left and right sides animate in sync with each other. In WLED, this is easily done using [Segments](https://kno.wled.ge/features/segments/).
When you first set up WLED, there's one segment pre-defined, and it's called Segment 0. This segment includes all the lights.
Click the "add segment" button and create a new segment called Tail. Starting with LED 0, enter the number of lights sewn to the tail. Click the "check" button and look at your lights.
Select "solid" under effects and choose a color.
If all your lights (including the head) change to that color, click the "power" button to turn Segment 0 off and be sure the power button on the Tail segment is active. This should turn on the LEDs in your tail, and only those LEDs.
Verify that it's lighting up the area you want and adjust the numbers if it's not.
Click the Mirror Effect box if you want your tail's left and right sides to mirror each other, running the same animation at the same time. I love the way this looks on my dragon.
Save this first segment before moving on. Otherwise you may do a lot of intricate mapping work and then discover that _poof_ ! It's gone forever.
## Save your Segments
Segment layout can be saved using a Preset. Click the + Preset button and call your preset **All Segments**. Use the default settings and click "save".
Segments are preset-specific, meaning that different presets can (and often do) use completely different segment layouts. If you don't save your work in a preset, and then you select another preset that only has Segment 0 defined, all your segments will vanish.
This can be frustrating! So save early and save often. To update the preset after you've added more segments, click the "overwrite with state" checkbox and then click Save.
Make a segment for the head and another segment for the eyes, using the pixel numbers in each of those areas. It's ok if they overlap.
I made the eyes solid white, and the head a solid color that matched my dragon (red / yellow).
Each segment can have its own animation and color choice. This is the fun part: play around and see what kind of beautiful combinations you can make.
Click the check box on the segment you want to affect, then choose an effect and a color. Once you have all three segments looking the way you want, save your light mode as a preset.
WLED 16 also allows you to layer different effects on segments. You can make two segments for the same section of lights (i.e. tail 1 and tail 2) and run two different animations on that section at the same time. This allows you to use a base / background color and then layer a moving animation over the top. Play around to see what effects you can create.
## Guide Products
### Mini Sparkle Motion - WLED-friendly ESP32 NeoPixel LED Driver
[Mini Sparkle Motion - WLED-friendly ESP32 NeoPixel LED Driver](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6160)
The **Adafruit Sparkle Motion Mini** is part of our series of "Sparkle Motion" boards, that are our attempt to make the best small WLED-friendly smart LED driving board in the whole world. Our resident mermaid,
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6160)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6160/guides)
### Snap-on Enclosure for Adafruit Mini Sparkle Motion
[Snap-on Enclosure for Adafruit Mini Sparkle Motion](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6299)
Here is a cute and minimal enclosure for your [Mini Sparkle Motion - WLED-friendly ESP32 NeoPixel LED Driver](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6160) to keep it safe during use and transport. This case has been custom-designed and 3D printed to accommodate all the peripheries....
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6299)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6299/guides)
### Adafruit NeoPixel Pebble / Seed LED Strand - 300 LEDs - 2" Pitch
[Adafruit NeoPixel Pebble / Seed LED Strand - 300 LEDs - 2" Pitch](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6023)
We have all sorts of LED strips for a wide range of needs. [_Chonky_](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3869) strips? We got those! [Strips with alligator...](https://www.adafruit.com/?q=neopixel%20alligator%20clips%20stripping%20wires)
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6023)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6023/guides)
### USB Type C Sync Data Cable with On-Off Switch - 28cm long
[USB Type C Sync Data Cable with On-Off Switch - 28cm long](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6268)
This **USB Type C Sync Data Cable with On/Off Switch** cable is great when you don't want to plug-and-unplug a device to turn it on and off. It's a true USB C to C cable, with power, data and power delivery (USB C PD) lines connected so it can be used for high...
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6268)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6268/guides)
## Related Guides
- [Adafruit Sparkle Motion Mini](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-sparkle-motion-mini.md)
- [Glowing Fireplace Insert with Edge-Lit Acrylic and WLED](https://learn.adafruit.com/glowing-fireplace-insert-with-edge-lit-acrylic-and-wled.md)
- [Adafruit NeoPixel Überguide](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neopixel-uberguide.md)
- [Mushroom Lights with NeoPixels and WLED](https://learn.adafruit.com/mushroom-lights-with-neopixels-and-wled.md)
- [Cases for Sparkle Motion](https://learn.adafruit.com/cases-for-sparkle-motion.md)
- [Polka Dot Electro-Swing Dress with NeoPixels](https://learn.adafruit.com/polka-dot-dress-with-neopixels.md)
- [Laser-Cut Layered LED Art Panel (Wood + Acrylic) with WLED](https://learn.adafruit.com/laser-cut-layered-led-art-panel-wood-acrylic-with-wled.md)
- [xLights for Sparkle Motion Board](https://learn.adafruit.com/xlights-for-sparkle-motion-board.md)
- [WLED 16: What's New](https://learn.adafruit.com/wled-16-what-is-new.md)
- [Light Up Bubble Wand with WLED](https://learn.adafruit.com/light-up-bubble-wand-with-wled.md)
- [Sparkle Motion Skirt with 2D Mapping](https://learn.adafruit.com/sparkle-motion-skirt-with-2d-mapping.md)
- [Jellyfish Umbrella with easy WLED WiFi Control](https://learn.adafruit.com/jellyfish-umbrella-with-easy-wled-wifi-control.md)
- [LED Drone Matrix](https://learn.adafruit.com/led-matrix-drone.md)
- [Sparkle Motion Dance Shoes](https://learn.adafruit.com/sparkle-motion-dance-shoes.md)
- [Illuminated Butterfly Wall Art](https://learn.adafruit.com/illuminated-butterfly-wall-art.md)
- [Starlight Groove Tutu – Sound-Reactive LED Skirt](https://learn.adafruit.com/starlight-groove-tutu-sound-reactive-led-skirt.md)