Dotstar LEDs are super fast and super bright -- they're the best LEDs available for drawing persistence of vision images or light painting.  This guide combines Dotstars with a Teensy 3.2 -- a super fast Arduino-like board with 256K Flash Memory and 64K RAM.  The Teensy has enough space for hundreds of images and patterns, so with a little time and a little imaging knowhow, these poi can go all night without ever repeating a pattern.

We even added IR remote support so you can change programs with the press of a button!

Materials

To make one poi (get two of everything for two poi):

• 1/2 m 144 LED/m Dotstars
• Teensy 3.2
• Pro Trinket Lion/LiPoly Backpack Charger
• Lithium Ion Cylindrical battery - 3.7 v 2200mAh
• On/off switch - SPST Submini Slide Siwtch from Radio Shack
• IR receiver sensor
• Mini remote control

Housing

• 14" x 1" polycarbonate tube (be sure inner diameter is at least 7/8")
• 2 3d-Printable End Caps (or order them online here)
• 8" x 5/8" wooden dowel
• Poi leash & handle (I like the ones from FlowToys)
• Holographic sticky-backed vinyl (optional, of course, but.. SO SPARKLY)

 Tools

• Soldering iron & accessories
• Drill and Rotary tool or saw for cutting tubing & dowels to length
• Hot glue gun
• E6000 glue
• Micro USB cable for programming & charging