ESP32 Projector Integrates with Home Assistant
A new DIY ESP32-based projector integrates directly with Home Assistant and can display custom dashboards, weather, or alerts projected on walls or ceilings. The build uses standard ESP32 modules with open-source firmware, making it accessible for DIYers with basic electronics skills. You can automate projection based on triggers like time of day or motion detection.
The project, known as Frixos, was developed by a maker who goes by the handle "msdiorin" over the course of a few years. It was designed to be a high-power projection clock that remains visible even in daylight, a common struggle for similar commercial products. At its core, the Frixos projector utilizes an ESP32 with 8MB of flash and 512KB of RAM. The image source is a 128x128 ST7735S LCD panel, which is projected using a 6W high-power LED and a multi-lens optical system to create a crisp, full-color image. An LTR303 ambient light sensor is incorporated to automatically adjust the projection's brightness for comfortable viewing during both day and night. The firmware, initially written for Arduino, was later rewritten in ESP-IDF to leverage FreeRTOS tasks for improved performance and faster build times. Beyond displaying the time, Frixos can connect to services like OpenWeather for forecasts and Finnhub.io for real-time stock and cryptocurrency information. Its deep integration with Home Assistant allows it to display the state of any entity, enabling custom messages for events like a welcome message when someone arrives home. For those interested in building their own, the entire project is open source with resources available on GitHub. Enthusiasts have the option to buy a completed projector from the Frixos store, purchase the specific components for their own 3D-printed enclosure, or source all the parts and build it from scratch.
