Digital Dice
Have you ever wanted to roll dice without using your hands? In this project, you’ll build a digital dice game using a touchless sensor and colorful Neo Matrix LEDs. Just wave your hand, and a random number will appear in lights — like magic!
What Happens When You Shake It ?
When you shake the sensor, it closes a tiny metal contact inside for a split second. This is detected by your ESP chip as a quick “HIGH” signal. Your program waits for this shake signal. When it detects one, it generates a random number between 1 and 6, and then shows the matching dice pattern on the LED matrix. The dice is digital, but the shaking makes it feel like the real thing!
Connection Guide:
Code Logic
The vibration sensor is a digital input that triggers a number roll when moved.
The NeoMatrix displays the result using pre-set dot patterns for numbers 1 to 6.
We use random() to choose a number and display the correct pixels.
Code Examples
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <Adafruit_NeoMatrix.h>
#define PIN 6 #define SENSOR 15 // Matrix data pin
// Vibration sensor digital pin
Adafruit_NeoMatrix matrix = Adafruit_NeoMatrix(8, 8, PIN,
NEO_MATRIX_TOP + NEO_MATRIX_LEFT + NEO_MATRIX_ROWS + NEO_MATRIX_ZIGZAG,
NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
void setup() {
pinMode(SENSOR, INPUT); // Set up sensor pin as input
matrix.begin(); // Start matrix
matrix.setBrightness(40); // Adjust brightness
randomSeed(analogRead(0)); // Seed random number
}
void loop() {
if (digitalRead(SENSOR) == HIGH) { // If shake is detected
int num = random(1, 7); // Get random number 1–6
showDice(num); // Show number on matrix
delay(1000); // Delay so user sees result
matrix.fillScreen(0); // Clear screen
matrix.show();
}
}
// Shows a number on the matrix
void showDice(int n) {
matrix.fillScreen(0);
switch (n) {
case 1: matrix.drawPixel(3, 3, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0)); break;
case 2: matrix.drawPixel(1, 1, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(6, 6, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0)); break;
case 3: matrix.drawPixel(1, 1, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(3, 3, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(6, 6, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0)); break;
case 4: matrix.drawPixel(1, 1, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(6, 1, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(1, 6, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(6, 6, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0)); break;
case 5: matrix.drawPixel(1, 1, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(6, 1, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(3, 3, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(1, 6, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(6, 6, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0)); break;
case 6: for (int y = 1; y <= 6; y += 2) {
matrix.drawPixel(1, y, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
matrix.drawPixel(6, y, matrix.Color(255, 0, 0));
} break;
}
matrix.show();
}
Your turn
Now it’s your turn:
•EASY: Change the dice color from red to blue.
•MEDIUM: Add sound with a buzzer when the number is rolled.
•HARD: Store the last 5 dice rolls in memory and blink the matrix if the same
number appears twice.
•HARD: Make the NeoMatrix show real digits (1–6), not just light-up dots like on
a real dice.