In a fascinating demonstration of what you can do with limited computing resources, Themis Benetatos has demonstrated several methods of defining and displaying three-dimensional objects with an Arduino or compatible board and a small TFT LCD display.
Themis runs though a few proof-of-concepts for tiny 3D engines, and gives some interesting comparisons. Furthermore code to convert .STL files to text to insert into .h header files is provided so you can experiment with your own graphics using his code. Some examples of the progress of the 3D engine are shown in the following video:
Apart from the enjoyment of creating your own 3D animation, there is lots to be learned with respect to describing 3D models in code and dealing with memory limitations - so to get started visit Themis' interesting website. And for more, we're on facebook, twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.
If you're looking for a neat and colourful display to use with your Arduino or Raspberry Pi - consider our 128x128 pixel OLED Module. With a diagonal size of 1.5" and 16,384 colours to select from, so almost anything is possible. Furthermore there's a microSD card socket, and removable tabs on each side which can hold LEDs and buttons:
And using the module is made simple - we have tutorials and drivers for both the Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms - great for experimenters or those who use both systems. Furthermore, check out the forum where members are already creating modified drivers to rapidly increase the display speed. For more information including our Quickstart guides - and of course to order - visit the OLED Module product page.
