Kevin Bates, the creator of the Arduboy handheld gaming device, has introduced a digital candle that uses a custom AI model to simulate the appearance of a flickering flame. Priced at $149, the device is available now with a black or white circuit board.
The 10-inch-tall Digital Candle features 144 amber-colored LEDs arranged in a 9-by-16 grid with adjustable brightness. It is powered via USB-C and does not include a rechargeable battery. The device runs on an Espressif ESP32-S3 chip, which hosts a tiny neural network trained on footage of a real flickering candle. The flame simulation is generated on the fly, producing a unique, non-repeating pattern that looks as convincing as it can be on the low-resolution grid of LEDs.
The Digital Candle is open source, allowing users to repurpose it for other uses such as a clock, notification screen, or Conway's Game of Life. The credit card-sized handheld can play hundreds of games.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Shows how AI models are being integrated into consumer devices even for niche applications like simulating candle flames.
- Highlights the growing trend of open-source hardware, giving users flexibility to repurpose devices beyond their original intent.
- Reflects the increasing accessibility of tiny neural networks running on low-cost microcontrollers.
Background
Kevin Bates is a hardware creator best known for the Arduboy, a minimalist handheld gaming console the size of a credit card. His latest project, the Digital Candle, applies similar small-scale engineering to home ambiance.
What to Watch
- Whether the open-source nature of the Digital Candle leads to a community of users creating custom simulations or applications.
- Potential for similar AI-driven decorative devices to enter the consumer market.
- Adoption of the candle as a safer alternative to real flames in households or events.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe Digital Candle is an AI-powered device that simulates a flickering flame.The Verge: “Kevin Bates’ latest creation is a digital candle that uses a custom AI model to accurately simulate the appearance of a flickering flame across a grid of LEDs.”
- SupportedArduboy creator Kevin Bates has introduced the Digital Candle, which is available now in black or white circuit-board versions.The Verge: “The Arduboy creator’s next project uses a neural network trained on footage of a real candle’s flame. At the top of the 10-inch-tall Digital Candle, which is available now with a black or white circuit board”
- SupportedThe Digital Candle costs $149.The Verge: “This $149 digital candle uses AI to accurately simulate a flickering flame”
- SupportedThe device is open source.The Verge: “The Digital Candle is also open source so you can repurpose it as a clock, a notification screen, or run other simulations like Conway’s Game of Life.”
- SupportedThe Digital Candle’s simulation uses a tiny neural network trained on footage of a real flickering candle.The Verge: “an Espressif ESP32-S3 chip that runs an AI model with a tiny neural network trained on footage of a real flickering candle.”
- SupportedKevin Bates created the Arduboy handheld gaming device.The Verge: “The Arduboy creator’s next project”
- SupportedThe Digital Candle uses a custom AI model to simulate the appearance of a flickering flame.The Verge: “Kevin Bates’ latest creation is a digital candle that uses a custom AI model to accurately simulate the appearance of a flickering flame across a grid of LEDs.”
- SupportedThe 10-inch-tall device has 144 amber-colored LEDs in a 9-by-16 grid with adjustable brightness.The Verge: “At the top of the 10-inch-tall Digital Candle, which is available now with a black or white circuit board, you’ll find 144 amber-colored LEDs arranged in a 9-by-16 grid with adjustable brightness.”
- SupportedThe device is powered via USB-C and does not include a rechargeable battery.The Verge: “On the other end is a USB-C port for supplying power (a rechargeable battery isn’t included)”
- SupportedThe flame simulation is generated on the fly and produces a unique, non-repeating pattern.The Verge: “The flame simulation never repeats and is unique to each candle since it’s being generated on the fly at all times.”
- SupportedThe results look as convincing as they can on a low-resolution grid of LEDs.The Verge: “It’s not a pre-programmed animation set to loop so the results look very convincing, or as convincing as they can be on a low-res grid of LEDs.”
- SupportedThe open-source device can be repurposed as a clock, notification screen, or for simulations such as Conway’s Game of Life.The Verge: “The Digital Candle is also open source so you can repurpose it as a clock, a notification screen, or run other simulations like Conway’s Game of Life.”
