[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn9KfJQWqgI&w=600&h=338]

Connect a multicolor LED strip to your smartphone to make a touch-controlled light show! You can attach the color-changing LEDs to the underside of a coffee table, your bike, or anything else you think needs a bit more color.

There are many ways to connect your smartphone to an embedded microcontroller. In this project you’ll use an Android phone in USB host mode. This way, the Android phone both powers and communicates with the Arduino! Even though the Arduino is connected via USB, the communication happens via serial, just like when an Arduino is connected to your computer.

Once you’re able to make your phone talk to an Arduino, a whole world of new projects opens up!

Download the code

Download the app and installer at trevorshp.com/creations/ArduinoColor.apk.

You can also grab the complete source code at github.com/trevorshannon/ArduinoColor.

CAUTION: Build this project at your own risk. We fried a phone during our test build. Not all Android phones are compatible with USB Host Mode. Use only compatible phones, with the proper Android operating system and USB Host Mode drivers. To learn more, visit How can I determine if my device has USB host mode (OTG) support?