Even at this size, the LEDs generate enough heat to melt the plastic if the current runs wide open.
About the project
The idea was a simple subdivided heart I could hand out as gifts. This is the second 8x8 sculpture I built, scaled down to run off a standard USB port. I printed a two-material QR code directly into the base. Since the print is short, standard black and white PLA was enough to let the light punch through the surface.
I modeled the whole thing in Solidworks. The first batch came off an old TenLog IDEX printer, and the surface was rough. Moving the job to an X1C smoothed things out. Even at this size, the LEDs generate heat. I had to limit the current in software to prevent thermal runaway and damage to the model. I gave them to friends and family for Valentine's Day. They plug into any USB block and run a preset playlist of patterns.
