Nimbus
Month 1 ships Oct 19. A new kit every month. Cancel anytime.
Project Overview
Nimbus is Month 5 of the Zynk Bots path: a bedside RGB touch lamp that senses the room around it. Tap the touch pad to switch it on, turn the dial to set the brightness, and watch it glow through a 45-LED color ring. A light sensor notices when the room gets dark, a temperature sensor and a MOSFET-driven fan keep it cool, and a small OLED screen shows what it's doing. Your settings are saved so they survive power-off, and a secret tap pattern unlocks a hidden easter egg. You're back on the Arduino Nano, trying each sensor on a breadboard before assembling everything into Nimbus's own case. No soldering needed.
Real-World Applications
Smart thermostats
Home thermostats read a temperature sensor, compare it to a set point and switch heating or cooling on, with a little hysteresis so they don't click on and off. That's exactly how Nimbus runs its fan.
Automatic lights
Street lights, night lights and phone screens use light sensors to brighten or dim on their own, just like Nimbus reacting when the room gets dark.
Computer and console cooling
Laptops and game consoles speed their fans up as they heat up, using PWM and transistors like the MOSFET in your kit.
Appliances that remember
TVs, ovens and car seats keep your settings in memory that survives power-off. Nimbus does the same thing with EEPROM.
Skills Developed
Skills you'll carry forward
Sensing and power skills go wireless in Month 6 — your two intercom units share live room temperatures and run on the battery systems you mastered here.
See the month-by-month learning path →Project Prerequisites
Before starting this project, we recommend completing these foundational projects:
Months 1–4: Cyclone LED, Smart Alarm Clock, Crack-the-Code Safe and Speedy Buttons (RGB LEDs, touch input, state machines and timing)
Recommended
A Windows, Mac, or Linux computer with a USB port for uploading code
Recommended
Learning Objectives
By completing this project, you will achieve the following measurable outcomes:
Read light, temperature and a dial through the Nano's analog inputs
Build voltage dividers for a light sensor (LDR) and a thermistor
Convert raw sensor readings into degrees Celsius and brightness levels
Switch a cooling fan with a MOSFET and control its speed with PWM
Use thresholds and hysteresis so the fan doesn't flicker on and off
Save settings to EEPROM so they survive power-off
Recognize a secret tap pattern to unlock a hidden mode
Assemble and power a finished bedside lamp
What's in the Kit
Everything you need to build your Nimbus, carefully selected and packaged
Arduino Nano (USB-C)
A small, beginner-friendly programmable circuit board — the "brain" of many kit projects. Pre-soldered headers plug straight into a breadboard, and it connects to your computer with a USB-C cable.
USB-C Cable
USB-A to USB-C cable for uploading code to your board and for powering and charging your project from a computer or USB charger.
RGB LED Ring (45 LEDs)
A circular ring of 45 color-changing LEDs. Every LED can be set to any color individually, so you can build rainbow patterns, animations, and color-mixing effects.
Small OLED Screen (0.96")
A compact 0.96-inch OLED display (128×64 pixels, I2C). Sharp, high-contrast text and simple graphics from just two data wires.
Mini Push Button
A small tactile push button (6×6×5 mm) that fits right into a breadboard. Press to make contact, release to break — used for menus, controls, and game inputs.
On / Off Rocker Switch
A snap-in rocker switch for turning a project on and off. Pre-soldered with male pin headers on the wire ends for easy plug-in to the rest of the circuit.
18650 Rechargeable Battery (2600 mAh)
Rechargeable 3.7 V / 2600 mAh lithium-ion 18650 cell, the standard power source for the portable projects. Drop it into the holder and recharge it over USB through the project's charging board.
18650 UPS Booster-Charger (15 W)
All-in-one 18650 battery board: charges the cells and boosts their output to a steady 5 V, 9 V, or 12 V (up to 3 A), with uninterrupted power while charging.
Touch Sensor
A touch-sensitive switch — instead of pressing a physical button, just tap your finger on the metal pad. Used in projects that need a sleek, button-less interaction.
Light Sensor Module (LM393)
A small board with a light-dependent resistor and a comparator chip. Gives an analog brightness reading plus an adjustable on/off trigger, so a project can react when the room gets dark.
Temperature Sensor Module (NTC)
An NTC thermistor on a small 4-pin board with a comparator chip. Gives an analog temperature reading plus an adjustable hot/cold trigger. Used in Nimbus to decide when the cooling fan should run.
NTC Thermistor (100 kΩ)
A tiny resistor whose resistance drops as it warms up. Wire it into a voltage divider on the breadboard and read it on an analog pin to measure temperature.
Photoresistor (GL5528)
A light-dependent resistor (LDR): its resistance falls as the light gets brighter. Pair it with a resistor as a voltage divider to read light levels on an analog pin.
Potentiometer (10 kΩ)
A rotary dial with a 15 mm shaft that works as an adjustable voltage divider. Turn it to send the microcontroller any value from 0 to 1023, perfect for brightness and speed controls.
Cooling Fan (5 V, 40 mm)
A small 5 V fan (40 x 40 x 20 mm). Switched by a MOSFET and speed-controlled with PWM, it cools Nimbus when the temperature sensor says things are getting warm.
10 kΩ Resistor
A 10,000-ohm resistor. Most often used to gently "pull" an input signal up or down to a known state so the microcontroller can read buttons and sensors reliably.
Jumper Wires — M/M (20 cm)
Multi-colored Dupont jumper wires with male pins on both ends. 20 cm long, 40-wire ribbon. A little extra slack for routing around enclosures.
Jumper Wires — M/F (20 cm)
Multi-colored Dupont jumper wires with a male pin on one end and a female socket on the other. 20 cm, 40-wire ribbon.
Jumper Wires — F/F (20 cm)
Multi-colored Dupont jumper wires with female sockets on both ends. 20 cm, 40-wire ribbon.
Breadboard (400 holes)
A solderless prototyping board with 400 contact holes. Plug components and wires in to build circuits without permanent soldering — pull them out and reuse for the next project.
Electrical Tape
PVC insulation tape for insulating and tidying wires inside enclosures.
M3 Screw — 6 mm
Short M3 machine screw (6 mm, black zinc-plated). Standard fastener for assembling the 3D-printed enclosures.
Hex Key (for M3 screws)
Hex (Allen) key sized for the M3 screws — included so the project can be assembled at home without buying extra tools.
Nimbus — Project PCB
Custom PCB for the Nimbus lamp. Connects the LED ring, sensors, fan and power on a single board.
Nimbus — Enclosure
3D-printed case for the Nimbus lamp: a base that holds the electronics, screen and dial, and a ribbed translucent shade that spreads the LED ring's light.
Cable Connectors (set)
Plug-and-socket cable connectors for joining modules into the project wiring without permanent soldering. Easy to unplug and re-use across projects.
MOSFET (IRLZ44N)
A logic-level power transistor that lets a 5 V microcontroller pin switch much bigger loads, like a motor or fan, on and off, or fast enough to control its speed with PWM.
Course Content
Course Content Coming Soon
This project is being prepared. Course lessons and content will be available once the project is fully published.
Safety Guidelines
Please review these safety guidelines before starting your project
Designed for ages 13+. We recommend an adult is present for the first power-up, when charging the battery, and when using tools.
Disconnect power before handling
Always disconnect power sources and unplug devices before assembling, modifying, or troubleshooting electronic components.
Keep away from water and liquids
Do not use electronic components or tools near water. Keep drinks and liquids away from the work area.
Follow manufacturer instructions
Read and follow all instructions provided with kits and components. Do not exceed recommended voltage or current.
Battery care
Charge the 18650 cells only on the UPS board in the kit. Stop using them and tell an adult if a cell gets hot, swells, leaks, or is dented.
Keep clear of the fan
Keep fingers, hair and loose wires away from the fan blades while Nimbus is powered, and switch it off before reaching inside the case.
Small parts
Screws, resistors, the thermistor and other small components are choking hazards. Keep them away from younger siblings and pets while you build.
Related Projects
Continue your learning journey with these recommended projects
Speedy Buttons
Speedy Buttons is Month 4 of the Zynk Bots path: an arcade-style reflex game you build and keep. Ten light-up arcade buttons call out targets in random order, you race to hit them in time, and an LED matrix scoreboard scrolls your score while the speaker plays sound effects. Two chrome 1P/2P start buttons let you play solo or take on a friend, so the whole family can compete. You're back on the Arduino Nano, trying each part on a breadboard before assembling everything into the game's own case. Along the way you learn non-blocking timing, the trick real firmware uses to juggle many things at once. No soldering needed.
Cyclone LED
Cyclone LED is Month 1 of the Zynk Bots path: a reflex game you build and keep. A ring of 45 addressable RGB LEDs chases around the dial, and you press the button to stop the light on the target. Hit it and the game speeds up; miss and the round resets, with your level and high score on the built-in display. You start by trying each component on a breadboard, then in the final week put the whole game together on its own printed circuit board and case. Along the way you write and change the code yourself. No experience and no soldering needed.