GoKawiilKevin Bates launches $149 AI-powered digital candle with LED flame simulation
Engineer Kevin Bates has released the Digital Candle, a $149 device that uses an Espressif ESP32-S3 chip running a custom AI model to simulate a flickering flame across a 9-by-16 grid of 144 amber LEDs. The flame pattern is generated live and never repeats, powered via USB-C, and the device is open source, letting owners repurpose it as a clock or for other simulations like Conway's Game of Life.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The open-source design could broaden the product's appeal beyond novelty buyers to hobbyists who want to modify the hardware, potentially justifying its relatively high price. It also reflects a broader trend of applying small, on-device AI models to everyday physical objects rather than purely digital or cloud-based applications.
- The Digital Candle costs $149 and uses an ESP32-S3 chip to run a neural network trained on real candle footage.
- Its flame display, made of 144 amber LEDs in a 9x16 grid, is generated live and never repeats exactly.
- Being open source, the device can be reprogrammed for other uses like a clock or Conway's Game of Life.
Source: theverge.com — Andrew Liszewski, 2026-10-29
Published there as: “This $149 digital candle uses AI to accurately simulate a flickering flame”
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