The Glade 4.0

While most of us are content with a few strings of Christmas lights nestled on our trees at this time of year, ex-Disney Imagineer special effects expert Ric Turner has turned his entire home (h/t 1UP) into an interactive Guitar Hero-based experience.

An amazing video posted to YouTube, and subsequently reported on by Make details Ric's insane array of interactive lights on the front of his home. Check out the movie below to see how the game is played.

Christmas Light Hero is using 7 light controllers from Light-O-Rama built from kits to control 21,268 lights and LEDs. Each controller has 16 outputs and 2-3 TTL level control inputs that are used by the game system to fire different programmed light sequences depending on what happens in the game. It relies on the fact that the game sequence is very consistent.

If the game and the lighting sequences start together, they will stay in very good sync through the length of the song. The light program allows branching and overlays for fail, star power and "ready." I have some ideas to automate the initial show/game sync, but for now you have to push doorbell buttons at the right moments.

Although our heads are hurting from trying to understand what just happened, there's no question that Ric's house must be the funnest one in town.

Bah. It apparently only is capable of Easy mode, and no multiplayer.

3 notes is all Easy uses, so yes, Shel; shuyung already covered that.

Do ever want to just grab someone and say...WTF is wrong with you?

I salute anyone with enough patience to complete that display.

This said, as I sit in the middle of my living room, surrounded by 10 wads of christmas lights out of which only 2 work after I have spent an hour untangling them.

I had much the same frustrations last weekend. Or, a string would work sporadically. Next year I'm going all LED, that's it.