1. Gravity Sand

Tilt CoreMatrix and a pile of virtual sand slides toward the low side, just like the real thing.

• What you need: Just CoreMatrix.
• How it works: The IMU senses which way gravity points, and the firmware uses it to move a field of sand grains across the 16×16 matrix. Flat on the desk, the sand settles. Tilt it and the pile slides downhill. Give it a shake and the grains loosen up and spread out again. The three buttons on top drop in more sand from different spots.
• Why try it: It’s oddly satisfying to watch tiny pixels behave like real sand. No extra hardware or wiring needed: just tilt, shake and play.
  

Watch it in action →

2. Snake and Mini Tetris

Two arcade classics, with every one of the 256 LEDs as a game cell.

• What you need: CoreMatrix, Faces 3 Bottom Board and Faces Gamepad3 Panel.
• How it works: In our demo, CoreMatrix connects to Faces 3 Bottom through the M5-Bus, and Faces Gamepad3 plugs into the top of the Bottom3. The whole matrix is the playfield. In Snake, the snake speeds up as it grows, and the matrix scrolls the title and shows your final score when the game ends. The same setup also runs Tetris: all seven classic pieces fall across the full grid, completed lines clear, and the drop gets faster as you go. Hold a direction and the move repeats.
• Why try it: Classic games feel new again on 256 pixels, and a real gamepad in your hands makes it feel like a tiny arcade.

Watch it in action →

3. Scrolling Message Board

Line up three CoreMatrix and you get a 48×16 display.

• What you need: Three CoreMatrix units in our setup.
• How it works: All three units run the same firmware, and each is given a role: left, middle or right. The left unit creates its own Wi-Fi network, and the other two join it. The left unit renders the full-width scrolling text and sends each of the others its slice of every frame. Each CoreMatrix shows only its own 16 columns, so the three matrices read as one continuous screen without drifting apart. If a unit drops off the network, it reconnects on its own.
• Why try it: Turn a few tiny LED matrices into a personalized desk sign: your name, a fun message or a scrolling reminder.

Watch it in action →

4. Parking Sensor

Back a toy car toward a sensor and let CoreMatrix tell you when to stop.

• What you need: CoreMatrix, Ultrasonic Distance Unit I2C. The unit plugs into CoreMatrix’s Grove port.
• How it works: The ultrasonic unit measures the distance to the car as it backs up. CoreMatrix turns that into a signal meter: four bars that fill as the car gets closer, while the onboard buzzer beeps faster and faster. At the closest range the beeps become one long tone, which means you are parked. The distance steps are tuned for a toy-car-sized demo.
• Why try it: It’s a simple way to turn a distance sensor into something you can see and hear, and the same idea works for other proximity projects.

Watch it in action →

More Ideas to Try

• Pixel icons and animations: small status icons, loaders or a pixel-art animation loop.
• Sensor readouts: show values from a Grove sensor as icons or bars.
• Tilt-and-shake toys: use the IMU for a dice roller, a magic 8-ball or a bubble level.
• Status and reminders: use Wi-Fi to show alerts and reminders as simple icons.

Get Your CoreMatrix

CoreMatrix is ready when you are. Get yours now in the M5Stack Store for $29.90. Click to learn more about CoreMatrix’s technical details and specs. 

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