Controll eyes

Note

🌟 Welcome to the SunFounder Facebook Community! Whether you’re into Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or ESP32, you’ll find inspiration, help ideas here.

✅ Be the first to get free learning resources.
✅ Stay updated on new products & exclusive giveaways.
✅ Share your creations and get real feedback.

👉 Need faster updates or support? Click [here] join our Facebook community
👉 Or join our WhatsApp group: Click [here]

Kit purchase

Looking for parts? Check out our all-in-one kits below — packed with components, beginner-friendly guides, and tons of fun.

Name	Includes ESP32 board	PURCHASE LINK
ESP32 Ultimate Starter Kit	ESP32 WROOM 32E +	BUY
Universal Maker Sensor Kit		BUY

Course Introduction

This Arduino project animates a pair of interactive eyes on an OLED screen, controlled by a joystick.

The eyes track the joystick’s movement, simulating the effect of following an object within a defined range.

Pressing the joystick button triggers a blinking animation that mimics a natural blink by covering the upper part of the eyes.

Note

If this is your first time working with an ESP32 project, we recommend downloading and reviewing the basic materials first.

Required Components

In this project, we need the following components:

SN	COMPONENT INTRODUCTION	QUANTITY	PURCHASE LINK
1	Arduino Nano ESP32	1
2	USB Type-C cable	1
3	Breadboard	1	BUY
4	Wires	Several	BUY
5	Joystick Module	1	BUY
6	OLED Display Module	1	BUY

Wiring

Common Connections:

Joystick Module
- VRX: Connect to A0 on the ESP32.
- VRY: Connect to A1 on the ESP32.
- SW: Connect to D4 on the ESP32.
- GND: Connect to breadboard’s negative power bus.
- VCC: Connect to breadboard’s red power bus.
OLED Display Module
- SDA: Connect to D2 on the Arduino.
- SCK: Connect to D3 on the Arduino.
- GND: Connect to breadboard’s negative power bus.
- VCC: Connect to breadboard’s red power bus.

Writing the Code

Note

You can copy this code into Arduino IDE.
To install the library, use the Arduino Library Manager and search for Adafruit SSD1306 and Adafruit GFX and install it.
Don’t forget to select the board(Arduino Nano ESP32) and the correct port before clicking the Upload button.

/*
  Arduino Nano ESP32 (ESP32-S3)
  RGB LED color blending with potentiometer (LEDC PWM)
*/

// RGB LED pins (use Dx labels)
const int redPin   = D9;
const int greenPin = D10;
const int bluePin  = D11;

// Potentiometer pin (ADC)
const int potPin = A0;

// PWM settings
const int PWM_FREQ = 5000;     // 5 kHz
const int PWM_RES  = 8;        // 8-bit resolution (0~255)

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  delay(200);

  // Attach PWM to pins (Arduino-ESP32 3.x style)
  ledcAttach(redPin,   PWM_FREQ, PWM_RES);
  ledcAttach(greenPin, PWM_FREQ, PWM_RES);
  ledcAttach(bluePin,  PWM_FREQ, PWM_RES);

  // Optional: Set ADC behavior (not required, but helps stability)
  analogReadResolution(12); // ESP32 ADC default is typically 12-bit (0~4095)
}

void loop() {
  // Read potentiometer value (ESP32 ADC: 0~4095)
  int potValue = analogRead(potPin);
  Serial.println(potValue);

  // Map ADC value to 0~765 for color blending
  int range = map(potValue, 0, 4095, 0, 765);

  int r = 0, g = 0, b = 0;

  // Blend RGB colors based on range
  if (range <= 255) {
    r = 255;
    g = range;
    b = 0;
  } else if (range <= 510) {
    r = 510 - range;
    g = 255;
    b = range - 255;
  } else {
    r = 0;
    g = 765 - range;
    b = 255;
  }

  // Output PWM (inverted for common-anode RGB LED)
  // If you are using common-cathode, remove the "255 -" inversion.
  ledcWrite(redPin,   255 - r);
  ledcWrite(greenPin, 255 - g);
  ledcWrite(bluePin,  255 - b);

  delay(20);
}