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Mohit Bhoite’s Photon 2 Lander is a handmade, lunar-lander-inspired circuit sculpture controlled by Particle’s Photon 2 development board. Its small display, sensor, buzzer and battery sit within a free-form brass or copper frame whose rods also carry electrical connections. The project page documents Bhoite’s approach; it is not a complete, step-by-step build guide.
What is the Photon 2 Lander?
The Photon 2 Lander is one of Bhoite’s free-form electronic sculptures: an object that makes its circuitry part of its visible structure rather than hiding it inside a conventional enclosure. The controller is Particle’s Photon 2, connected to a color display and sensor, with a buzzer and battery incorporated into the build. Brass or copper rods form the lander-like framework and also serve as electrical paths.
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Bhoite’s page calls itself documentation of how he approached the sculpture, not a step-by-step tutorial. It is useful as a design and component reference, but it does not provide a complete sequence that a reader can follow to reproduce the object exactly. Bhoite’s Photon 2 Lander project page
What parts does the original sculpture use?
Bhoite’s listed parts for the original Lander are:
- Particle Photon 2 development board.
- 1.3-inch, 240 × 240 IPS TFT display using the ST7789 controller.
- SHT31 temperature-and-humidity sensor breakout, or another sensor chosen by the builder.
- 14250-size, 3.7 V, 300 mAh Li-ion battery.
- Electromagnetic passive buzzer.
- 20 AWG brass or copper rods for the frame and electrical connections.
- 14 mm brass discs for the landing pads.
The display connects over SPI and uses 3.3 V; the sensor uses I²C. Bhoite identifies Adafruit’s ST7735/GFX and SHT31 libraries in the firmware section and describes using Particle Webhooks to retrieve forecast data. The project page also points to its GitHub source code.
Why use the Photon 2?
Bhoite said he chose the board because he wanted to use a higher-resolution IPS display and considered the Photon 2’s speed and onboard memory suitable for a display-focused project. That is the maker’s rationale for this build, not a comparative performance test.
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Particle describes the Photon 2 as a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth development board. Its current technical materials list dual-band 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi, BLE 5, a Realtek RTL8721DM, an Arm Cortex-M33 CPU at 200 MHz, 3 MB RAM, 2 MB application space and a 2 MB flash file system. Particle’s developer page describes a Feather-compatible form factor. See Particle’s Photon 2 documentation and its Photon 2 developer page for current product details.
The “upcoming” wording in the original headline is announcement-era framing. Bhoite’s project page says the Photon 2 had launched when he began the build; Particle now presents it as a development board. Its current price and availability can change, so check Particle’s store listing for the latest status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the later Lander R2 differs
Lander R2 is a separate, later sculpture, not a revision whose parts should be silently substituted for those of the original. Its display is a 1.9-inch, 170 × 320 ST7789 unit rather than the original’s 1.3-inch, 240 × 240 display. R2 also offers an optional PDM microphone. Bhoite describes its software as retrieving weather, sunrise and sunset, moon phase, humidity and wind information through Particle Webhooks and online APIs. Bhoite’s Lander R2 page
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Can you build something similar?
Yes, but treat the sculpture as a reference for adapting the idea, not as a ready-to-assemble kit. Bhoite says other microcontroller boards, including ESP32 or RP2040 options, can be used with code changes. The practical choice depends on wireless needs, compatibility with the display and sensor, wiring and form factor, power design, and whether the project uses the maker’s Particle cloud and webhook workflow. The project pages do not establish a tested winner among those boards.
A sensible starting approach is to get the display and sensor working on a breadboard before shaping a free-form frame and soldering its structural rods into the circuit. That separates firmware and wiring problems from the additional challenge of making the frame both mechanically stable and electrically sound.
Battery safety matters
The original Lander page says its battery connects to the Photon 2’s Li+ input through a switch. In the later R2 page, Bhoite warns that the batteries used there lack a protection circuit and that an accidental short can cause thermal runaway. He suggests powering by USB or using a protected LiPo if a builder is uncomfortable with the battery. Do not treat an unprotected Li-ion cell as a casual beginner choice; use a suitable protected power option and avoid shorting the cell or its wiring. Bhoite’s battery warning and build notes
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