This $149 digital candle uses AI to accurately simulate a flickering flame

The Arduboy creator’s next project uses a neural network trained on footage of a real candle’s flame.The Arduboy creator’s next project uses a neural network trained on footage of a real candle’s flame.Oct 29, 2026, 1:37 PM UTCImage: Kevin BatesAfter engineering a flexible version of Tetris that could be wrapped around a magazine, Kevin Bates’ latest creation is a digital candle that uses a custom AI model to accurately simulate the appearance of a flickering flame across a grid of LEDs. It’s a far cry from the types of devices Bates is typically known for, including the Arduboy, but paying $79 for a credit card-sized handheld that can play hundreds of games is an easier sell than a $149 digital candle that doesn’t quite provide the same ambiance as the real thing, even if it’s much safer.At the top of the 10-inch tall Digital Candle, which is available now with a black or white circuitboard, you’ll find 144 amber-colored LEDs arranged in a 9 by 16 grid with adjustable brightness. On the other end is a USB-C port for supplying power (a rechargeable battery isn’t included) and an Espressif ESP32-S3 chip that runs an AI model with a tiny neural network trained on footage of a real flickering candle.The flame simulation never repeats and is unique to each candle since it’s being generated on the fly at all times. It’s not a pre-programmed animation set to loop so the results look very convincing, or as convincing as they can be on a low-res grid of LEDs. The Digital Candle is also open source so you can repurpose it as a clock, a notification screen, or run other simulations like Conway’s Game of Life. That could potentially make its $149 price a little easier to justify if you like to tinker.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Andrew LiszewskiThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. ​