Hans Scharler salvaged the playfield from a 1970s Atari Superman pinball machine and wired it into functional LED wall art instead of letting it rot or attempting a full restoration.
The build uses WS2811 addressable LEDs in bullet form factor throughout the board, with 3D-printed pop bumpers repurposed as light guides rather than mechanical components. A WLED controller drives the whole display and syncs to Scharler's CheerLights MQTT server, making it network-addressable. Missing plastic inserts were tracked down and reinstalled, and flippers were modified purely for aesthetics.
The full build log on Pinside has the wiring and controller details worth reading if you have orphaned pinball hardware and need a conversion roadmap. The MQTT integration is the part that separates this from a static display, and Scharler's approach to sourcing replacement cosmetic parts is documented specifically enough to replicate.
[READ ORIGINAL →]