RESTON, VA — The Nova Labs holiday light display is complete and ready for viewing. It is installed on the wall adjacent to our facility in the Reston Business Park and is programmed to turn on every day at 4PM.

You’ll have to see this for yourself. No really. The brightness of the white LEDs of our Nova Labs sign prevents us from cleanly capturing this awe inspiring work on video. We had to use a welding helmet as a filter to capture this video.

The project was led and organized by David Stewart. David installs light displays professionally and had much of the equipment needed available to loan.

The display featured four main parts:

• Nova Labs Sign – The Nova Labs’ logo done in lights. The lights were programmed to animate the gears to appear as they were rotating. The threads of the bulb also “rotated”.
• Reston 50 Sign – A animated sign celebrating Reston’s 50th birthday. Reston turns 50 in April.
• Tree with Star – A traditional Christmas tree with star, animated with various colors.
• MakerShop – A “shop” where makers make presents and send them down the conveyor belt. There is also a string of drones flying from the shop to place the star on the tree.

Craig and Carrie created the MakerShop sign out of one strand of lights, neon style!

Installing the “drones” into the display.

Dozens of Nova Labs members spent many hours designing, constructing and programming various parts of the display.

Bryce used the laser cutter to cut and engrave acrylic for presents under the tree.

Scott Bennett and Jim Sweeney work on the Nova Labs sign.

Dave did the mechanical work to construct the frame needed to attach the installation to the wall.