A few exceptionally expensive cars offer a starfield headliner made up of hundreds of LEDs or fiber optic cables. You can get a nice starfield on your Tesla S/X/3/Y glass roof or fabric headliner, with this low-cost project. It projects a laser starfield and can be installed in seconds without any modifications to your car! The image above is what it looks like on the glass roof from the right side back seat. (Nov-2022)
We use a tiny laser projector that connects to one of the rear center console USB ports. A few additional adapters complete the project.
Parts List
- Starport Laser USB Light – Blue (other colors available)
- Right-angle USB-C to USB-B adapter (For newer cars with USB-C)
- USB Gooseneck Cable – 1 foot
- Optional 3D printed shield (see next section)
- Optional 3D printed clip (see next section)
3D Printed Parts
I found the laser light to be very wide angle and elected to make a small round shield to reduce the light splash to the sides. This could be done with a small plastic tube or even a thin opaque film wrapped around the top. We elected to make a 3D-printed shield. We used .15mm layers and black PTEG filament. Avoid using PLA, as it will deform when the vehicle gets hot.
The vehicle USB’s connector is not quite strong enough to hold it in place during driving. It needs to be clipped to the center console. I created a clip that holds the gooseneck in place. This is for the Model S/X LR/Plaid. Other models and years may require a different clip design. We used .15mm layers and black PTEG filament.
Installation
Attach the shield to the end of the Laser. Connect the Laser to the end of the USB gooseneck. Connect the gooseneck to the right-angle connector. Connect the entire assembly to the left USB port in the rear center console. Adjust the gooseneck as shown.
The clip holds the gooseneck in place. It snaps into the seam on the side of the console.
Notes
- Older Tesla vehicles may use a USB-B connector instead of a USB-C connector so source the proper USB angle adapter that works for your vehicle.
- Power consumption is negligible, measured at about 1 mA at 5 v, or 0.005 W.
- As the laser is easy to swap out, you can have different colors for different holidays. green for Christmas, and red for Valentine’s day for example.