[Michal Zalewski] built a physical implementation of Conway's Game of Life using 289 NKK illuminated tactile buttons arranged in a 17×17 matrix. The project uses a custom PCB with a Microchip AVR128DA64 microcontroller to handle matrix scanning, LED driving via MOSFETs and transistors, and input detection. The total button cost alone exceeded $1,000, and the finished board sits in a handcrafted wooden enclosure. Project files and firmware source code are available for download.
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