Briefly put, I use the Glediator and Jinx! control software on an RPi, which communicates with an Arduino, which drives the LEDs. I put them in a permanently sealed box, water proof it as much as I possibly can, then cut some IP68 RGB LED strips to size and strap them to the rails of the board. I can remotely access the RPi via Wi-Fi to change lighting schemes, and there's a wireless charging coil inside the box which I can use to charge the batteries, so I never have to open it up after waterproofing. It's basically bomb-proof, and simple enough that I can teach a surf bum how to use it in about half and hour.
Start thinking of the RPi as more of a powerful microcontroller and suddenly a world of opportunities open up. I did my dissertation on it! Titled 'Home Automation and Monitoring using a Raspberry Pi', I basically used an RPi as a master node to control a bunch of Arduino slave nodes, using I2C protocol. With just two wires and an Pi, I run about 20 Arduino's all over my house, doing everything from feeding my fish, to monitoring air quality, to starting my coffee maker. I can access it remotely via Wi-Fi too, so I can do things like water my plants while I'm away. Aiming for a full Wallace and Grommet home in the near future.
Raspberry Pi's are awesome.
