After building a workbench with overhead storage, I installed 12V LED strip lights to illuminate my workspace. To further enhance this effect, I added PWM control via a MOSFET and an Arduino Nano on a custom "Grounduino" board. This allows me to vary the lighting intensity to several levels via onboard buttons.

In addition to manually changing the light intensity, the setup features a PIR sensor that detects movement. So when I'm in the designated work area, the lights will shine at a set level, going back to a low "standby" mode when no one is around.

Further enhancements will include additional PIR modules to tell where someone is in front of this very large workbench. WS2812B LEDs will then be used to dynamically illuminate certain areas of the bench are required. More info on the setup is seen in the video below, and code is found here on GitHub. Grounduino boards are available for sale on Tindie, though the project could be accomplished in a variety of hardware configurations.