You will be modifying the Aurora Master, removing the manual buttons and soldering a couple wires. Using the ESP8266 makes for a low cost wireless add-on.

In order to simplify the external components needed, I used the excellent Adafruit HUZZAH ESP8266 breakout instead of the more raw ESP8266 modules. This one supports 5V DC Input power directly. The same power that the Aurora Master uses.

The Aurora Master has 3 buttons to control it. Two are just for optional audio control. I don’t use its audio feature, but you can if desired. The center button is the Power and Mode button. Each time you press it, it switches to another pattern. Pressing it several times ends up turning the unit back off. The unit also turns itself off after about an hour. This modification allows you to “press” this Power/Mode button remotely via WiFi from any web browser or Linux Curl or Python web command. By repeatedly calling the ESP8266’s URL, you can turn the unit on, switch between patterns, or turn the unit off.