Building a $20 wireless platform with the Atmel-powered Flutter

Flutter – which recently tipped up on Kickstarter – can best be described as an open source Atmel-powered wireless platform with a 1000m+ (3200 ft) range. Protected from digital intruders by Atmel’s ATSHA204 which offers 256-bit AES hardware encryption, Flutter makes it easy for DIY Makers to build projects that communicate across a house, neighborhood and beyond.

“Creating Flutter networks is easy, even if it’s just two boards. Specify networks in Arduino code or configure Flutter with our mobile app,” the Flutter crew explained in a Kickstarter post. “Once configured, devices can enter and exit the network seamlessly. This makes it extremely easy to set up a network at home (or anywhere else) where all of your projects can reliably communicate. Flutter is like a second network for your devices.”

In terms of hardware, the Flutter crew is currently offering a range of options for Kickstarter backers, including basic, pro and a number of shields (Bluetooth, breakout board, RC, network and Bluetooth).

Potential applications for Flutter? Mesh networking, quadcopters, sensors (light, water and temperature) sensors, self-diagnosis/spectrum analyzer, as well as RC cars.

As noted above, Flutter is powered by Atmel technology. More specifically, prototype devices were originally designed using the  Arduino Pro Mini board (Sparkfun), although the final version of Flutter will be built around Atmel’s SAM3S, based on a powerful ARM CPU with plenty of speed and storage space.

Interested in learning more about Flutter? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here.