This app lets you program objects by drawing lines

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Like something out of science fiction, the Reality Editor lets you connect and manipulate the functionality of physical objects. 

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Back in 2013, a team from MIT Media Lab’s Fluid Interfaces Group developed a method of creating Spatially-Aware Embodied Manipulation of Actuated Objects through augmented reality. The project was an effort to extend a user’s touchscreen interactions into the real world. Earlier this year, the crew released libraries and examples that could also allow others to do the same. With Open Hybrid, you could directly map a digital interface onto a physical thing and program hybrid objects using Arduino and other popular hardware/software environments.

Now, the researchers have taken the project to a whole new level. The Reality Editor is a futuristic tool that empowers you to connect and manipulate the functionality of any gizmo or gadget. Just point your smartphone camera at an item and an overlay with its invisible capabilities will appear on the screen for you to edit. Drag a virtual line from one to another and form a new relationship between the two.

Although the ultimate goal of the IoT is to make ordinary objects life in our smart, most things are still pretty ‘dumb.’ They don’t communicate with one another, and most are only capable of one function. Let’s take a smart bulb for instance, which can dim and brighten, but it can’t change the channel on your TV. This is where the Fluid Interfaces Group’s app comes in.

The Reality Editor lets you define simple actions, change the functionality of objects around you, and remix how things work and interact. Essentially, the app gives you the power to turn something that is virtual into something that is physical and vice versa. The best part? It’s as easy as connecting dots.

“That light switch in your bedroom you always need to stand up in order to turn off — just point the Reality Editor at an object next to your bed and draw a line to the light. You have just customized your home to serve your convenience,” the team writes. “From now on you will use your spatial coordination and muscle memory to easily operate the object next to your bed as a tool for controlling the light.”

What’s more, you can ‘borrow’ functionalities from one object and use them on another. For example, you could employ your TV’s sleep timer as a way to switch your lights on and off, or even have the air conditioning at your house adjust the temperature when you hop into your car to head home. The possibilities are endless.

At the moment, the Reality Editor utilizes QR-like codes to identify smart devices. It works by prompting an HTML webpage and overlays a particular object’s functionalities onto the smartphone so you can program it. However, it will soon be able to recognize the objects as they are viewed with the app.

The Reality Editor can be downloaded and used along with the group’s open source platform Open Hybrid to build a new generation of Hybrid Objects. This isn’t solely geared towards designers and engineers, but Makers and other high-tech enthusiasts as well. Safe to say, a Minority Report-like future is quickly approaching.

 

Maker builds a McNugget vending machine entirely out of LEGO

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Ba da ba ba ba, we’re lovin’ this!

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Despite whether or not you’re a fan of fast food, those feelings will go out the door after seeing this nifty desktop McNugget dispenser made entirely out of LEGO. Simply insert a €2 coin, sit back and let it deliver a box of nuggets in seconds, complete with the necessary dipping sauce.

Powered by LEGO Mindstorms, the vending machine can intelligently process coins and reject those of unaccepted currencies, before dispensing your lunch, dinner or snack. When the proper coin is dropped into its respective slot, it triggers a motor that pushes out the stored four-piece of chicken bites and sauce packs.

The project is the brainchild of the LEGO-builder YouTubers at Astonishing Studios. Although it doesn’t seem to hold more than two boxes of McNuggets at a time, that’s probably a good thing — it will prevent you from overindulging with this amazing gadget.

You’ll want to see it in action for yourself. Ba da ba ba ba, we’re lovin’ this!

This tool lets you create 3D printer filament at home

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The Multistruder will turn plastic into filament for your 3D printer.

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For most Makers, having to continually purchase 3D printing filament can be quite the expense. But what if, instead of having to purchase spools of PLA and ABS and wait for them to arrive, you could turn raw materials into 3D-printable filament right at home? This is the idea behind one San Jose-based startup’s open source and expandable fabrication tool called the Multistruder. 

Developed by The Green Engineers, Multistruder is a plastic extruder that transforms either virgin resin pellets or recycled scrap plastic into different shapes that can be used in your 3D printer.

With a little research, creator Steven Mosbrucker discovered that making your own 3D-printable materials from pellets is around 2.2 to 4.3 times less expensive than buying readymade filament. The greater quantities of pellets you buy, the cheaper it gets as well. Not to mention, using scrap plastic such as plastic bottles is totally free!

The Multistruder itself is made entirely out of rigid pipe, and sits upright to optimize space. It comes with a stand that can be mounted to a desk or hung from a wall, depending on a Maker’s preference.

In terms of hardware, the device is based on Arduino Uno (ATmega328) that provides its accuracy and expandability. With an Arduino for its brain, the unit is incredibly user-friendly and can be easily controlled via a TFT color touchscreen. Beyond that, the Multistruder’s drive motor control precisely handles the extrusion speed, capable of achieving speeds up to three feet per minute. Meaning, the tool can extrude a 1kg spool in less than eight hours.

Looking ahead, Mosbrucker and his team are developing an automated spooler expansion module for the Multistruder. This will automatically roll up the filament as it’s extruded onto a standard spool.

“The module will use motors controlled by the Multistruder Arduino board. The speed will be (manually) set to hold constant tension onto the filament to get more consistent filament diameter thus better performance,” Mosbrucker adds.

An additional dimension control module will enable the Multistruder to even detect the diameter of the filament and automatically set the speed of the spooler motor to hold the tension for optimal results.

As its creators explain, “Instead of having a PID controller (which the prototype uses and a lot of other filament makers use) and buying a microcontroller for everything else, why not just have a Arduino do all of it?”

Are you looking to save money and cut out the middleman in the filament supply chain? Then head over to Multistruder’s Kickstarter campaign, where The Green Engineers team is currently seeking $6,000.

 

 

Maker turns an old Star Wars toy into a walking AT-AT

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This Star Wars fan transformed an old toy from the ‘80s into a remote-controlled AT-AT Walker with Arduino.

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What do you get when you combine an Arduino, an Adafruit Servo Shield, an Xbox 360 controller and a 1981 AT-AT Walker? A toy that Star Wars fans like Dave Stein have always dreamed about as kids.

“If you played with this toy growing up you will probably remember how clumsy it was and difficult to move around,” the software engineer by day, tinkerer by night writes.

With hopes of changing this, Stein decided to take his beat-up AT-AT, embed it with an Arduino Uno (ATmega328), and allow it to clumsily walk and perform other functions similar to those seen in the film.

Admittedly, there were some obstacles that the Maker had to first overcome, such as quadrupedal movement, learning how to program an Arduino, and not damaging the Kenner toy’s plastic components.

For control, Stein configured an Xbox 360 gamepad that interfaces with a computer and relays a signal to the Uno. This enables the modded AT-AT Walker to wander left and right, forwards and backwards, and even move its head horizontally. 

Did this awaken your Maker forces? If so, you can check out Stein’s entire project here, and see it in action below.

Evo-One is a sleek desktop CNC mill

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A ready-to-run CNC machine made for anyone.

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The desktop fabrication revolution is well underway, and joining the likes of several other impressive gadgety is Evo-One. The brainchild of MakerDreams, this sleek desktop 2.5D and 3D CNC milling machine lets you engrave, carve and cut very complex shapes with incredible precision on different kinds of materials like wood, plastic and metal.

With the burgeoning DIY movement in mind, Evo-One has been designed for everyone — from hobbyists to fab lab workers, and everyone in between. Its acrylic enclosure allows the machine to be used inside any room, garage or office, with no worries about dust or noise.

According to the Italian startup, you can bring your idea to life in just three simple steps: draw your project, select the material, and then let Evo-One’s open source software guide you through the process.

“Evo-One will create your project directly on the chosen material, letting you make a prototype, create or produce any item directly on your table. It will be like having a small mechanic’s workshop always with you,” the team explains.

Evo-One is said to work on everything from various plastics (acrylic, PVC, polyethylene, HDPE, Corian and Delrin), to woods (maple, mahogany, walnut, pine, MDF, plywood, balsa and cork) to some metals (aluminum, copper, brass, silver and gold). It can even be used on several composites such as circuit boards, glass fiber, carbon, linoleum, wax and foam.

Among its most notable features include an auto-zero touch plate and an emergency stop remote. Evo-One has a 14.5” x 8.6” x 4.7” (370mm x 2200mm x 120mm) working area along with a powerful spindle. This spindle is a single aluminum block with five ball bearings and a motor that cranks from 3,000 to 22,000 RPM with support for mills from 1mm to 7mm. Aside from that, the Arduino (ATmega328)-based device is equipped with a cooling fan for its upper part, a speed controller and some LEDs that illuminate inside.

Evo-One’s Cre-Mov software been created in order to execute any G-code and control your CNC mill in an intuitive way, all while previewing the process in real-time on your PC.

Sound like a desktop thingamajig for you? Head over to the Evo-One’s Kickstarter page, where MakerDreams has already well surpassed its $65,432 goal. Delivery is expected to get underway sometime this summer.

Adafruit Feather M0 Adalogger is an all-in-one Cortex-M0+ datalogger

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Adafruit’s latest board is a Feather M0 with a microSD holder.

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A few weeks ago, our friends at Adafruit revealed an all-in-one datalogger based on an ATmega32U4 clocked at 8MHz and at 3.3V logic, with 32K of Flash and 2K of RAM. Well as promised, the crew has unveiled yet another data reader, this time with an Cortex-M0+ core.

Similar to its AVR-powered sibling, the Feather M0 Adalogger is equipped with all the bells and whistles: built-in USB, battery charging and a microSD card holder. But instead of the ‘32U4, this board boasts an ATSAMD21G18 clocked at 48 MHz and at 3.3V logic. (If it sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the same MCU at the heart of the Arduino Zero!) It packs 256K of Flash (which is eight times more than the ‘328 or ‘32u4 if you were counting), 32K of RAM (16 times as much), and native USB support so it has USB-to-Serial program and debug capabilities already integrated with no need for an FTDI-like chip.

As Adafruit notes, they’ve gone ahed and added a connector for a 3.7V LiPo along with an integrated 100mA battery charger. However, the Adalogger can run just fine via microUSB.

“But, if you do have a battery, you can take it on the go, then plug in the USB to recharge. The Feather will automatically switch over to USB power when its available. We also tied the battery through a divider to an analog pin, so you can measure and monitor the battery voltage to detect when you need a recharge,” the team writes.

Measuring only 2.0″ x 0.9″ x 0.28” without headers soldered, the Feather weighs a bit over five grams. The board has plenty of pins (20 GPIO), with eight PWM and 10 analog inputs, four mounting holes, a power/enable pin and a reset button. Capitalizing on the little space that was left over, the Adalogger features a microSD slot for adding as much storage as desired and a green LED for your blinking pleasure.

The Feather M0 Adalogger comes fully assembled and tested, with a USB bootloader that lets you quickly use it with the Arduino IDE. Sound like the $21 Cortex-M0+ board for you? Head over to its official page. Meanwhile, stay tuned as Adafruit continues to reveal the newest members of the Feather family here.

 

Hacking a 3D printer to play air hockey

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This DIY project is puckin’ awesome!

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As a kid, there was always that one game — besides Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam and Street Fighter, of course — that seemed to captivate everyone’s attention while inside an arcade. Air hockey! Originally invented by a group of Brunswick Billiards engineers back in 1969, the two-player game features a puck, two goals and a frictionless surface.

However, there was always those times when you couldn’t find anyone else around to compete against. Fortunately, Maker Jose Julio recently decided to take it upon himself to alleviate that problem by creating an air hockey-playing robot using some readily available RepRap 3D printer parts, including an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) and RAMPS 1.4 board.

Additional key specs included a PS3 camera, NEMA17 stepper motors, motor drivers, belts, bearings and rods, along with some 3D-printed brackets, paddles and pucks, obviously. Meanwhile, the table itself was built from scratch with off-the-shelf wood and two standard 90mm PC fans to produce the necessary air pressure to lift the puck.

Julio used a three-motor design (two for the Y-axis, one for the X), and replaced the X-axis rods on the RepRap with carbon tubes, which seemed to work quite well on PLA-printed bushings and made the system lighter.

“I started studying the code of Marlin (typical RepRap firmware) software but I decided to start from scratch, first because I don’t need a G-code interpreter, and second, because the software of a 3D printer have a motion planning algorithm and this is not the way the Air Hockey robot must work,” the Maker explains. “3D printers plan movements for smooth paths through all the points. The Air Hockey Robot should move inmediately with every new command canceling the previous one, because what we need is that the robot moves as quickly as possible to the new position.”

How the robot works is fairly straightforward. fThe system employs a PS3 camera mounted above the table to monitor the puck, determine its trajectory and stop shots from an opponent. The PS3 Eye is also adjustable, which allows a user to determine the robot’s speed, acceleration and strategy algorithms. (That’s good news for sore losers, you can rig the game to guarantee the win…) This was made possible by connecting the camera to a PC running a vision system that he wrote using OpenCV libraries. This way, once the puck is detected, the location is sent to the Arduino by serial port.

Beyond that, Julio devised a trajectory prediction system and the robot’s air hockey strategy with the Arduino.

“Once we have detected the puck in two consecutive frames we can calculate the trajectory. The trajectory prediction takes into account that the puck can rebound against a side wall. All these calculations are accesible to the strategy subsystem that decides what the robot will do: defense, defense+attack, and preparing for a new attack,” he writes.

Ready to get your game on against your own Air Hockey Robot? You can head over to the Maker’s official page here, while its code, 3D designs and additional documentation can all be found on Github here.

Thimble delivers monthly DIY electronic kits to your door

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Birchbox is to beauty as Thimble is to DIY electronics. Build a new device every month! 

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The Maker Movement has taken off and diversified the past few years, igniting creativity and innovation in a community of people. For those new to it and interested in getting involved, it can be a bit daunting at first. There’s so much you can build, hack and tinker with, so where do you even start? Makers David Brenner and Oscar Pedroso saw this need, and created a solution to help guide and engage future makers without them feeling intimidated.

After meeting on Hacker News in December 2014, David and Oscar wanted to share their passion for the DIY crowd by finding a way to engage kids and adults in electronics. A year later, Thimble was conceived.

Thimble is a DIY kit accompanied by a learning app, which allows you to build a new electronic device each month. The team has developed a series of monthly kits that teaches users the fundamentals of electronics and how hardware and software come together, so they can innovate and invent from the comfort of their own home.

The first kit is a Wi-Fi-enabled robot, controlled by phone, tablet or laptop. The robot arrives with all the components needed to build the project and step-by-step tutorials on the learning app to guide you through the construction process. Additionally, the app provides a community of other Makers to share knowledge and best practices. By the time you finish making your Wi-Fi bot, you will have learned how to create an Android/iOS app that can move things, understand how electricity, motors and microcontrollers work, and have enough knowledge to try out your own ideas to improve the robot. You can achieve this regardless of your age or background knowledge.

At the heart of the robot is an Arduino. You can program its firmware to talk to the Wi-Fi module that comes with the kit. With it, the robot can receive commands over your wireless network and control the motors. Additional parts included in the kit are a printed circuit board, breadboard, wheels, battery holder, cable, terminal blocks, jumpers and more.

Looking ahead, other projects you could receive range from drones, to alarm clocks, to LED cubes, to light control devices for your home. If monthly shipments are too frequent, or you just want to try the first kit out, Thimble can deliver kits whenever you’d like them instead.

Ready to jumpstart your future as a Maker? Head over to the Thimble Kickstarter page, where David, Oscar and the team are seeking $25,000. You can expect to start building and tinkering when the first batch of units goes out for delivery on April 2016.

ONAGOfly is an auto-following, palm-sized drone

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This drone proves big things can come in small packages. 

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In today’s market, consumers have pretty much two choices: cheaper nano drones or larger, pricier quadcopters. ONAGOfly wants to be the best of both worlds. Not only does it let users capture high-res selfies and live-stream footage to their mobile devices, the palm-sized unit only costs $200.

This consumer-friendly drone boasts a safe design, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, and can be piloted right out of the box. It can be set to automatically follow you, or you can use its accompanying app to control the drone via Wi-Fi (up to a distance of 66 feet).

With its video game-inspired tilt control mode, ONAGOfly can be steered simply by turning its paired smartphone left and right, or up and down to fly higher and lower. Meanwhile, photos and videos can seamlessly sync to a user’s handheld gadget for instant sharing.

ONAGOfly can take off and land right from your hand, and be launched with the press of a button. The tiny UAV features built-in infrared sensors on all four sides, allowing it to avoid any potential collisions with obstacles in its way. Additionally, ONAGOfly’s GPS module enables it to automatically follow someone using the location of its connected smartphone as they run, snowboard, cycle, surf or whatever else.

According to company founder Sam Tsu, the mini ‘copter can be used by everyone of all ages and experience levels. This includes athletes, travelers, wedding planners and other drone enthusiasts.

In terms of its camera, ONAGOfly’s images and videos are being touted as comparable to that of an iPhone 6 (15MP photo and 1080P HD at 30fps video). With P2P streaming, users can watch footage in real-time from a remote device without delay. To maximize group photos, the drone can even recognize faces and detect smiles once all subjects are in the frame, and then snap the picture.

Thanks to a 1000mAh LiPo battery, users can expect around 12-15 minutes of flight time. The ONAGOfly weighs only 140 grams (0.3 pounds), and can reportedly maintain its position in wind speeds of up to 10.8 feet per second.

Interested? Head on over to ONAGOfly’s Indiegogo campaign, where the nano drone’s creators have already flown right by their goal of $150,000. Delivery is slated for February 2016.

This DIY meter will measure your creativity

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Transmission is a creativity measurement system comprised of a wristband and a desktop LED display.

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Ask any Maker or engineer, and they’ll all tell you the same thing: it’s too easy to get stuck overthinking your ideas and letting your wheels turn without making any progress on the task at hand. It’s crucial for us to get out of our own heads and sketch these concepts as they come. Although this requires plenty of practice, the more things that we jot down, the more we can create, and thus the better we can share our ideas.

Inspired by Craighton Berman’s Pencil Sharpener, SVA’s Products of Design program student Jenna Witzleben has come up with a slick way to measure creativity depending on how much you draw.

Transmission consists of two parts: a wristband that tracks your drawing and a wooden desktop display to monitor your progress. The wearable device accommodates any tool preference, whether that’s a pencil, a Sharpie market or even finger paint.

In terms of hardware, Witzleben employed an Adafruit FLORA (ATmega32U4) and an accelerometer along with a pair of XBee radios — one attached to the FLORA, another to an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) inside the tabletop tracker. The modules wirelessly communicate motion data to the creativity meter, which is embedded with NeoPixels that illuminate a series of bars based on output.

The bracelet is powered by a LiPo battery, while the LED display is driven by a 5V supply to a power jack and another supply to the Uno.

Intrigued? Head over to Witzleben’s page on Instructables, where you will find a detailed step-by-step overview of the page along with its customizable code. You can see it all in action below!

[h/t Adafruit]