Every Friday, we take a look at some of the smartest, most innovative projects that caught our attention on Kickstarter and Indiegogo over the last seven days.
This first-ever tennis wearable is equipped with an innovative multi-sensor and full body motion analysis to help you master complex movements, avoid injuries and conquer the competition. TuringSense is nearing its $75,000 goal on Indiegogo.
BLUEGUARD-E
This smart lock transforms your smartphone into a digital key, providing simple, affordable and real-time control over home access from anywhere in the world. Lark-Wi is currently seeking $80,000 on Kickstarter.
SunnyBAG Smart Battery
This smart power bank is capable of visualizing solar-generated energy and consumption, sharing your experiences on social media, receiving automatic theft alerts and even capturing selfies. SunnyBAG is close to doubling its $10,000 goal on Kickstarter.
This Arduino Uno-compatible board is based on the FTDI FT231X USB UART and delivers 5V at a full 1A without overheating. Fred Dart is currently seeking $2,257 on Kickstarter.
Every Friday, we take a look at some of the smartest, most innovative projects that caught our attention on Kickstarter and Indiegogo over the last seven days.
This collection of building blocks adds a layer of technology to make the old-school way of learning much cooler, and smarter. DXTR Labs is currently seeking $50,000 on Kickstarter.
This unit simply sticks to your keys, wallet, glasses, luggage, headphones or whatever else you don’t want to lose, and takes care of the rest for you. Wuvo is currently seeking $15,000 on Indiegogo.
This entirely programmable toy adds motion-activated sound effects to your LEGO and Mega Bloks projects. Eight-year-old Chase and his father Chuck Freedman are currently seeking $18,000 on Kickstarter.
This complete IoT kit includes all the hardware, software and cloud infrastructure necessary to quickly build a wireless system. Imagination Technologies just hit its $30,000 Kickstarter goal.
QTemp
This battery-free wearable weather station measures UV and temperature while displaying the safe sun time on your mobile device. Comfable Inc. is currently seeking $26,184 on Kickstarter.
This open source, 3D-printed, modular robotics platform is ideal for Makers looking to explore their imagination. Rocketship Systems is currently seeking $15,000 on Kickstarter.
DuoTrac
This portable, motion-tracking, sensor-laden device can analyze and help improve swing performance and footwork with its accompanying app. Coach Labs Inc. is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.
This beautifully-engineered, lightweight accessory allows your drone to automatically grab and lift small objects. Ben Kardoosh is currently seeking $7,514 on Kickstarter.
Tech the halls with these Atmel-powered gizmos and gadgets this holiday season.
If there’s one thing that all engineers and Makers love, it’s tech. With the holidays quickly approaching, trying to figure out what to get that enthusiast in your life can become quite stressful — well, fret not! From handheld and wearable devices, to smart home equipment, to DIY electronic kits, there’s plenty of cool (after all, they are powered by Atmel) gifts that won’t have you digging deep into your wallets. Even better, they can fit in a stocking! (Depending its size.)
With that in mind, here are 30 or so gadgets that are bound to make the techie in your life happy over the holidays. They’re all affordably priced, so your bank account will thank you, too.
Now, who wants to take a ‘stab’ at turning this off?
While some Makers like to think outside the box, others prefer to mount a servo-driven tentacle to a box. In what may surely be one of the most abstract (and dangerous) DIY gadgets of all-time, YouTuber “OutaSpaceMan” has developed a mechanism that flails a Swiss Army knife around in the air.
We all know what you’re wondering, why a knife bot? According to his video description, he built the device “to amuse those who may be bored. Just right now I think the world needs a laugh.”
The aptly named littleBits Arduino Knife-Wielding Tentacle consists of an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560), a littleBits Proto Module and a servo motor, which together create a mechanical arm that randomly slashes and stabs through the air. Meanwhile, the project is running the Blink Without Delay Arduino sketch.
Okay, so now the better question: How the heck do you turn this thing off? Kids, don’t try this at home.
Every Friday, we take a look at some of the smartest, most innovative projects that caught our attention on Kickstarter and Indiegogo over the last seven days.
Prometheus
This milling machine quickly carves, drills and shapes your PCBs so you don’t have to wait for a delivery truck. Zippy Robotics is currently seeking $95,000 on Kickstarter.
This smart home portal allows online shoppers to receive, return and manage their packages like never before. ComingSoon-Tech is currently seeking $25,000 on Indiegogo.
This intelligent wallet connects to your phone and sends you a notification wherever and whenever you leave it behind. Walli Wearables has hit its goal of $25,000 on Indiegogo.
Elephant Door
This security system can detect when someone’s attempting to break into your home before entry has been gained, and alerts you in the process. Elephant is currently seeking $40,000 on Kickstarter.
This beautifully-handcrafted clock automatically changes between three modes based on its position, giving you endless hours of vintage entertainment. Nuvitron is currently seeking $15,000 on Kickstarter.
This accessory enables you to play music with others live remotely, record professional-grade audio, broadcast video performances and more. JamKazam is currently seeking $20,000 on Kickstarter.
This connected basal body temperature thermometer syncs to your phone, tracks and predicts your cycle, and alerts you to important natural changes in your body. Snow Li has already achieved her goal of $35,000 on Indiegogo.
This network of 200 satellites equipped with temperatures sensors can detect wildfires and oil spills as they start. Quadra Pi R2E is currently seeking $280,000 on Kickstarter.
FLOW
This smart, filtered water bottle has the ability to tailor a unique personal hydration program depending on your age, height, weight, activity level and environmental conditions. FLOW is currently seeking $30,000 on Indiegogo.
LifePrint
This portable printer, along with an accompanying app and social network, enables you to create augmented reality pics, then instantly print them directly from your phone. LifePrint has stormed past its $30,000 Kickstarter goal.
This tabletop mini-arcade boasts microswitch controls, video and audio, all crammed into a portable form factor. Marcel J. de Haan is currently seeking $204,654 on Kickstarter.
This versatile LED light, which is no larger than an energy drink can, is capable of running at least eight hours on a single charge. Ape Labs is currently seeking $26,583 on Kickstarter.
CAT Clutch
This chic bag displays LED pixel art which can be changed via a companion mobile app to show off your style, while still holding lipstick and charging your phone. C.A.T. is currently seeking $20,000 on Kickstarter.
Every Friday, we take a look at some of the smartest, most innovative projects that caught our attention on Kickstarter and Indiegogo over the last seven days.
PowerUp FPV
This first-of-its-kind paper airplane drone is equipped with a livestreaming camera so you can experience flight as if you were sitting in the cockpit. PowerUp Toys is about to double its $100,000 goal on Kickstarter.
Auroma Brew
This coffee machine learns your taste preferences over time and adjusts brewing parameters to craft a cup ‘o joe perfectly tailored to you. Auroma Brewing Company is currently seeking $100,000 on Kickstarter.
This set of small nodes form a radio-frequency sensing web that travels through walls and furniture to detect and locate people inside your home. XANDEM is currently seeking $100,000 on Indiegogo.
This router covers your home with a strong, reliable Wi-Fi signal using wireless mesh, and boasts a new layer of security for your smart devices such as webcams and thermostats. Innovation Labs is currently seeking $650,000 on Indiegogo.
This global array of network-connected monitoring stations is focused on continuous environmental surveillance with hopes of increasing awareness on pollution and improving your well-being. Radu Motisan is currently seeking $10,000 on Indiegogo.
This nifty device prints pictures, art, emojis and images directly onto your fingernails in less than five seconds via your smartphone. Preemadonna is currently seeking $150,000 on Indiegogo.
MATRIX
This sensor-laden gadget allows you to create and download a multitude of IoT applications, which range from controlling the temperature of your home to monitoring your business after-hours. AdMobilize is currently seeking $100,000 on Kickstarter.
Wistiki
This collection of four connected devices help you find your most frequently lost items using its accompanying mobile app. Philippe Starck is currently seeking $100,000 on Indiegogo.
This wearable enables you and your loved one to experience each other’s presence by sending the sound of your real-time heartbeat to a speaker under your partner’s pillow. Little Riot is currently seeking $113,031 on Kickstarter.
This all-sufficient computer analyzes vehicle data and a driver’s behavior, then sends the information to a personal cloud account for storage and visualization. UonMap is currently seeking $22,643 on Kickstarter.
This beautifully-constructed aluminum MacBook dock provides a USB Type-C charging port, four USB slots and a MiniDisplay jack. Branch USB has reached its $25,000 goal on Kickstarter.
Element1
This smartwatch for athletic and everyday activities comes in vibrant colors along with a music player, a heart rate monitor, GPS and messenger capabilities. Number One is currently seeking $80,736 on Kickstarter.
Pixel Vision
This handmade, portable game system is made from solid walnut and emulates classic consoles like the NES, Atari 2600 and Game Boy. Love Hultén is currently seeking $46,112 on Kickstarter.
This accessory measures your body fat and muscle quality, providing you with tailored fitness advice for optimal workouts. Skulpt is currently seeking $100,000 on Indiegogo.
iTouch ID
This super small fingerprint scanner protects your laptop, computer and tablet from any unauthorized users behind the solid wall of hardware and reliable software. iTouch ID is currently seeking $47,878 on Kickstarter.
This toy encourages children to connect cubes together and bring them to life, while learning electronics in a fun and simple way. iQube is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.
meeperBOTS
This sensor-connected motor snaps onto your existing LEGO vehicles and pairs with its mobile app, putting control in the palm of your hand. Meeper Technologies is currently seeking $20,000 on Kickstarter.
Pocket Party
This pocket-sized, expandable Bluetooth speaker brings together incredibly powerful and bass-enhanced sound with a music-synced light show. 7×24 Technologies Inc. is currently seeking $15,000 on Indiegogo.
Did you know that 80% of the 2015 Hackaday Prize finalists are powered by Atmel? With only days left until we learn which project will walk away with this year’s crown, we recently sat down with each of the potential winners to get to know them better.
The problem that LUKA EV is attempting to solve is a rather big one. Mindful that internal combustion engine cars pump billions of tons of pollutants into the atmosphere each year, this group of Makers has set out to devise an open source platform that’ll unlock the possibility for cost-competitive, all-electric automobiles to be built and sold locally, on a global scale. The brainchild of MW Motors, the electric vehicle — which should land somewhere in the ballpark of $22,445 when all is said and done — is capable of achieving top speeds of around 80 mph and a range of over 185 miles. Although the concept of an e-car is a far cry from new, using in-wheel hub motors to power it isn’t so ordinary.
What’s more, this project will introduce a revolutionary technology to the production line, reducing weight and eliminating a great deal of unnecessary parts along the way. LUKA EV will feature head, side, indicator and brake lights, door handles, wing mirrors, windshield wipers and everything else you’d find on its more conventional counterparts. As for charging, it can be plugged into any household wall socket and juiced back up in a few hours.
We had the chance to sit down with MW Motors founder Maurice Ward to get his thoughts on the project, the Hackaday Prize and what the future has in store for the groundbreaking platform.
Atmel: What is LUKA EV?
Maurice Ward: The LUKA EV is an attempt to build the first highway capable electric car driven by in-wheel hub motors.
Atmel: How did you come to the idea for such a vehicle? Moreover, what inspired you to enter the contest with your project?.
MW: We’ve been curious for a while about why no one has made a car using in-wheel hub motors. And the mission of the Hackaday Prize matched perfectly with our philosophy: we want to “build things that matter,” particularly in the so-called green space.
Atmel: Speaking about the Hackaday Prize’s theme, how are you hoping LUKA EV changes the world?
MW: The goal with LUKA EV is to prove that electric cars can compete with Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars with no subsidies. If a group of Makers can build a production car that can compete well with established auto manufactures in terms of price and quality, we will be able to demonstrate that our concept has merit. Aside from that, open sourcing pretty much everything allows anyone to follow along, and if what we do works, anyone can set up a production site in their shed — or build a massive factory — and easily replicate our process. If hub motors work, cars will be fundamentally lighter. This matters. Lightness is critical. Getting EU certification will ensure that our documentation is of such a high standard that Makers, designers and car enthusiasts alike will be able to use the instructions and construct cars on the platform themselves.
Atmel: What’s different about LUKA EV’s process opposed to those employed by car manufactures? What’s your vision for the next five years? Where do you see the project going or what/who would you hope will pick up the project and use it?
MW: As eluded to above, it’s the world’s first production car that utilizes in-wheel hub motors — that’s pretty different. In the next five years, our vision is to not only reveal that the method works, but to become EU certified and eventually sell some vehicles. Once that’s achieved, we hope many other people will begin building the car or others based on the LUKA platform. The more people that create a car and share it on the platform, the better it will get. We hope big car makers do something similar. Our mission is for electric cars to compete on a level playing field with an ICE car; as a result, the e-car should be as good as and as affordable as today’s common set of wheels.
We do not mind if individuals, small companies or major multinationals copy our ideas. We hope everyone is inspired by our project. We have already proven that a car can be designed, built and made highway legal in under a year for very little money. Everyone said that was impossible. We are not just making cars, we are proving that anything is still possible with a minimal budget yet rich in commitment. Great things can still come out of sheds even if governments do their best to tilt everything toward big organizations.
Atmel: As we know, the Maker Movement has opened the door for everyone from hobbyists to tech enthusiasts to hardcare engineers to tinker around. What’s your personal background?
MW: Personally, I have owned a company for the last 20 years. It does diverse things, primarily warehousing and transportation but some transformational manufacturing as well. My experience has shown me that it’s difficult to do anything in big companies. “The organization” (in general) is great at some things. However, bringing a good idea to life quickly is not something an organization is particularly good at. This is especially true if the idea happens to be something large, such as a car.
There is a team of people involved with the LUKA EV. In addition to myself, there are four guys who work at the IT department in my company, each of whom have donated their time to the project. Various other employees and friends have also contributed their time, ideas and expertise. We have now employed one full-time person and one contractor to work full-time on the project.
Atmel: What are some of the core pieces of hardware embedded?
MW: Well being that it’s a car, there’s a lot of hardware! The chassis, the body, the battery pack, the in-wheel hub motors, steering, suspension, brakes, the list goes on. Much of our work has been spent designing and creating the control systems for the various bits of hardware. For example, the BSM we designed uses 16 Arduino Pro Minis (ATmega328).
Atmel: What hardware products or projects are you also building at the moment?
MW: In addition to the LUKA EV, we are working on four other projects. A wind turbine, a solar generator, a foldable ocean freight container and a graphene super capacitor. All projects (bar the super caps) are described on Hackaday.io.
Atmel; Why pick Atmel chips?
MW: They were the obvious choice. We have years of positive experience working with Arduino. It is a very good starting point. It is an easy way to get great results quickly.
Atmel: What advice would you offer other Makers when getting into hardware and embarking on a new project?
MW: The number one thingis to have fun. Any other advice really depends on the project you’re involved in. If it’s just for enjoyment, just make sure you have fun. If you;re setting out to make an actual product that may be sold someday, think about the end game before you start. Think about hard things like certification. Think about serial or mass production. You need to design a product for mass production. Designing a functional prototype that has not considered for mass production means you have to start at the very beginning again if you want to actually produce it. Oh, and…. Have a budget and stick to it! Projects can get terribly expensive.
Aside from that, be inclusive and try to build a team. Yet, keep in mind that someone has to have the vision and be the leader or else nothing will ever happen. Teams sometime just mean a talking shop. Remember: building is about doing stuff, not talking about stuff!
Also, jot down a list of objectives before embarking on the project. Stick to them like they are a religion. If yo let one slip, suddenly they all slip… Getting a project finished is more about project management than about your actual building skills. Do not pay too much attention to negative comments online. Most of these come from people who have never made anything before. Just know that whatever it is you are doing, it is likely that someone thinks what you are doing is amazing. Do the project for you and for those who think it is amazing — even if that is just one other person!
Atmel: Any plans to launch a startup and perhaps even take to Kickstarter/Indiegogo?
MW: We definitely won’t be launching a Kickstarter or any other crowdfunding campaign. We are not looking for any investors at this time. However, we have already started a company. Another project goal is to show that things can be done on a shoestring budget. We certainly do not want to spend other peoples money. We have seen too many car projects that burn through hundreds of millions with no results. We will prove that cars can be built and sold without the need for massive equity, and will do so without any debt. Whatever we do will be done with our own money — and hopefully with some Hackady prize money!
Atmel: We couldn’t have planned that segue if we tried. So, if you do win the grand prize, are heading to space or taking the cash?!
MW: We have to take the cash. Cash will be used to ensure that the platform can be maintained for years to come.
Atmel: Anything else you want to tell us and our followers?
MW: The knowledge of the entire world is available to you via the Internet. Our car build would have been impossible without it. The body of our car came from Gaming. We bought a 3DS file for USD $100. That was the body fully designed in 3D. That probably saved us two years and possibly millions of dollars in design costs. The web allowed us find off-the-shelf suppliers of almost all components implemented in the LUKA EV. Suppliers from all over the globe are now available at the touch of a button. We’re lucky that we have 3D printers, welding, FRP, hardware and software skills. But, even if you do not, all these things can be found in seconds with a simple Google search. If you know nothing about a topic, you can be up to speed in a day even on complex topics just be reading all the scientific data that is freely available. In other words, the web enables normal people in sheds access to information and a supply chain that multinational companies could only have dreamed about 30 years ago. The Internet makes everything possible and it takes away all the excuses.
HaD should be encouraged. I see governments all over the world funding research. Some of the papers I read that are the result of hundreds of millions of dollars in “collaborative research” are a little sad. The research takes five years and the result is that they conducted a bunch of surveys, and possibly did some deeply scientific, non-practical research. I wonder what would happen if the Maker community got support like that? I hope more and more people join Hackaday, as it will help improve basic skills and set the stage for everyday people showcase the things they can make.
Did you know that 80% of the 2015 Hackaday Prize finalists are powered by Atmel? With only days left until we learn which project will walk away with this year’s crown, we recently sat down with each of the potential winners to get to know them better.
A finalist in this year’s Hackaday Prize, FarmBot is a prime example of how the DIY Movement can make a long and ever-lasting impact on our world. The brainchild of mechanical engineer and social entrepreneur Rory Aronson, the project is an open source CNC farming machine that hopes to one day make an open food future more accessible to everyone. Using a web-based application, users can graphically design their farm or garden to their desired specifications by dragging and dropping plants into a map, as if it were a game of FarmVille. Other features include storing and manipulating data maps, a decision support system to facilitate data driven design, access to an open plant data repository, and real-time control and logging.
We recently had the chance to sit down with Aronson to learn more about the project, his inspiration and what the future holds following the Hackaday Prize.
Atmel: What is FarmBot?
RA: FarmBot is an open source CNC farming machine and software package designed for small-scale precision food production. Similar to 3D printers and CNC milling machines, FarmBot hardware employs linear guides in the X, Y and Z directions. This allows for tooling such as seed injectors, watering nozzles, sensors and weed removal tools to be precisely positioned and used on the plants and soil.
FarmBot is controlled by an Arduino/RAMPS stack and an Internet-connected Raspberry Pi 2. The hardware is designed to be simple, scalable, hackable and easily produced.
Atmel: How did you come to the idea for FarmBot? Moreover, what inspired you to enter the contest with your project?
RA: The idea for FarmBot came to me while I was taking an agriculture class in college. One day, a guest lecturer and farmer spoke to us about his newest tractor — one that used a camera and computer vision system to detect and remove weeds. I thought it was pretty cool, but also viewed the system as a band-aid solution. Rather than building something new from the ground up, the agriculture hardware industry is tacking precision systems into historically imprecise tractors at an immense cost. What’s more, there is virtually no equipment available to empower small-scale food producers. This is where FarmBot comes in as a low-cost, small-scale, precision-first system.
In these early days, FarmBot needs a community to become early adopters and help build the open-source technology core. This is why we are on Hackaday — to rally a community that believes in our vision of an open food future, where the consumer is control of the food production process.
Atmel: In line with the Hackaday Prize’s theme, how are you hoping FarmBot changes the world? What’s the mission?
RA: The FarmBot Project vision is to create an open and accessible technology aiding everyone to grow food and to grow food for everyone. In order to achieve this vision, our mission is to establish a community that produces free and open source hardware plans, software, data and documentation enabling everyone to build and operate a farming machine.
Atmel: What’s your vision for FarmBot over the next five years? Where do you see it going? Who would you hope will pick up the project and use it?
RA: Over the next five years, I hope for FarmBot to take a similar path as the RepRap project, where there will be an explosion of innovation from thousands of individuals and entrepreneurs who hack FarmBot technology to work for them, engineer better hardware, write more software features and build more companies that cater FarmBot to the masses.
Atmel: As we know, the Maker Movement has opened the door for everyone from hobbyists to tech enthusiasts to hardcare engineers to tinker around. What’s your personal background?
RA: I grew up tinkering and building myself. I definitely identify as a Maker. As far as technical background goes, I studied mechanical engineering at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Atmel: Why pick Atmel (and Arduino) chips?
RA: We chose to use an Arduino as FarmBot’s microcontroller primarily because of the community support — most Makers are familiar with Arduino from other projects. We chose the Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) specifically because it pairs nicely with the popular RAMPS shield from the 3D printing world, which includes all of the features that we needed in a driver board.
Atmel: What advice would you offer other Makers when getting into hardware and embarking on a new project?
RA: Do a lot of research on the different hardware available. Everything has tradeoffs, especially when it comes to compatibility with other components. Strongly consider how large and active the community is behind the hardware you choose. I often find that a more popular hardware product is a better choice than the ‘better’ hardware product.
Hardware development is often stifled by the time it takes to ship physical goods like screws, raw materials, tools, and electronics. If you have the budget available, go on a shopping spree! Buy more than you think you need, and get a variety of components that you can play with, even if you don’t think you need them. Simply holding the materials in your hands will lead to new ideas that you would not have had staring at a CAD model or product photos.
Atmel: As you know, we love to help entrepreneurs take their ideas from the MakerSpace to MarketPlace, so we’re wondering… any plans to launch a startup and perhaps even take FarmBot to Kickstarter?
RA: Yes! In addition to creating community resources for the FarmBot Project community, I have started a company, FarmBot.io. We are planning on launching the first ever FarmBot kits on Kickstarter in 2016. FarmBot Genesis is 1.5m wide and 3m in length, perfect for getting started in a small space. Meanwhile, Genesis XL is 3m and 6m in length and capable of growing four times the food of its small sibling.
Atmel: And, we’ve got to ask. If you win, are you heading to space or taking the cash?!
RA: Cash! As fun as space would be, I’m pretty certain I’ll be going in the future when the price comes down. In the meantime, the cash prize will help me bring FarmBot to the masses more quickly.
Did you know that 80% of the 2015 Hackaday Prize finalists are powered by Atmel? With only days left until we learn which project will walk away with this year’s crown, we recently sat down with each of the potential winners to get to know them better.
As a result of California’s latest drought situation, farmers are finding themselves cutting back on water consumption. The same goes for growers harvesting crops with relatively low water requirements, such as wine grapes. And while the IoT has yielded a number of H2O-conscious smart irrigation devices into the agricultural market, California vineyard-owner Reinier van der Lee has taken a DIY approach by developing a sensor-driven conservation system. Impressively, he was able to save 25 percent, or 430,000 gallons, of irrigation water resulting in a cost reduction of $1,925 — not too shabby for a platform that only cost roughly $600 to implement.
Atmel: What is Vinduino?
Reinier van der Lee: The Vinduino project (Vineyard + Arduino) develops low-cost, easy-to-build and rugged tools for optimizing agricultural irrigation, helping to save at least 25% irrigation water. Project deliverables to date include DIY gypsum soil moisture sensors, a handheld reader and a remote sensor platform for continuous monitoring of soil moisture. There is ongoing development and collaboration to optimize and automate irrigation.
Atmel: What inspired you to start the Vinduino project?
RL: The Vinduino project started out of necessity to make the irrigation in our Temecula vineyard more efficient. We had irrigation managed by our vineyard management company. They decided when and how long to irrigate. My concern, apart from the labor cost, was that I had no control over water use in another year of severe drought.
Atmel: Moreover, what inspired you to enter the contest with your project?
RL: Due to the continuing drought in California, measures were implemented to restrict urban water use. For example, you can only wash your car at a carwash, and lawn sprinklers are restricted to three times per week. I realized that agricultural use of available irrigation water is five times more than urban use (8 million acre feet for urban use versus 42 million acre feet for agriculture). Subsequently, saving on agricultural irrigation is much more effective.
Although I was already sharing Vinduino details on my vineyard blog, entering the contest helps my goal to promote to a wider audience and find more opportunities for collaboration.
Atmel: In line with the Hackaday Prize’s theme, how are you hoping Vinduino changes the world? What’s the mission?
RL: Drought is a global problem. 36 countries are in a permanent state of drought, and global warming is likely to make things worse.
This project provides the tools and lessons-learned to make agricultural irrigation more efficient. The data we collected in our vineyard shows that 25% saving is achievable, while maintaining crop production. Entry level setup is a handheld reader and a couple of gypsum sensors. Assuming high volume production, total cost can be kept to less than $25.
Being able to save this much water at such a low cost has the benefit of making Vinduino applicable regardless of the socio-economic circumstances. In fact, poor farmers in India can benefit just as much from this project as gentleman winegrowers in California.
Atmel: Surely, Vinduino isn’t the first water-conscious conservation system out there… what makes it different? What’s your vision for the next five years? Where do you see Vinduino going or what/who would you hope will pick up the project and use it?
RL: During this project we collected sufficient data points to show that the savings potential was indeed realized. Soil moisture projects for Arduino are abundant. However, Chinese-made moisture sensors do not survive very long in the field. I came up a gypsum sensor that uses stainless steel electrodes. They are simple to build, low cost, and most of all, have proven longevity.
Another Vinduino improvement is measuring soil moisture at different levels, in and below the root zone. This setup allows you to manage irrigation water to stay within the root zone, not drain below the roots where it is off no use to the plants, thus further increasing irrigation efficiency.
I found that my gypsum sensors, and the same is true for commercial Watermark sensors, can produce their own voltage (concentration cell effect), causing a misreading of moisture level on the Arduino. I have not seen this reported before, and have changed the reader interface to cancel this effect out.
With improved irrigation efficiency, there is a risk of salt deposit in the root zone. Increased soil salinity is sometimes called “silent killer”, as it can significantly affect plant health and reduce crop production. The Vinduino handheld meter can also be used as a soil and water salinity meter. Best of all, it only requires header pins for salinity probe electrodes; additional cost for adding salinity measurement is only a few cents.
Understanding irrigation during a plant growing cycle takes time. Collecting more data and collaboration will provide more insight and ideas for further optimization. The next step is to provide a “ready to use” agricultural irrigation management solution that can be implemented fast and easy. Being a finalist in the Hackaday Prize is already a head turner and will hopefully open doors to design and manufacturing opportunities.
Atmel: As we know, the Maker Movement has enabled everyone from hobbyists to tech enthusiasts to hardcore engineers to tinker around. What’s your personal background?
RL: I am educated in electronics and avionics engineering. However, early in my career I decided to pursue product marketing. Too many interests for one single lifetime; ham radio, computers, winemaking, grape growing, Arduino and I used to play bass guitar.
Atmel: What are some of the core pieces of hardware embedded?
RL: The Arduino Pro Mini (ATmega328) is the core component of my project. The Vinduino handheld reader is basically an Arduino and a display. For connectivity, I use the popular ESP8266 Wi-Fi module, and for long range, I like using the Appcon modules. To keep average power consumption low, I employed a RTC module to wake up the Arduino from deep sleep.
Atmel: What hardware products or projects are you also building at the moment?
RL: The Vinduino project is not done. There is ongoing development and collaboration to optimize and automate irrigation. Currently, I consider using an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) and Electric Imp as the central node for multiple vineyard measurement and irrigation controller nodes.
Atmel: Why pick Atmel (and Arduino) chips?
RL: Many companies try to make products for the Maker community, but only a few “get it” like Atmel. I am hardware oriented, and only just recently became capable of writing C++ code for the Arduino. I would not have been able to be where I am today with this project, if there had not been a supportive community with forums and solution examples to learn from.
Atmel: What advice would you offer other Makers when getting into hardware and embarking on a new project?
RL: My answer is basically the same as the one to the previous question. It’s important to pick a development platform with a supportive community and open source hardware, so competition keeps costs at a reasonable level. Especially for sensor projects where you do not need measurement updates every second, go for a power efficient solution rather than powerful processors.
Atmel: Any plans to launch a startup and perhaps even take to Kickstarter/Indiegogo?
RL: If there’s any lesson to be learned from making it to the top 10 of both Hackaday Prize and Hackaday Best Product category, it is that you should aim for the moon to make it into space. So yes, I am not dismissing anything. I am openminded and excited about future opportunities to further develop the Vinduino Project.
Atmel: And… if you win, will you be heading to space or taking the cash?!
RL: Winning a trip to Shenzen sounds already good to me. Anything beyond that, I’ll make that decision when I get there.
Atmel: Anything else you want to tell us and our followers?
RL: Participating in the Hackaday Prize has been an awesome journey. Thanks to the contest, this project transformed from a vague idea to improve irrigation for my own purpose, to a clearly defined project that has the potential for improving many lives. As a result, the goal of achieving water savings became more important than the means (getting the project to work technically), making the project more meaningful.
Every Friday, we’re taking a look at some of the smartest, most innovative projects that caught our attention on Kickstarter and Indiegogo over the last seven days.
This new 3D-printed headset and Arduino-compatible, programmable board wants to make biosensing accessible to everyone. OpenBCI is currently seeking $50,000 on Kickstarter.
This DIY kit is built around an ATmega32U4-based board specifically designed for wearable projects, spanning from rudimentary circuits to more complex gadgetry. STEM Center USA is currently seeking $30,000 on Kickstarter.
This Arduino-compatible, 8-bit MIDI synth enables you to create Nintendo, C64 and Amiga-style chiptune music. Arcano Systems is currently seeking $2,00 on Kickstarter.
This elegant device is designed to help encourage you to make time for your side projects and establish a balance in your life. Chap Ambrose is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.
VRGO
This chair provides an immersive and responsive virtual reality experience through hands-free movement at the touch of a button. Joe Ryan is currently seeking $30,864 on Kickstarter.
nCube
This hub and app gives you a single point of control for all your smart home devices with unique privacy and flexibility. Philip Steele is currently seeking $38,591 on Kickstarter.
This autonomous indoor garden offers the perfect growing conditions for any type of plant and guarantees a sizable harvest, all year round. Véritable is currently seeking $55,150 on Kickstarter.
kGoal Boost
This bicycle seat-shaped tracker is sat upon to help you perform Kegel exercises and monitor progress along the way via an accompanying app. Minna Life is currently seeking $100,000 on Kickstarter.
Klikr
This small module sticks onto or sits right next to any infrared remote controlled electronic product, making it almost instantly controllable from your smartphone.
This smart messenger bag features a wireless power supply for your mobile gadgets along with rechargeable LEDs for nighttime visibility. WiTology is currently seeking $46,297 on Kickstarter.
Tingbot
This platform enables Makers to transform their Raspberry Pi into creative applications, ranging from retro game emulators to MIDI controllers to smart home hubs. Tingbot is currently seeking $61,746 on Kickstarter.
This headband allows you to enjoy the present moment while capturing photos and videos for later with its HD camera. 3RDiTEK is currently seeking $250,000 on Indiegogo.
