This versatile, AVR-based board allows users to easily program their own home automation systems.
Though the number of smart home devices continue to rise, a number of consumers still remain a bit hesitant in shelling out the big bucks to automate their homes. Instead, many Makers have already begun to devise connected in-house gadgets using easy-to-use platforms like Arduino and Raspberry Pi. With this in mind, one Miami-based startup has launched a Kickstarter campaign for an ATmega328P based board that looks to help streamline the process for Makers looking to install home automations of their own using the Arduino IDE.
Created by the GarageLab team, the aptly-named Automation Board packs a wide range of features including relay triggering, Wi-Fi, Internet connectivity, various sensors, as well as RS-485 communication. The extremely versatile platform is entirely compatible with the Arduino Uno, and offers all of the necessary resources one would require to create a smart home system.
With its power source soldered onto the unit itself, the device is charged from the electrical grid with voltages between 100 to 240VAC and 50-60Hz, making it adaptable to any grid around the globe. It also has four relays to trigger alarms, electronic locks, fans, lamps or any other compatible load.
Knowing all too well that connecting sensors can be a tedious task for Makers, the Automation Board was designed to expedite the process. Meaning, the pins that are ready to link to a sensor can be either digital or analog, and include 5V and ground. This lets users attach several kinds of sensors, ranging from an IR sensor to create communication with a TV remote or motion to trigger an alarm.
Similar to the incredibly popular Arduino platform, the Automation Board offers tremendous expandability through the use of shields. What’s more, the platform allows for RS-485 connection, ideal for applications in industrial automation systems or in settings with electromagnetic interference. It should be pointed out that users will be able to utilize spcific programs to integrate with existing professionals systems as well.
Through its dedicated headers for XBee modules, Makers will be able to connect as many Automation Boards as they wish to a network. Beyond that, they can wirelessly communicate with a PC via a simple XBee Dongle USB, or even access their automation system over the web using a SparkFun WiFly module.
“In order to make your system even more versatile, we’ve created this ‘Sidekick’ board as a very interesting accessory. It’s compact and can be powered directly from the electrical grid as it has connectors for XBee and 2 relays,” the GarageLab crew writes. “This board can be controlled by signals sent from an Automation Board, allowing it to trigger distant loads through a wireless network. You will be able to use as many ‘Sidekicks’ as you wish, triggering several charges in a same wireless installation.”
Finally, there’s a Bluetooth sign that tells your coworkers when you’re busy.
Every office has that one guy. He walks around the floor, gazing into each cubicle, looking to spark a conversation. Not before long, he glances your way, makes eye contact and begins to head in your direction. As he approaches, he utters the infamous words, “It’ll be quick.” However, let’s face it, it’s never quick. An hour later, not only has he drained you of your creative energy, but you just lost 60 minutes of productivity.
With open workspaces on the rise, it’s important for companies to maintain in-office efficiency. Chances are, that by now, you’ve seen the movie, The Social Network. Recall the scene when Eduardo Saverin (played by Andrew Garfield) approaches an unresponsive Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), only to learn from Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) that he’s “wired in?”
For years, headphones like those worn by Zuckerberg in the flick were pretty clear indication that someone didn’t want to be bothered. However, thanks to one Salt Lake City-based startup, the universal sign for “I’m in the zone” will literally a sign that reads “I’m in the zone” — or whatever you would like.
The device, which is aptly-dubbedWired In, works exactly how it seems: When you want to focus on a task at hand, turn on your sign and eliminate unwanted distractions. When powered, the acrylic lights up with a series of LED lights in your favorite color, sending a clear busy signal to those around you. Once turned off, it blends right into your workspace.
Wired In features a sleek aluminum base with rounded edges and a clear replaceable laser-etched acrylic sign. What’s nice is that the signs are completely customizable. Not only can you change the color of the light, you can replace the acrylic message as well. While it comes with standard sayings like “On Air,” “Wired In” and “In the Zone,” users are encouraged to come up with their own clever text or even upload a vector image to be etched into the sign (keep in mind, this is the portion that is illuminated). Ultimately, this lets owners explore their imagination and be as unique as their own personality!
The much-needed piece — which is the brainchild of Maker trio Josh Howland, Caleb Hicks, Andrew Madsen — was devised to sit nicely on your desk without taking up too much space. Because after all, that would be a distraction in itself. The base measures about 238mm x 48mm x 25mm, while the sign adds about another 80mm in height. Wired In will come in a few different versions: one that is powered by USB connection, another by rechargeable batteries. However, for its initial model, the gadget is juiced up by a pair of AA batteries. Unlike the others, though, this one lacks any connectivity or integrations. Simply turn it on and off like a lamp.
Wired In is equipped with a fully open-soure Arduino controller and Bluetooth 4.0 which allows it to sync with any other BLE device, such as a Mac, an iPad or an iPhone. What’s more, the gadget integrates with everything from a mobile remote app to the newly-launched Apple Watch to third-party services like IFTTT and Slack. Users can easily control their sign with its accompanying iOS app, and with REST API, developers can create their own programs. The sign also works with iBeacons, which for example, enable you to brighten your sign as you approach your desk.
At the moment, pilot signs have already been implemented in a number of offices, from Walmart to Adobe. (Maybe soon Atmel?) Want one of your own? Head over to Wired In’s official Kickstarter campaign, where the team is currently seeking $25,000. Shipment is slated for November 2015.
As an engineer, or any geek for that matter, there’s just something in our DNA that requires us to become a die-hard Star Wars fan. And while many of us may pay homage to the George Lucas franchise on a regular basis, May 4th has emerged over the years as a full-fledged “unofficial” holiday — especially with the advent of the Internet, social media and other grassroots celebrations. Plus, the occasion couldn’t come at a better time as we eagerly await the upcoming trilogy.
According to its origin story recognized by Lucasfilm, and as legend has it, the phrase was first used on May 4, 1979 — the day Margaret Thatcher took office as UK prime minister. The Conservative party allegedly placed an ad in the London Evening News which read, “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.” Since then, movie buffs from all over the world have come together to honor everyone’s favorite space saga set in a galaxy far, far away.
Some things go together like peanut butter and jelly. Star Wars and the DIY crowd is one of them. From Makers rigging their own R2-D2s to hacking their own BB-8 droids to 3D printing their own lightsabers, we’ve highlighted some memorable out-of-this-world projects.
While you’ve likely already created your very own Imperial Army of miniature Stormtroopers with a 3D printer, many of you probably haven’t rigged that same machine to play their anthem. Reddit user “silviustro” decided to trick his Printrbot Simple Metal into performing quite a spectacular rendition of the theme song by converting a MIDI file into a G-code that the device could easily understand.
When industrial designer Christian Poulsen first laid eyes on the adorable ball rolling around, it didn’t take long before he realized that he needed to build a BB-8 of his own. And what better way to accomplish that feat than by employing an AVR powered Sphero 1.0. The Maker divided the rolling robot with a hacksaw, used polyurethane foam surfaced with spackle for its head and added a neodymium magnet disc to connect the two halves. From there, the only other thing left was to don its exterior with an empire-approved paint job.
Winters can be brutal. Having to wear multiple layers to keep warm can be annoying. However, if you’re going to have to do so, you might as well do it in style. That’s why a Maker by the name of “Malarky” developed a Chewbacca coat that sounds the saga’s infamous tune whenever its collar is flipped up and turns off when put back down. The wearable piece is based on an Arduino Lilypad (ATmega328) along with a light sensor, a small LiPo battery, a few feet of conductive thread and a LilyPad buzzer that serves as its speaker.
As a followup to his Millenium Falcon project that went viral, French RC hobbyist “Olivier C” crafted yet another quadcopter — this one inspired by the TIE Interceptor from Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. The build, which the Maker says took just about 15 hours to complete, actually consists of a light, foam insulate shell placed over a custom-built, ATmega2560 powered drone. In the end, Olivier had removed the transmitter, GPS system and GoPro camera from the copter to achieve its authentic look, while at least 14 propellers were sacrificed for the cause by the time it was done.
The brainchild of Christopher Connell, this ambient Darth Vader poster can wirelessly react to music playing in a room with various LED color-changing effects. Comprised of chrome and black paint, flooring underlayment and some other traditional art supplies, the 4’ x 5’ piece is embedded with an Arduino Uno (ATmega328), a sound impact sensor, three MOSFETs, three 220k Ohm resistors, an LED strip, a pair of mini breadboards and a 12V battery pack.
While countless 3D printable lightsabers may have already been available for download online, France-based Le FabShop figured it was time to make one that would be completely customizable. And so, the team devised their own modular system that opens the door to hundreds of lightsaber configurations from Yoda’s to Darth Maul’s to the latest “crossguard” design.
Julius von Brunk has pieced together a full-size replica of Han Solo’s iconic blaster using nothing but 400-plus LEGO bricks and an Arduino Uno (ATmega328). The slick gadget is equipped with a fully-functional trigger that sets off the DL-44’s lights and sounds, which of course are made possible with the Arduino.
As part of last year’s Star Wars Day festivities, John Edgar Park of DisneyToon Studios designed a Stormtrooper helmet music box. Dubbed the Imperial Melody Discharger, the Maker’s creation was based on an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) with a prototyping shield, some soldered cable interconnects, a piezo buzzer and a Pololu Pushbutton Power Switch for power management. To perfect his build, Park programmed the Uno with a small sketch that instructed the board to wait for a button press, open the right half then the left half of the mask, play the Imperial March theme on the piezo buzzer and close the two mask halves.
Up until now, most of us Star Wars fans could only stare wistfully at the holocron rendered on our HDTV screens. Fortunately, NoMuse has meticulously created an ATtiny85 based holocron thumb drive replica for the masses. Housed in a laser-cut acrylic shell fitted with translucent plastic and laminated the diffused panels, the Maker added some LED lighting effects and a LiPo battery for power. And to throw in some extra interaction, he included capacitance sensing to transform the entire top surface of the device into a button.
Electroencephalography toys, such as the Star Wars Force Trainer, record the electrical activity along a wearer’s scalp. What’s more, turns out they’re not only inexpensive, they’re super easy to hack, too. A few years ago, Instructables engineer “Frenzy” was able to take some code from Frontier Nerds and use an old Arduino Diecimila (ATmega168) to read the output of the EEG toy on his computer. From there, the rig could be used to make a mind-controlled musical instrument, a wearable TV remote, or even let a user surf the web with their thoughts.
Many may argue that the Death Star is one of, if not, the coolest super weapons to ever spawn from human fantasy. So, in true Maker/movie buff fashion, creative technologist Simone Giertz whipped up a plush version that compensates for its smaller radius by playing the Imperial March theme and illuminating in a green LED when rolled. The project itself employed a LightBlue Bean (ATmega328P), an LED, a piezzo buzzer, two resistors and a pair of AA batteries — all sewn into the toy.
Want to ride into work like a Stormtrooper? While hoverbikes may not be ready for your daily commute just yet, thanks to UK-based Malloy Aeronautics, we’re now closer than ever. After successfully completing its Kickstarter campaign last year, the firm has debuted a one-third sized version of its design to help fund the full-sized prototype. The 1.15 meter-long mini replica can carry payloads of around 1.5kg and weighs in at 2.2kg unladen. While in the sky, the ATmega32U4 powered drone can not only be commanded remotely, but can follow predetermined flight paths automatically as well. Meanwhile, the mini-hoverbike also comes equipped with a third-scaled, 3D-printed humanoid ‘pilot’ complete with a space on its head specifically-designed for a GoPro camera. Impressively, the futuristic prototype has the potential to travel up to 92 miles or for about 45 minutes on a single tank of fuel, with a 3,048-meter maximum altitude and a top speed of around 45 MPH.
Thomas Hatley removed the inner electronics of the highly-popular Hasbro toy, and replaced with an Arduino Mega (ATmega1280) in addition to a custom PCB in its back to help drive the motors embedded within the droid. Ultimately, this enabled the droid to spin its head and its extremities. The R6 is juiced up with a 6V battery, while a 5V regulator provides the connection up to the Arduino in its brain.
James Bruton 3D-printed a slick R6 robot using his Luzlbot machine. Packed with an Arduino Uno (ATmega328), some Adafruit NeoPixels and a number of other electronics like a standard transmitter and receiver, the astromech droid is capable of driving around at various speeds, emitting LED lights and producing other Star Wars-eqsue effects. The Maker used standard R/C car electronic speed controllers to drive the wheels and an L298 Dual H-bridge board to drive the head. The servos are mixed using the Uno, while two batteries are tasked with powering the lights and animatronics.
Just when you thought you’ve seen every project possible, one Instructables member “caitlinsdad” comes up with an undergarment that generates R2-D2 beep-boop noises whenever anybody comes close. The bra is packed with several LEDs, an Adafruit FLORA (ATmega32U4), a photocell detector and an ultrasonic range sensor. The wearable is designed to react like a theremin, so the sound varies based how the proximity of others
This 32-bit board crams the functionality of the Arduino Zero into a smaller package.
During last year’s Maker Faire Bay Area, Arduino revealed its latest development board, the Zero. Based on the Atmel | SMART SAM D21, the 32-bit MCU packs 256KB of Flash, 32KB SRAM in a TQFP package and is compatible with 3.3V shields that conform to the Arduino R3 layout. Inspired by this design, Maker Sean Swift and the Rabid Prototypes team took it upon themselves to develop an inexpensive, open-source variant that takes the functionality of the Zero and crams it into a much smaller form factor. As expected, the Neutrino is also based on an ATSAMD21G18, runs at 48MHz and boasts 32KB of RAM.
“Neutrino is far more capable than your typical Arduino,” its creators note. “And because it has the same processor and pinout, all libraries written for the Zero will work on the Neutrino without any modification.”
Like most Arduinos, Neutrino was built with ease-of-use and the DIY community in mind. That being said, the board can be programmed using either the Arduino IDE or a JTAG programmer, like the Atmel-ICE. Makers simply plug it directly into their PC using a Micro-USB cable, select the unit that they wish to program, and hit the upload button within the IDE when ready.
The Rabid Prototypes crew says that the SAM D21 based device ships pre-installed with the Zero bootloader, and will auto reset when the USB serial port is opened by the IDE. In the event that this fails, “You can always hit the reset button on the board to force it to enter bootloader mode after your program finishes compiling,” Swift adds.
The Neutrino comes with a convenient power multiplexing circuit, allowing Makers to recharge via USB, battery or a 3.3V regulated supply when necessary. What’s more, the board can power up USB devices when acting as a USB host, but as Swift notes, this will require a 5V supply to the VIN pin. A 500mA resettable polyfuse protects the Neutrino and PC if too much current is being drawn.
Beyond that, Neutrino boasts a number of other notable features as well. For instance, Makers can employ its built-in LED as a status and power indicator, transform the board into a virtuoso by connecting an amplifier, or link to a USB LiPo charging backpack when on the go.
Other notable specs:
Clock speed: 48MHz
Operating voltage: 3.3V
I/O pin limits: 3.3V, 7 mA
Digital I/O pins: 14 (with 12 PWM)
Analog input pins: 6 12-bit ADC channels
Analog output pins: 1 10-bit DAC
Flash memory: 256KB
SRAM: 32KB
Voltage regulator: 3.7V – 6V input / 3.3V, 500mA output
Dimensions: 1.5″ x 0.7″ (38mm x 18mm)
Sound like a board you’d love to tinker with? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the Rabid Prototypes team is currently seeking $5,000. Shipment is expected to begin in June 2015.
One Maker has set out to build the cheapest SLS printer on the market.
In recent years, there have been plenty of FDM and SLA printers to emerge on crowdfunding sites, and rightfully so. Given their ease-of-use and affordability, these desktop machines have become the go-to choice for Makers looking to 3D print a project. Though, as great as they may be, users often encounter a number of limitations when it comes to creating overhangs greater than 45 degrees, altering a design on a whim and adding support material.
Meanwhile, selective laser sintering (or SLS) is in a league of its own when it comes to yielding high-quality, high-definition results. These machines avoid the extrusion process entirely, and instead, construct objects by selectively solidifying very fine powder materials of nylon, layer by layer, using a laser. Unfortunately, as incredible as these devices may be, the cheapest SLS printer on the market today is in the ballpark of $180,000.
That was until now. 18-year-old Maker Lukas Hoppe has set out to introduce an SLS 3D printer that packs all of the key elements of those industrial-grade machines without the astronomical price tag. What’s more, it will also be open-source and feature a heated build chamber.
Hoppe admits that he only got into 3D printing about a year ago, but immediately became an advocate of the Atmel driven RepRap movement yet was always tempted by more pricier 3D printers. This got him to thinking: What if there was a way that would combine the open-source principles of a RepRap with the professional quality of SLS devices? And so, the $2,000 You-SLS 3D Printer was born.
As expected, the machine is based on the highly-popular tandem of an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) and a RAMPS 1.4 board, along with Marlin firmware. However, controlling a SLS machine is a bit more complex than commanding a conventional FDM printer, and so, Hoppe employed another Arduino to drive the recoater. The rest of the You-SLS consists of commonly available parts that make constructing as simple and inexpensive as possible.
What really sets this gadget apart from other SLS printers is its X-Y gantry system, as hardware and software for those systems is readily accessible.
“I decided that it would be best to stick with the Cartesian X-Y system, as the software is hassle free, it allows the use of a standard RAMPS board, which again is very common with open source printers, and the hardware is available all over the world from different suppliers at a low cost,” the Maker adds.
The DIY system will employ a three-way heating system: each of two pistons will be equipped with two 300W heating cartridges and the build chamber will be heated by two optical heaters with independent temperature feedback controls. The laser sintering system itself will revolve around a laser-diode with 2W of power at a wavelength of 445nm.
In order to cool the various lasers, stepper motors and electronic components, the Maker notes that his design moves the lasers outside the hot environment by creating two parts: a lower segment, which contains the two pistons and a recoater, and the upper segment that holds the XY-stage and the laser diode. This way, the hot and the cold parts of the machine are separated.
The You-SLS printer’s outer dimensions are 90cm x 50cm x 55cm, which will make it a welcomed addition to any Makerspace workbench. And with a print bed of about 20cm x 15cm x 10cm in size, this allows larger parts to be printed diagonally and for jet small parts to be created without using too much powder to fill the bed.
A portable, battery-powered device that sounds an alarm when your bag is moved.
Your pocketbook. Your backpack. Your gym bag. Each of which hold a number of expensive, personal belongings. And, as you know from walking around the mall, through campus, into the gym, or throughout an event like Maker Faire, lugging around a hefty bag can be a burden. Wouldn’t it be much easier to set it down, give your shoulders a rest and have a peace of mind that no one will take it? Well, a Maker by the name of “MakerSelf” has devised a solution that will allow us to do so: a motion sensing bag alarm.
Based on a Pro Trinket (ATmega328), the Movement Alarm is a portable, battery-powered device that sounds an alarm when your bag is moved. Once armed, it can only be turned off by your secret code.
For those who may not know, the Pro Trinket is a sort of break out board for the fan-favorite ATmega328 MCU. A “big” sister to the original, uber-mini Trinket (ATtiny85), the board offers the familiarity of an Arduino Pro Mini with more pins and a USB thrown in the mix. With the Pro, Makers have the choice of either programming with the Arduino IDE, using AVRdude with the “-c usbtiny” programmer flag, or flashing the chip directly with an AVR programmer like the AVR Dragon.
In this case, MakerSelf hooked the Trinket to a GY-521 accelerometer to enable the detection of movement. Therefore, when the Trinket senses that the device has been set into motion, such as picked up or removed from its resting place, it emits a high-pitched alarm from its built-in piezo speaker.
“It is 9V battery operated, but without an on/off switch, otherwise the potential thief could just hit the off button. As a result, I have an ‘arm’ button, and then you have 20 second to but the bag + device stationary,” MakerSelf adds.
Once armed, if the bag/device is moved for more than 5 seconds and above a certain threshold level, it sounds an annoyingly loud alarm until the correct code is entered. The secret code uses a four-button interface, but the code itself can be any length and easily modified in the Trinket software. After the passcode is entered, the status LED will turn solid indicating to the user that the device must be placed stationary. The status LED will turn off after the designated time period, advising that the alarm is now armed and listening to the accelerometer.
If the bag is moved for more than five seconds at a time, the alarm will sound. Just in case that someone needs a piece of gum, phone or some other item from their bag, entering the secret code after or during the settling time, the status LED will blink once long, followed by three short, and then the device will turn itself off without turning the alarm on.
This Arduino-sensor combination is perfect for your next wearable design.
Last year, Guido Burger had brought to our attention his impressive blueIOT. The open sensor platform was based on the ultra low-power combination of an ATmega328P MCU and a BLE module along with a single coin cell battery. Created in collaboration with the Fab-Lab Europe team, the board would on to be successfully implemented in a number of applications, ranging from DIY fitness trackers and smart socks to magical Easter Egg hunts and hacked Nespresso machines — which you will actually be able to witness live at Maker Faire Bay Area.
Well, hot on the heels of its predecessor’s success, Burger has returned with the latest innovation from his crew: the pico-Platinchen. The uber mini, Arduino-compatible board was designed with wearable devices in mind and comes loaded with a high-precision, absolute orientation sensor from Bosch Sensortec. The BNO055 is joined by an ATmega328P, and like its older sibling, is powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery.
“The basis for your projects comes pre-integrated but you can still can expand it with more LEDs, sensors (e.g. I2C/SPI) and displays,” Burger explains. “Also, pico-Platinchen is a perfect basis for students and kids to start exploring the physical world: g-forces, magnetics, movements and much more!”
With a diameter of only 20mm, pico-Platinchen is ideal for projects that involve sewing, particularly hats. What’s more, the platform packs the punch of an Arduino Uno along with the flexibility of an entire 9-DOF sensor. And, to provide on-board notifications and color-fading, the Fab-Lab team decided to add some NeoPixels (WS2812 LEDs) that can drive up to 256 lights with the pico-Platinchen right out of the box.
“By the way, it comes with a lot horse power,” Burger adds. “The motion co-processor for 3D maths is an Atmel | SMART SAM D21. [The] gyro, accelerometer and magnetometer are [all] combined with high-precision and 100Hz update for an absolute orientation in 3D space.”
Using the Arduino IDE 1.0.7, Makers can build their own application with just a few lines of code in a matter of minutes. Aside from wearable projects, pico-Plantichen makes for a viable option in a variety of settings, whether that’s robotics, aviation or even in education (particularly physics). What’s more, the board can be coated for underwater projects.
Jonathan Zufi’s coffee table book entitled “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation” is the ultimate must-have for any Apple aficionado. The hardcover recounts the past 30 years of Apple design, exploring some of the most visually appealing and significant products ever created by the Cupertino-based company. The commemorative piece features a special white clamshell case along with a custom PCB configured to pulse embedded LEDs — like that of a sleeping older generation Apple notebook when moved — controlled by an Atmel 8-bit AVR RISC-based MCU.
The brainchild of Disney Research, HideOut explores how mobile projectors can enable new forms of interaction with digital content projected on everyday objects such as books, walls, game boards, tables, and many others. The smartphone-sized device enables seamless interaction between the digital and physical world using specially formulated infrared-absorbing markers – hidden from the human eye, but visible to a camera embedded in a compact mobile projection device. Digital imagery directly augments and responds to the physical objects it is projected on, such as an animated character interacting with printed graphics in a storybook.
Created by Fabio Lattanzi Antinori, Dataflags is a narrative series of artwork that explores the financial troubles of corporations as they head towards bankruptcy, while highlighting the pivotal role data plays in today’s society. The piece — which was originally displayed in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum back in September 2014 — was powered by Bare Conductive’s incredibly-popular Touch Board (ATmega32U4) and some Electric Paint. The printed sensors were concealed by a layer of black ink, and when touched, triggered a selection of financial trading data theatrically sung by an opera performer.
Have you ever judged a book by its cover? Well, Amsterdam creative studio Moore is turning the tables on the old-school idiom by designing a sleeve equipped with an integrated camera and facial-recognition technology that scans the face of whoever comes near. The idea behind the aptly named Cover That Judges Youwas to build a book cover that is human and approachable-hi-tech. If someone conveys too much emotion – whether overexcitement or under-enthusiasm — the book will remain locked. However, if their expression is free of judgement, the system will send an audio-pulse to an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) and the book will unlock itself. The built-in camera is positioned at the top of the book’s sleeve, above a screen that feeds back the image when it detects a face in close proximity. Artwork featuring abstract facial features is displayed on the cover so that the user can line up their eyes, nose and mouth in the optimum position. Once the correct alignment is obtained, the screen turns green and a signal is relayed to the Arduino that opens the metal lock.
A team of MIT students unveiled a wearable book that uses networked sensors and actuators to create a sort of cyberpunk-like Neverending Story, blurring the line between the bodies of a reader and protagonist. The sensory fiction project — which built around James Tiptree’s “The Girl Who Was Plugged In” – was designed by Felix Heibeck, Alexis Hope, Julie Legault and Sophia Brueckner in the context of MIT’s Science Fiction To Science Fabrication class. The “augmented book” portrays the scenery and sets the mood, while its companion vest enables the reader to experience the protagonist’s physiological emotions unlike ever before. The wearable — controlled by an [Atmel based] Arduino board — swells, contracts, vibrates, heats up or cools down as the pages of the book are turned. Aside from 150 programmable LEDs to create ambient light based on changing setting and mood, the book/wearable support a number of outputs, including sound, a personal heating device to change skin temperature, vibration to influence heart rate, and a compression system to convey tightness or loosening through pressurized airbags.
In an effort to bring more interaction to story time, Northwood’s Childrens Museum in Wisconsin created a storytelling tree capable of reading along with you. The old computers inside the the museum display were retrofitted with a Touch Board (ATmega32U4) from Bare Conductive. In fact, this was a welcomed replacement as one staff member said that the computers “broke constantly and hogged power, keeping us from updating sounds files periodically throughout the year.” Unlike its embedded predecessor, the MCU allowed sound files to be changed in an expedited manner, and was slim enough to nestle neatly into the trunk’s design. And what would a treehouse-like exhibit be without a makeshift walkie talkie comprised of cans strung together? Creatively, a set of headphones were also placed inside the can to make it exciting for participants to listen to the story.
Makers Israel Diaz and Ingrid Ocana were on a mission to find new ways to bring children closer to the vast universe of reading. In doing so, the duo figured out a new way to enhance a traditional book with basic electronic components and some Arduino Uno (ATmega328) programming to interact with user intervention through simple built-in sensors, AC motors, LEDs and speakers.
Night Sun is an interactive audiovisual installation which tells a story with the turn of a music box handle, powered by an ATmega32U4 MCU. In order to bring his idea to fruition, the Maker commissioned an Arduino Micro to control the exhibit. The Arduino was instructed to send a ‘play’ command to a computer when it sensed the touch of a passerby. Once the wired music box handle was turned, the window would light up. A pre-recorded sound would then send a signal to the computer and begin playing… and just like that, the story unfolds.
A Maker by the name of Antonella Nonnis recently devised a unique interactive electronic book powered by two ATmega168 based boards. The book, titled “Music, Math, Art and Science,” was inspired by the work of Munari, Montessori and Antonella’s very own mother. The book contains movable parts and uses the electrical capacitance of the human body to activate sounds and lights and other sensors like a button for the math page. Comprised of recycled materials, the book is powered by a pair of Arduino Diecimila, which control the paper pop-up piano and the other controls the arts and science page.
Footprints – which was prototyped using an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) – can best be described as a network of interactive soft puppets that help create and share illustrated stories. Designed by Simone Capano, the project links various aspects of a child’s life, including school and family, by collecting and storing relevant data in the cloud. Footprints is typically initiated by a parent. Using a smartphone, the parent can record a little vocal story, add some images proposed by Footprints about the story that was just told, like the story’s characters or other objects related to it. Afterwards, the parent can send it all to the child’s puppet. The child can then listen to the story by placing the puppet on the tablet and playing with the images he or she has received to create a drawing about the story. Once the drawing is complete, Footprints send it back to the parent who then tracks the path of the stories shared with a child via the smartphone app.
Created by Bertrand Lanthiez, Hvísl is described as “an invitation to both a visual and audible journey.” Pre-recorded sounds from Icelandic atmospheres are emitted with the help of electronic sensors hidden in some pages connected to a MaKey MaKey board (ATmega32U4). These effects accompany the reading and the contemplation of pictures from the country’s landscape.
Tired of having to reread pages in because you forgot which paragraph you left off on? Devised by 7Electrons, the aptly named eBookmark is envisioned to serve as a bridge between analog and digital worlds. The device — which is based on an 8-bit AVR MCU, various Adafruit components, 16 tiny LEDs and a resistive touch strip — allows the reader to save his or her place on the page, and with a switch, also select the left or right page. The top portion of the eBookmark extends for use with larger books.
Who could forget those ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books that became popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s? The series of children’s gamebooks where each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character’s actions and the plot’s outcome. Similarly speaking, software developer Jerry Belich has created an interactive arcade machine that works on the same premise. The Choosatron is an interactive fiction machine that lets users select the story, while it prints out a transcript of the chosen story paths. In essence, the machine is a cardboard box with a small thermal printer, a coin acceptor, a keypad, an SD memory card and an Arduino-compatible board.
ChairVoyager is a unique chair and floor mat pair that mentally transports the user through space and time.
Conventional wisdom would tell us that traveling the world can be found on many, if not, all of our bucket lists. However, that requires both time and money. And much of it. Given most of our work schedules, getting off the 80 or so days that it would take to go around the globe is nearly impossible. That’s why the team behind ChairVoyager has developed a way that it can all be done in as little as eight minutes, right from your very own cubicle.
Designed as part of a critical making course at UC Berkeley, the aptly named ChairVoyager is comprised of a customized office chair and a vinyl floor mat that mentally transports a user through space and time.
“We believe that transportation is more than a physical movement from one spot to another,” its creators note. With that in mind, the group of students wanted to explore the idea of feeling as if you traveled to far away places without actually having to hop on a plane, find a place to stay, and of course, navigate unfamiliar land.
The ChairVoyager works by moving around an office chair along a mat covered in vinyl cutouts representing each continent. As the piece of furniture moves along the floor, an embedded light color sensor below the chair detects what country it has landed upon and a built-in speaker system emits curated news podcasts from that specific region. The team notes that the noise is very low-key, which makes it perfectly suitable for any office setting, should the urge to travel world come about. The stories being heard are also shared via Wi-Fi with the user’s mobile device for future reference.
The bold colors of each vinyl cutout that denote each continent make it clear where one ends and another begins. Beyond that, the white background portraying the ocean can be programmed to play naval-related news or whale songs as well.
“We originally designed ChairVoyager for office workers. We want to make it easy to catch up on current global even, and allow their mind to explore and connect to the larger world. And we saw their breaks, as they kick back with a relaxed gaze and listen to their ChairVoyager travels, as the perfect opportunity to do this.”
In order to bring this project to life, the team equipped an everyday office chair with a SparkFun audio breakout board, an Adafruit Wi-Fi module breakout board, an Adafruit RGB color sensor at its base (just above the floor), and a 6V power supply directly under the right armrest. These electronic components were are all integrated into one SparkFun RedBoard (ATmega328) and housed inside an aluminum case. Meanwhile, a “surround sound quiet speaker” was installed in place of its existing headrest, so that the stories would be played close to the user’s ears — without distracting other colleagues.
For years, Alex Sardo has been on the prowl for a way to embed an OLED display into a project and to devise a remote-controlled appliance. She has found that such interfaces, while easy to embed, were either too expensive, not voltage compatible or too bulky. And so, the Maker sought out to create a low-cost alternative platform that would offer users a quick and simple way to deploy new designs. Recently launched on Kickstarter, the aptly-named Piccolino does just that.
It is an affordable yet powerful programmable controller equipped with an OLED display and Wi-Fi connectivity that allows Makers to program using existing tools such as the Arduino IDE and ESPlorer IDE. Based on an ATmega328P, the pint-sized platform (only 1.2″ x 1.2″ x 0.7”) adds a pair of individual capacitance touch inputs on the bezel, a bright 0.96″ OLED display, 32KB of SRAM, a microSD card and a powerful ESP8266 LUA Wi-Fi module, which takes care of the connectivity workload with just three lines of code. Furthermore, this module can be configured both as an Access Point or a Station, enabling users to develop mobile device-controlled appliances in a jiffy.
“Adding the ability for cloud-enabled devices, web alarms, event-driven email or text message notifications to phone or tablet, remote web-controlled appliances, Wi-Fi signal strength meters, monitors, loggers, network scanners has never been easier,” Sardo writes.
The so-called “Arduino on steroids” can be employed as a standalone device with an external battery, embedded into any range of custom designs or used for educational purposes. Beyond that, Makers can showcase their personality on their Piccolino through a custom 3D-printed shell.
As an open-source project, the Piccolino team will be releasing each of the necessary sample sketches, LUA scripts and optimized libraries in the coming weeks. Later this year, they will also be launching a Piccolino Gateway that will give Makers the ability to leverage their servers to conduct Internet functions with Piccolino using a easy-to-follow API.
