Making a wearable toothbrush machine with MeArm

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Punch Through Design’s Simone Giertz has created a helmet that brushes your teeth. 

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With seemingly everything around us becoming smarter, it was only a matter of time before your toothbrush became Internet-connected as well. Equipped with sensors, these accessories are now capable of detecting improper brushing habits, analyzing the healthiness of your teeth and ensuring that you’ve spent enough time cleaning. Despite how intelligent they’ve become, they still lack one major convenience factor: hands-free control. Perhaps that may all change after companies lay their eyes upon Simone Giertz’s latest creation.

The San Francisco-based Maker and Creative Technologist at Punch Through Design has developed a prototype of what she calls the Toothbrush Machine — a clever combination of both a skateboard helmet and a MeArm. Whereas most MeArms are equipped with a claw, she replaced it with a toothbrush instead.

The system, which we covered on Bits & Pieces earlier this year, is powered by an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) along with a servo shield and motor. As you can see from the GIF below, the Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor-like contraption features a robotic arm that drops down and precisely paces the bristles in front of the wearer’s teeth, as it begins scrubbing back and forth.

For those unfamiliar with the MeArm, the Arduino-compatible device is the brainchild of Benjamin Gray and Jack Howard, and was designed to be a simple and affordable way to put robotic arms into the reach of Makers. Essentially a shrunken-down version of ordinary industrial machines, the portable mechanism opens the doors to countless projects — clearly demonstrated by Giertz.

According to the Maker, the helmet was devised as part of a pilot episode for a kids TV show with hopes of teaching viewers about electronics by building more or less “useless robots.” It also serves as a great reminder that you don’t always have to take your projects too seriously. Regardless of how silly it may look, however, such an innovation could one day help those with impaired mobility regain their independence while providing tremendous oral hygiene benefits.

While you may not see your dentist or the ADA endorsing a product like this anytime soon, it’ll certainly be a conversation starter to say the least! And now, you can create one of your own by following Giertz’s step-by-step tutorial on Instructables.

Better yet, maybe MAKE: Magazine is onto something: why not take it step further and add a few extra arms for a Q-tips ear cleaner, a brush makeup applicator and a Gillette beard shaver.

Transform your swimming pool into an LED dance floor

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This Maker covered his swimming pool with Rainbowduino-powered LEDs to create one heck of a dance floor.  

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Like something straight out of Saturday Night Fever, Loren Bufanu has managed to transform his swimming pool into an LED-laden dance floor. And from the looks of its surrounding environment filled with garnished chairs and tables, it would appear to be for a wedding or party of some sort.

To accomplish this feat, the Maker covered the pool with several glass panels, each outfitted with LEDs. Inspired by the Lampduino on Instructables, the project required nearly 450 meters of RGB LED strips controlled by two Rainbowduinos (ATmega328), driven by 64 power MOSFETs, 64 transistors, 64 bipolar transistors, a few capacitors and some resistors. Producing white light from the LEDs drew 8A from the power supply.

Although he originally thought to use the Colorduino as embedded in the Lampduino, he was unable to find a way to connect two of the boards together and control them with the same interface. So instead, he turned to a pair of Rainbowduino v3.0, which are pin compatible with the Colorduinos and can communicate over I2C. For those unfamiliar with these boards from Seeed Studio, the Arduino-compatible MCU features two MY9221 chips, which are capable of handling 12 channels of Adaptive Pulse Density Modulation.

In terms of software, the Maker used Pixel Invaders. Unfortunately, this portion of the project didn’t come as easy as the hardware installation. Bufanu had wanted the lights to flash in sync with some tunes, but a few setbacks in program didn’t allow for this to work. In the end, he decided to employ some simple visualization software combined with the Pixel Invaders “Screen Capture” mode. Fortunately, that did the trick.

“Basically, MilkDrop-like software is displaying some colors on the screen, and Pixel Invaders capture the screen, controlling the two Raibowduino after that pattern. Both are started by a simple batch file located on the desktop of the controlling PC. It was a ‘ugly hack’ but it is doing the job great,” Bufanu explains.

Intrigued? Head over to the Maker’s original page here, or simply see it in action below.

[h/t Hackaday]

Goldilocks Analogue is bringing audio capabilities to Arduino

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This board is like an Arduino, but with audio superpowers! 

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In an effort to bring analog capabilities to the Arduino environment, Phillip Stevens has developed a board he calls the Goldilocks Analogue.

The Goldilocks Analogue, which was also named a quarterfinalist in this year’s Hackaday Prize, provides Makers with all of the analog audio input and output they could possibly need, together with sufficient data storage options. With this board, Makers will have the ability to delve into the world of digital synthesis, human auditory augmentation, sound activated systems, signal processing and analog process control, among many other things.

If the name seems vaguely familiar, that’s because you may recall Stevens from his 2013 project, Goldilocks. Two years ago, the Maker devised an Arduino Uno clone using the ATmega1284P MCU for applications that required more SRAM and Flash memory than what the ATmega328P could support, all without sacrificing the Uno’s footprint. Although his initial efforts achieved its goal, the resulting platform still lacked one function that he believed was a necessity: high-quality analog input and output.

“The world is analog, but having an ADC capability without having a corresponding digital-to-analog capability, is like having a real world recorder with no means to playback and recover these real world recordings,” the Maker explains.

Fast forward to 2015 and the successor is yet again built around the mighty ATmega1284P. As Steven points out, the external analog output platform has been optimized to provide dual-channel stereo output (up to 48k samples per second) by overclocking the AVR MCU to 24.576MHz. The Goldilocks Analog is equipped with a 12-bit DAC that offers dual-stereo channels with output voltage ranging from 0V to 4.095V, which is fed to both a high-current capable op-amp and a dedicated headphone amplifier. These options enable optimal reproduction of audio, as well as DC level referenced analog outputs.

“The DAC is driven by the ATmega1284P USART1 in Master SPI Mode. This frees up the normal Arduino SPI bus to access the MicroSD card, or either of the two on-board SPI interface memory devices, 23LC1024 256KB SRAM and AT25M01 256KB EEPROM, without any timing constraints,” the Maker writes.

Meanwhile, audio input is managed by an AGC microphone amplifier. Gain is adjustable from 40dB (default for typical smartphone headset microphone) up to 60dB, which also lends support to electro-cardio or other high sensitivity applications. Aside from that, he included a level shifted non-amplified signal (for line-in).

According to Stevens, the main switched-mode power supply is rated at well over 2A, and is filtered by a second order LC network to provide a clean 5V for the analog platform. Lastly, the Goldilocks Analogue incorporates a 3.3V 1A regulator for the microSD card and 3.3V shields. The negative supply for the op-amp is handled by a -3V inverting charge pump regulator and filtered by a first order LC network.

So what can you create with this board? While the possibilities are endless, example projects include a triple oscillator digital synthesizer, a digital walkie-talkie, a sound-sensing alarm and even an Internet-connected baby monitor. And to make all of the analog power easy-to-use, the Goldilocks Analogue is compatible with the Visuino IDE for drag-and-drop signal programming.

“Using a smartphone-compatible 3.5mm socket, a microphone input and headphone outputs can connect your sounds into the Arduino world. Samples of sound can be played back from on-board SRAM or recorded onto the EEPROM to be recovered later,” Stevens adds. “Up to a minute of telephone quality audio can be stored (less for higher quality), or played back using the on-board storage. The microSD card can store and play back GB of audio, if desired.”

Intrigued? Head over to the Goldilocks Analogue’s Kickstarter campaign, where the Maker is currently seeking $5,813. You can also browse through his exhaustive project log, which breaks down the entire build process. The first batch of units is expected to begin shipping in March 2016.

Tinker Tie is a hackable LED bow-tie

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The Tinker Tie is a fully-programmable, Arduino-compatible LED bow-tie that can last over 20 hours on a single charge.

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Fred Astaire. Pee-Wee Herman. Bill Nye. Justin Timberlake. From celebs to businessmen, what’s not to love about the always classic look of the bow-tie? Although for years this ribbon of fabric has been made from silk, polyester, cotton or a mixture of materials, the Atom Computer crew is looking to bring the fashion accessory into the wearable tech era. Introducing the Tinker Tie.

The Tinker Tie is a colorful and customizable device with 28 RGB LEDs that’ll surely add a little pizazz to your prom tuxedo, EDM concert attire or Halloween costume. Based on an Adafruit Pro Trinket (ATmega328), the piece can be programmed using the Arduino IDE and Adafruit NeoPixel library to emit countless color changes and animations as you illuminate the night.

Data is received by the first LED, then sent through to the rest of the lights in a zig-zag pattern. Because of a special chip built into each LED, you can (magically) control an entire array of lights from only one data pin. Meanwhile, an integrated 500mAh LiPo battery pack provides over 20 hours of enjoyment on a single charge. Once it’s all drained out, simply plug in the Tinker Tie to your computer via USB and quickly refuel.

For its Kickstarter launch, the tie will ship in either fully assembled or kit form. And not only is it clearly an attention-grabbing fashion statement, it can be an excellent educational tool as well! Although the current PCB color for prototypes is green, the team hopes to upgrade to fancy black circuit boards in the very near future.

Want to stand out at your next party? Want to light up the stage? Want to turn some heads at Maker Faire? Whatever your desire, you can head over to Tinker Tie’s page here.

Take a black and white selfie with the Qduino Mini Photo Booth

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The Qduino Mini is an ATmega32U4 based board with a built-in battery charger and fuel gauge that’s just as affordable as an Arduino, but a quarter of the size. 

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Hot on the heels of a rather successful Kickstarter campaign, Quin Etynre continues to amaze us with his pure ingenuity and passion for creating things. As the quintessential example of what it takes to go from ‘MakerSpace to Marketplace,’ earlier this year the 14-year-old CEO introduced what he calls the Qduino Mini — a tiny Arduino-compatible board equipped with a built-in battery charger and fuel gauge that can let a user know when their LiPo needs a little more juice.

Born out of his own frustrations of having to guess when a project was running out of power, the open source dev board is based on an ATmega32U4 — the same MCU that can be found at the heart of the Arduino Leonardo, which the Maker has used to tinker around with for quite awhile. The small device isn’t only packed with a charger circuit and fuel gauge, but possesses a lightweight, ultra-thin form factor as well. This allows for it to be programmed and have its energy restored simulatenously via USB. On top of all that, each Qduino is also breadboard-friendly and has two RGB LEDs: one for status, another that’s user programmable!

The Qduino Mini measures just 0.8″ x 1.5” in size and weighs a mere fraction of an ounce, making the shrunken down Arduino ideal for drones and high-altitude balloon projects, as well as a wide range of other gadgets like Etnyre’s incredibly popular B&W Photo Booth that had been on display inside our Maker Faire New York booth.

How the selfie machine works is pretty straightforward. A user stands before a webcam mounted to a monitor, presses a button, and 20 seconds later, a thermal printer spits out an instant photo on receipt paper. The best part? It doesn’t require any ink! As you can imagine, this would be a perfect novelty item for any birthday party, prom, wedding or just for some fun around the office. (Heck, even AVR Man seems to enjoy it!)

The system itself is comprised of a monitor and two green 3D-printed parts: a button and a thermal printer, both embedded with an Qduino Mini. Pressing the round button triggers a sketch, which in turn, processes the captured image from the webcam and sends it over to the thermal printer.

Pretty cool, right? But don’t just take it from us. Watch Etnyre explain it himself in the video below! Plus, those wishing to pre-order a Qduino Mini of their own can now do so over on SparkFun.

Design, build and race your own 3D-printed cars with Cannybots

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The next generation of toys is here! Cannybots can be assembled like LEGO and programmed from your mobile device.

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Since their inception back in the 1950s, Matchbox cars have become an iconic accessory that can be found atop any child’s holiday wish list and in just about every playroom. However, in this day and age, kids are overexposed to the latest and greatest smart devices, which have seemingly replaced those good ol’ toys of the past. This is an issue that the one London-based startup is looking to solve, realizing that the toys that we have today are not engaging enough compared to the media accessible through our mobile gadgets. And so, Cannybot was born.

The creators of Cannybot are hoping to better bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds with their smartphone-controlled toy that enables kids to build and program their own race car sets. The DIY kit contains all of the parts necessary for someone to bring their car to life, such as a base, a top, a spoiler, motors and motor brackets, wheels, a switch, a rechargeable battery, a USB cable and a screwdriver. Aside from all that, Cannybot will come with stickers that let users personalize their vehicle along with a six-foot-long track to ride it on.

Geared towards the young Maker community, each Cannybot can be assembled in LEGO-like fashion and boasts several capabilities, which range from color detection and line following to autonomous navigation. Impressively, the kit’s default motors allow a vehicle to reach a straight line speed of up to 1.2m/sec (4ft/sec), and the robot has independently powered wheels that give it the agility to spin on the spot and quickly accelerate.

And that’s just the beginning. Billed as the next generation of toys, Cannybot gives children the opportunity to design and 3D print their own plaything, and then engage with them in ways like never before. There are different ways to interact with the robot. Using its accompanying joypad mobile app, users can race against others, throw it into freestyle mode and drive it around the living room like an RC car, as well as do battle in sumo and jousting fights. It even features a Bluetooth interface that enables Cannybot to be controlled from almost any BLE device, including a Pebble watch. Plus, users can chat with Cannybot via its own CannyTalk app, which is based on a proprietary Natural Language Processing interface.

“CannyTalk is really clever; it understands the commands irrespective of the way they are written. For example, if you want to instruct the robot to move forward, you can use any of the following commands: Move forward, step forward, go forward, etc. All these result in the same action of Cannybot moving forward,” the team explains.” It is even robust to typos – Mvoe Forwards, Mov Forward, Move fkrwad will also result in the same action. You can use CannyTalk to control all high level aspects of Cannybots and even use it to create the Logic to solve a complex maze.”

In terms of electronics, each Cannybot is driven by a small yet powerful Arduino-compatible ARM Cortex-M0+ core, and is packed with BLE, a dual channel motor controller, LEDs, IR and RGB sensors. The robot’s hardware supports a number of programming options from the more simple CannyTalk to more advanced languages like Python and Java using either a Raspberry Pi, a smartphone, a tablet or PC. Each Cannybot design can be customized through Autodesk’s browser-based TinkerCAD software, and employ a 3D printer to produce the chassis of the robot in various shapes and colors.

If you think about it, Matchbox was invented in the UK and went on to revolutionize toy cars. Coincidence that Cannybot originates from there as well? The future of playtime has arrived! Interested? Race over to its Kickstarter page, where the team is currently seeking $40,000. Delivery is slated for February 2016.

RePhone is the world’s first open source, modular smartphone

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Seeed Studio’s new kit enables Makers to create their own phone and hack inanimate things with the power of cellular communication.

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When it comes to electronics, the concept of modularity continues to rise in popularity — and rightfully so. Rather than have to endure the high cost of a new gadget every few years, you’ll soon be able to swap out individual parts and simply upgrade your existing device whenever necessary. Reminiscent of Google’s Project Ara, our friends over at Seeed Studio have joined the party by launching a Kickstarter campaign for a DIY smartphone made entirely from open source components.

Called RePhone, the modular kit enables you to create your own phone as well as hack other objects around you by giving them the power of cellular communication. Pretty cool, right? The unit itself is built around the RePhone GSM + BLE module, or the RePhone Core 3G module which provides faster data connection yet lacks Bluetooth. But that’s not all.

Seeed will offer an assortment of Xadow add-on modules, each with their own set of unique features. These include a 1.54” touchscreen, an Arduino-compatible MCU (ATmega32U4), a basic sensor board, a GPS board, an audio board, a 5×7 LED board, a GSM breakout board and an NFC board. These can be connected using an FPC cable (11 or 35 pin), soldered wires, conductive thread or a breadboard. Plus, the DIY device is powered a 520mAh battery.

Additionally, Seeed has unveiled a RePhone Create Kit, which lets you design and customize a phone enclosure out of kraft paper. This material is sewable, washable, and most importantly, easy to draw on. Makers will be able to personalize their cases in all sorts of shapes, colors and styles.

The modular gadget is indeed a fully-functional tool, which can be used like any other everyday phone to make and receive calls, send text messages, and play music. Seeed has devised Arduino, Lua and Javascript libraries, as well as a full power SDK based on Eclipse for C/C++ developers. What’s more, the RePhone can be programmed with IFTTT logic. This allows you to define and implement recipes for various actions, such as being notified if your dog wanders off or your bike gets lost.

“The modular design of RePhone brings limitless DIY possibilities. Those tiny neat blocks can be fit into a phone enclosure of any size, shape, or style you like,” Seeed Studio writes. “You can make your RePhone even cooler with different materials like leather, fabric and bamboo. Build a sturdy case with 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC and injection molding.”

To top it all off, the device is compatible with both the Arduino and Pebble. RePhone creates alternative ways to communicate with inanimate things in your physical world over GSM and 3G, whether that’s a walking cane phone for grandpa, a GPS pet collar, an interactive t-shirt or a rigged desk lamp. The possibilities are endless.

Ready to piece together your own RePhone? Although Seeed Studio has already completed its Kickstarter campaign, which garnered over $276,000, you can still pre-order yours today here.

Turn your kitchen toaster into a reflow soldering oven

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Reflowster turns your standard toaster oven into an easy-to-use reflow soldering oven without breaking the bank.

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If you recall from its successful Kickstarter campaign last year, Reflowster is an Arduino-compatible, ATmega32U4 powered smart outlet designed to instantly turn your toaster oven into a reflow soldering station.

The system works by simply plugging in between your toaster oven and power outlet. An included thermocouple is inserted into the Reflowster and is placed inside the toaster oven to measure the temperature. From there, the toaster oven is put into “always on” mode which can typically be accomplished by dialing the timer back a few degrees.

“Reflowster does need to be paired with a toaster oven to work, but unlike many DIY solutions Reflowster requires no toaster modification — no need to cut cables or risk electrocution,” the team writes.

Meanwhile, Reflowster’s encoder and LED display allows Makers to easily navigate menus and choose either a standard soldering profile or a custom option.

“Once the reflow process is started, Reflowster turns the power to the toaster oven on until a soak temperature is reached,” its creators explain. “Reflowster waits for the configured soak duration and then turns the oven back on until the peak temperature is reached.”

Aside from the versatile ATmega32U4 MCU at its core, Reflowster is equipped with an LED status indicator, a three-digit LED display, a microUSB jack, a thermocouple port and a 15A relay-controlled outlet, along with the aformentioned encoder and button for menu navigation.

Being that Reflowster is fully compatible with the Arduino IDE, users can upload new code to repurpose Reflowster to do a wide range of other things. Indeed, the thermocouple, relay, LED display and encoder make the device a perfect platform for a variety of alternative projects such as a temperature controlled fan, circadian light timer, outlet with an automatic shutoff, easy bake oven, incubator and perhaps even a sous-vide machine.

Intrigued? Check out Reflowster’s official page here.

ANDBOT is a C-3PO-like robot for your home

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ANDBOT is a humanoid that is less of a robot but more of a companion to you and your family.

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If there’s one thing that recent crowdfunding projects have demonstrated, it’s that social robots will soon be making their way into our homes. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, either. Think about it: You’d never have to worry about all those tedious chores. No more sweeping. No more laundry. No more doing the dishes. Heck, no more arguments with your significant other for failing to do something!

Developed by the team over at Advanced Robotics, ANDBOT is a C-3PO-esque humanoid that can handle daily activities and protect your household. The robot boasts an impressive range of hand/arm motions that allows it to perform complex tasks, with human-like precision. For instance, you can have it hand deliver breakfast to you in bed or should you get locked out of your home, simply text ANDBOT and it will unlock the front door for you.

Its creators also designed ANDBOT with expandability in mind. Meaning, you will have the option of adding on various modules, whether it’s a vacuum attachment for spring cleaning, a beer holder for your Monday Night Football party, and even a rim for some indoor NERF basketball action.

“Robots have been around for some time, but not many can offer the human likeness as ANDBOT, where its arms can move 90 degrees up/down and hands can rotate 360 degrees. With its full range of motion, imagine the possibilities,” the startup explains. “Not all robots are created equal. With ANDBOT, it is as close to human as you can get, with a full range of hand and arm motions. What we do with our hands, so can ANDBOT, holding, pulling, opening, pushing, etc.”

ANDBOT is equipped with facial recognition, which enables it to decipher between your family members and unwelcomed guests. And just like us, the humanoid is capable of sensing different emotions and then reacting with appropriate responses. Having a bad day? Your social bot will always be there for you, especially when no one else is around.

So, what functionalities does ANDBOT possess? For starters, it can serve as your personal assistant with up-to-the-minute reminders and information, your security guard with remote monitoring for intruders and dangerous gases sensors, your smart home controller with light, thermostat and media center integration, your workout buddy, your own chef, or simply your favorite bedtime storyteller. The hope is that it will become less of a robot and more of a companion to you and your family.

The humanoid is driven by an Arduino Due (SAM3X8E) along with a pair of Arduino Uno (ATmega328) boards. ANDBOT relies on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for communication, a 12V lithium-ion battery for power and and runs on the ROS/Android platform. In terms of its electronics, the bot features two HD speakers, LEDs for eyes, a multitude of sensors (ultrasonic, sound, bumper, humidity, carbon monoxide, air quality and temperature), an accelerometer and gyroscope, a LIDAR-Lite laser, a PIR motion detector, motor drivers, a camera and a 10.1″ touch display on its belly.

What’s more, ANDBOT will send notifications to your smartphone via its accompanying app whenever its embedded sensors are triggered. There’s even a built-in portable oxygen system for the elderly or those living in fire prone areas. The better question is, what can’t this social robot do?

Lastly, as we’ve seen with other platforms, ANDBOT will be open source with an SDK that can be used to help expand and improve its capabilities. And more importantly, you will have access to an extensive developer community to further the advancement of the robot.

Phew, that was a lot… sound like a companion you’d like to have in your household? Head over to ANDBOT’s Indiegogo campaign, where the Advanced Robotics team is currently seeking $150,000. You’ll have to sit tight, though, as delivery isn’t expected to get underway until April 2016.

Nibble is a pocket-sized development platform for Makers

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Wi-Fi connectivity + OLED display + SD card + IR transmitter = An Arduino variant that Makers will love.

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Designed for Makers and electronic enthusiasts, Nibble is a credit card-sized, Arduino-like device that can be used to create projects, devise games or simply learn the basics of programming.

Nibble crams everything a DIYer could possibly need in a development platform into a form factor that can be easily pocketed and carried on the go. Based on an ATmega328P, the gadget is equipped with a 802.11 b/g/n programmable Wi-Fi module, a 128×64-pixel OLED display, a microSD slot for data and charging, an IR transmitter, a two-channel piezo speaker and a 300mAh LiPo battery that lasts for roughly six to eight hours. These electronics are all housed inside a somewhat transparent 3D-printed enclosure.

On top of all that goodness, Nibble features eight pushbuttons (that come with variously colored replacement caps) that are perfect for playing handheld games along with an expansion port for ICSP, I2C, digital and analog pins. According to creator Simone Picchioni, “Thanks to the expansion port, Nibble is able to read inputs (pushbutton, Twitter message, sun light) and turn it into an output (turning on an LED, moving a motor).”

The Maker has open sourced an Arduino library exclusively for Nibble, which you can use to develop games and utilities. Looking ahead, Picchioni will also provide examples and tutorials.

Intrigued? Check out Nibble’s Kickstarter campaign, where Picchioni is currently seeking $31,760.