Create your own cardboard armor with programmable lights

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Crafteeo combines art with the magic of technology to create a fun learning experience for children. 

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One look around any Maker Faire would reveal that DIYers love cosplay. With this in mind, one San Diego startup has developed an innovative way to inspire future generations to build things with their hands while exploring the technological world around them. How, you ask? By transforming themselves into heroes with their own armor and then programming its LED lighting.

“Kids love playing with cardboard boxes. This is well know fact that seem to be universal across different cultures and generations. If there’s any cardboard in the house, kids will inevitably grab it and start crafting something,” entreprenuer and Maker dad How-Lun Chen explains.

The idea behind Crafteeo was first conceived after Chen and his wife decided to do all of their holiday shopping online back in 2011, which of course, left them with mountain of boxes on Christmas morning. Upon opening his gifts, rather than play with his shiny new toys and RC cars, they watched their son exercise his imagination using nothing more than the pieces of cardboard spread across the floor. Then it hit him: What if there was a way to recycle these materials into something cool, like a helmet, shield and sword, all while teaching children to learn electronics?

And so, Crafteeo was launched. Currently live on Kickstarter, each kit comes with some pre-cut cardboard, D-rings, faux leather cords, pieces of plastic, water-based paint in metallic colors, and a series of solder-free, Arduino-compatible hardware. The Pulsar Helmet and Armor are built around an ATmega32U4, powered by three AAA batteries and ships with jumper wires, header pins, a proto board and a photoresistor module.

“To increase the versatility of the kit, we selected a powerful Arduino-compatible microcontroller that can be adapted to a variety of projects beyond glowing a LED light. Additionally none of the components are permanently connected together. We envision that down the road we will add additional capabilities to the helmet and armor either as upgrade kits or as free online tutorials. More importantly we want your kids to reuse or repurpose the electronics,” Chen adds.

What’s nice about the project is that it can grow with the Makers themselves. Meaning, as the child gains confidence and hones their programming skills, the Pulsar kit includes different lesson modules for each step of the way. For instance, the earliest stage — geared towards ages eight and up — doesn’t require any programming and provides users with an overview of basic electronics, as well as an introduction to microcontrollers and LEDs. Once completed, a second level walks them through the process of changing pre-set variables to customize LED lights. And finally, a young DIYer will ultimately be able to discover how to program from scratch using the Arduino IDE.

The armor, helmet and shield are comprised of double-layered cardboard which makes them quite durable. The sword, in particular, is stiff and much like those made of soft woods like pine. Digital patterns for both the helmet and shield are emailed in PDF format to those just starting out, along with a set of step-by-step video instructions. And to keep in line with its mystique and to help spark the child’s imagination, Crafteeo has created its own magical storyline around the “World of the Guardians,” the fantasy world’s equivalent of the Coast Guard.

“When kids put this on, their persona completely changes. You see their former self just kind of melt away, and they become this heroic self,” Chen explains.

Interested in a Pulsar helmet and armor for your child? Head over to its Kickstarter page, where Crafteeo is currently seeking $10,000. Delivery of units is expected to get underway in November 2015.

WTFDuino is a banana-shaped, closed source Arduino

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WTFDuino is on a mission to make ‘simple’ much more complicated. (Yes, you read that correctly.)

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What if you were to take everything that you have come to love about the Arduino Uno — its simplicity, its accessibility, its breadboardability — and then reversed it? Well, that’s exactly what electronic engineer Calum Knott has done.

The Maker, who believes today’s MCUs are too sensible, has “undesigned” the Arduino into what he calls the WTFDuino — a banana-shaped processor whose form factor is impossible to breadboard and whose pins are incorrectly labelled.

“The world needs a more confusing Arduino,” Knott says. Testament to that, the engineer has actually made it abundantly clear that it will remain closed source, as he will not be sharing its PCB layout.

Like many other Arduinos and its clones, the WTFDuino is based on an ATmega328P and features built-in USB support for programming with the Arduino IDE. While it is not known for certain as to whether or not he will actually sell the board, Knott reveals it’ll cost you roughly $23 for the headache of owning one.

IRduino is an Arduino-compatible USB IR receiver

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IRduino is an open source and programmable USB infrared receiver that gives new life to old remote controls.

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For decades, consumer electronics have relied upon infrared remote controls for operation. However, recent advancements in technology, like Bluetooth connectivity, motion sensors and voice recognition, have led to piles of obsolete remotes collecting dust in closets and storage bins throughout the world. But what if you were able to bring these antiquated gadgets back to life and put them to work in creative, more productive ways? Enter the IRduino.

The brainchild of Longan Lab, IRduino is a peripheral device that enables just about any IR signal to be translated into commands. Based on an ATmega32U4, the board is equipped with an SMD IR receiver and on-board USB interface. It operates by default at 5V with a clock speed of 16MHz, not to mention packs 32KB of Flash, 2.5KB of SRAM, 1KB of EEPROM and a remote distance of over 16 feet.

And unlike many products on the market, the pocket-sized IRduino (just 0.7” x 1.3”) is thick enough to sit snugly inside a USB port. To keep the device humanized, its creators have even screen printed a little robot on its reverse side with a pair of programmable LEDs for eyes.

Beyond that, IRduino comes with the Arduino Leonardo bootloader pre-installed, which makes it fully compatible with the incredibly popular Arduino IDE for programming. According to the Longan Lab team, the board features an open source library that will work with nearly 95% of infrared remotes on the market, such as air conditioner units, TVs, DVD players and household appliances, among a number of other machines.

As for its applications, Makers will find IRduino to be both practical and entertaining. Since it’s compatible with many platforms, ranging from Raspberry Pi to Mac, the possibilities are truly endless. For instance, it can serve as an interface for a single-board media center, a controller for simple games, a remote for PowerPoint presentations, as well as a quick way to reboot a laptop with the push of a button.

Are you ready to give your old remote controls a new lease on life? Then head over to IRduino’s crowdfunding campaign on CrowdSupply, where the team is currently seeking $2,000. Delivery is expected to get underway in September 2015.

MOVI can add voice control to your Arduino projects

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MOVI is an offline speech recognizer and voice synthesizer shield that adds voice control functionality to any Arduino project.

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As popular as the easy-to-use Arduino has become throughout the Maker community, incorporating voice commands into these projects certainly comes with its fair share of challenges. In an effort to make this as seamless as possible, one startup out of Berkeley, California startup has developed a standalone speech recognition and synthesizer shield with full sentence capability.

The brainchild of Audeme, MOVI (which stands for “My Own Voice Interface”) is a plug-and-play solution that enables users to connect the shield to their Arduino or compatible board, add on an optional speaker and be on their way. The unit provides an alternative to buttons, remote controls and smartphones by allowing Makers to use full-sentence voice commands for tasks, whether that’s turning devices on and off, entering alarm codes or carrying on programmed conversations with projects. Impressively, MOVI will respond in the same manner to the same sentences, no matter who is speaking to it.

Whereas a majority of the voice recognition systems found in today’s consumer devices use cloud-based databases to understand what someone is saying, MOVI is equipped with a 2GB on-board dictionary of up to 200 customizable English phrases. What’s more, Audeme ensures user privacy as it does not connect to the Internet or an external PC, and can be employed as an off-the-grid solution. All of the processing is done on its 1GHz ARM-based processor.

Aside from sentences, Makers can interact naturally with their gizmos and gadgets by creating full dialogs using the built-in male or female voice synthesizer. In a quiet environment, Makers can even talk to their shield from up to 12 feet away, or should they find themselves in a noisy setting, they can throw on a pair of headset microphones.

MOVI is a true Arduino shield, in that it is completely stackable and all of its connections come from the header pins. Not only that, but the device has a programmable call sign, meaning that users can personalize how to refer to the device depending on the task at hand.

“The default call sign is ‘MOVI,’ but you can change it to ‘Computer,’ ‘Hello’ or anything you can think of! You can also turn it off and MOVI can just listen to any sound,” the team explains.

Are you looking to replace your digital entry keypad with speech or play old-school video games with a voice interface? If so, you’re in luck. Audeme has already surpassed its $12,000 goal on Kickstarter, and is expected to begin shipping the MOVI shields early next year.

Vortex lets kids program their own robotic toy

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Vortex is a smart and responsive robot that kids can play with and program themselves. 

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The emergence of robotic gadgets have inspired a new generation of toys that are not only fun but educational as well. Joining the likes of Sphero, Hackaball, Kibo, LocoRobo and several others, Shanghai-based startup DFRobot has introduced a smart and responsive device for kids. Named Vortex, the robot enables its young users to play various games, learn about programming and even create their own via an accompanying app.

Designed with the novice Maker community in mind, Vortex works right of the box and simply pairs to a smartphone (iOS and Android) over Bluetooth. Thanks to its built-in computer and a dozen sensors, it is capable of maneuvering around the floor, desk or table with a touch of the screen. Vortex features four pre-installed, multi-player games, which allow kids to compete against one another in sumo-like bumping fights, play a round of virtual golf, race throughout the house or partake in an immersive match of robot soccer.

While Vortex will certainly prove to be an amusing play-thing, its creators hope that it will encourage more children to pursue STEM-related disciplines and begin tinkering around with code. This is made possible through an easy-to-use, intuitive app that enables graphical programming in a simple drag and drop manner. Vortex also comes with pre-set courses that teach how to make use of its built-in capabilities, which include recognizing hand gestures and avoiding drop-offs.

Aside from being open source, Vortex is completely compatible with both Arduino and Scratch. This opens up a wide range of possibilities, such as seeing and speaking through infrared, grayscale and sound speakers, and navigating around obstacles, detecting lines and reporting back to its user. With an ATmega328 MCU at its heart, the robot is equipped with 10 sensors ( two infrared proximity, two speed control, six line following), 12 independent RGB LEDs, as well as Bluetooth, USB and I2C connectivity options. Beyond that, it is powered by four AA batteries, boasts a life of 40-90 minutes, and can even show its emotions with up to 32 different eye expressions.

“We believe kids can benefit a lot from robotics, in identifying their own challenges, learning how stuff works, solving new problems, motivating themselves to complete a project, working together, inspiring and sharing with others. That’s why we created Vortex to be more than just a toy,” the team writes.

Know of a young one who would love such a device? Head over to Vortex’s Kickstarter campaign, where DFRobot is currently seeking $54,035. Units are expected to begin shipping in October 2015.

Meet Buddy, your family’s future companion robot

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Buddy is a social robot that connects, protects and interacts with each member of your family.

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According to a recent study from Business Insider, the consumer robot market is projected to grow seven times faster than the market for manufacturing robots at a CAGR of 17% between 2014 and 2019. And apparently the report is right, as several companies have embarked on the journey of bringing Jetsons-like companion bots into homes — such as Jibo, Pepper and Musio, to name just a few.

Most recently, French startup Blue Frog Robotics has joined the growing list of startups that want you to have an artificially intelligent friend inside your humble abode in the near future. Their adorable prototype, named Buddy, is being billed as social robot for every member of the family with the ability to structure your day as a personal assistant, monitor your home as a security guard, entertain the kids as a nanny and help stay connected as a Wi-Fi network.

With a number of impressive built-in functions, the Arduino-compatible machine is packed with everything that a robot could possibly need to immerse itself into your daily life.

Aside from being fully mobile with three wheels and an assortment of sensors that allow it to travel, learn and interact with its surroundings, Buddy features an ATmega2560 MCU, a camera, a touchscreen face, a microphone, two speakers, a pair of driving motors, a series of RGB LEDs, along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Beyond that, the bot is equipped with audio, HDMI and USB outputs, as well as a rechargeable battery with a life of approximately eight to 10 hours.

Boasting many human-like traits, Buddy is capable of hearing, speaking, seeing and addressing someone with familiar facial expressions and movements. What’s also nice is that the bot can sync to practically any in-home smart device, enabling it to do everything from adjust the lights to the thermostat via voice commands or its accompanying mobile app. Among the gadgets currently supported include Parrot Flower Power, Withings blood pressure monitor, Nest thermostat, MyFox home alarm and LIFX lights.

Additionally, the charismatic robot can serve as a security system by watching over your home using its camera. This way, if danger or something out of the ordinary is detected, Buddy will instantaneously send an alert to its owner.

Not only is it open source, but Buddy is entirely modular and can be expanded upon with a range of plug-and-play accessories, like a docking station, arms and a pico-projector. Those with prior knowledge of Unity3D, C++, C# and JavaScript can even customize their robotic pal using its SDK. As for beginners, however, they can still develop basic apps and behaviors by simply dragging and dropping actions from its library.

Impressively, its creators have also designed Buddy to adapt to children with autism thanks to specialized software that will assist them in learning, communicating, interacting and becoming more independent. Caregivers and family members will be able to personalize the content within the robot’s application, whether that’s offering reminders and visual aids or congratulating them for tasks well done through fun animations.

So, are you ready for an A.I. pal of your own? Then head over to Buddy’s Indegogo page here, where Blue Frog Robotics is currently seeking $100,000. Delivery is slated for May 2016.

HamShield turns an Arduino into a VHF/UHF transceiver

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HamShield lets your Arduino communicate with far away people and things using amateur radio bands.

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Nowadays, ham radio represents a great opportunity for Makers and engineers alike to explore the world around them. Whether it’s text messaging over APRS while backpacking or communicating with the space station as it flies overhead, one Seattle startup is on a mission to enable your Arduino to talk with people and things far away using VHF and UHF frequencies with the aptly named HamShield.

Have you ever wanted to innovate with amateur radio but could not figure out what band to choose or which was the easiest to hack into to gain more advanced features? In an effort to simplify this, the HamShield is super easy to control. To get started, Makers can write their own Arduino sketch and turn their board into a transceiver in a matter of minutes. This allows users to build APRS trackers, transmit and interpret Morse code, race remote-controlled cars, or even transform the Arduino into a serial-controlled radio and work with a computer interface. Thanks to its accompanying Chrome app, any PC with a web browser can become a packet radio station. In other words, users can download and write new laptop applications that leverage the flexibility of the HamShield, but may require the user interface or special processing power of a laptop.

“We have also written an application that runs in any Chrome browser and can talk directly to the HamShield. This means that you can also use a low cost, low powered laptop (such as a Chromebook) to control your Ham Radio on the go,” team member Casey Halverson writes.

The HamShield Arduino library gives users the ability to control every aspect of the radio, handling all communication between the Arduino and the shield so that the only thing needed is its simple API. The team has even created ready-to-use functions for common amateur radio modes, such as Morse code, packet radio, SSTV, scanning, white space channel seeking and empty channel detection. Additionally, Audio can be accessed in one of two ways, either through the HamShield’s built-in TRRS jack or by directly interfacing with the Arduino. The HamShield employs the existing Arduino audio capability to transmit and receive packet radio data, which can be found in the library.

In terms of hardware, the HamShield is based on the Auctus 1846S radio transceiver IC, which boasts a fully integrated FM radio transceiver. With its software defined radio core, users have access to several features like sub-audio CTCSS/CDCSS modes, DTMF encoding and decoding, tail noise elimination, RSSI, squelch, VOX, volumes, and even a very powerful tone encoder and decode.

The Arduino-compatible, open source HamShield supports both voice and packet radio modes, as well as a wide range of VHF and UHF frequencies: 134-174 MHz, 200-260 MHz and 400-520 MHz. This, of course, covers three amateur bands: 2-meter (144-148 MHz), 1.25-meter (220-225 MHz) and 70-centimeter (420-450 MHz).

What’s more, the HamShield eliminates the need for a dedicated radio or piece of equipment for each type of operating mode. The unit is compact, lightweight and fully compatible with any board that supports Uno-style shields. Due to the amount of power required, though, it must be connected to an external power supply at all times.

“Care was taken to make sure that the input voltage range was also within the output range of several different types of battery technologies, including 4xAA battery packs and 7.4 volt LiPo battery packs. The HamShield can operate between 5-30 volts DC, and is typically powered by a 12 VDC power adapter,” Halverson adds.

As a bonus, the HamShield’s power supply is also fed into VIN on the Arduino. Portable options, such as GPS trackers, hidden transmitter hunting, and laptop APRS and packet radio are now made possible.

Interested? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where its creators have already nearly doubled its initial pledge goal. Delivery of the shields is expected to begin in October 2015.

Oro is an SMS alarm temperature watchdog

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Need to leave your pup in the car? This Arduino-powered device will send you a text if it gets too warm inside.

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Maker Richard Deininger has developed an SMS alarm temperature watchdog. The idea for Oro was first conceived as a simple alert system for whenever the AC system in his company’s server room went down. Upon showing it off to his colleagues, the dog-loving bunch informed him that the DIY gadget would also make for an excellent tool to ensure that the inside of a car never got too hot for poor Fido.

Now an entry in this year’s Hackaday Prize, the dog owner application itself is pretty straightforward. It is comprised on an Arduino Uno (ATmega328), a DHT22 temperature and humidity probe, a 2000uF capacitor, a power bank with two outputs, and a SIM900 GSM modem — all housed inside a small enclosure for optimum portability.

An owner defines a temperature threshold to get started, and should the thermometer escalate to unsafe levels for the pup, they will be notified via text message.

Interested? Head over to the project’s Hackaday.io page here.

Gesto allows you to use any part of your body as a controller

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Gesto is an open source kit for gesture recognition, motion patterns and muscle analysis.

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When it comes to user interfaces for today’s devices, there are two words that every tech enthusiast loves to hear: Minority Report. The concept of gesture control was made popular back in 2002 during Steven Spielberg’s film, which featured Tom Cruise’s character navigating a gestural interface with sensor-embedded gloves on a giant transparent screen. Fast forward several years and innovations like Thalmic Labs’ Myo armband are making that sci-fi-like technology a reality. With aspirations of bringing that capability to the masses, one Portuguese startup led by Maker Ricardo Santos has developed an open source board kit for gesture recognition built around an ATmega1284P MCU. Unlike other systems which require the use of cameras and calibrations, the aptly named Gesto is able to transform any part of the human body into a controller.

Once attached to the body, the AVR based system works by reading a user’s muscle activity and analyzing bio-signals in real-time. This enables a user to control a wide range of electronic devices through wave and pinch gestures, interact with computer-based applications by drawing letters, numbers and figures in thin air, not to mention turn any surface into a touch interface by simply applying finger pressure. And that’s just the arm.

Gesto is capable of recognizing movement patterns from any part of the body, such as a foot, leg or torso, and relaying these signals instantaneously. This is accomplished through the combination of EMG muscle sensors and three-axis accelerometers. Unlike other solutions on the market, this kit is not influenced by the environment nor does it require having to raise a hand in front of a camera. Instead, Gesto can be implemented in the dark, tight spaces and pretty much anywhere else without any problems. The boards don’t need ground electrodes either, meaning less cables and noise.

The platform employs the same algorithm, no matter the gesture, letting a user carry out actions that were never before possible, whether that’s turning a table surface into a music machine or commanding an entertainment center in a more intuitive manner.

For its crowdfunding debut, Gesto is available in two separate versions: an out-of-the-box ready kit for starters (Caelum) and a fully-configurable dev kit (Stella) for more experienced inventors. Both units are based on an EMG circuit and an ATmega1284P yet boast much different form factors — Caelum measures in at 40mm x 40mm, while Stella a bit smaller at 35mm x 20mm.

Caelum comes with eight reusable electrodes, cables, a 3.7V rechargeable battery, a microUSB cable and an elastomeric band, and connects to an accompanying mobile app via Bluetooth, enabling a user to create their own gestures easily without programming. 3D printable designs for the modular band will also be made available, allowing Makers to utilize Gesto throughout various parts of the body. Meanwhile, Stella is an Arduino-compatible, fully-configurable kit comprised of a tinier board, 16 disposable electrodes and cables for connection.

“From Stella you get the raw muscle data by SPI communication. It’s like an external sensor that you can connect to an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, for example. We provide all you need to start doing gesture recognition and muscle analysis,” the team writes. “Here the possibilities are endless, because you are not limited to Bluetooth connectivity! Use Wi-Fi or IR, combined muscle data with other sensors.”

What’s more, each Gesto unit has four bipolar muscle channels, and provides Makers will all of the necessary tools to do conduct muscle analysis: software filters, machine learning algorithms, feature extraction, data compression and integration, all of which made available in various languages including Matlab, C, Python, Java.

“Gesto provides free software that you usually find on expensive platforms,” its creators add. “We eliminated the ground electrode by creating a virtual ground. This means you can measure muscle activity in any part of the body without extra cables and electrodes.”

Intrigued? Head over to Gesto’s crowdfunding page, where the startup is currently seeking $75,000. Delivery is scheduled for March 2016.

Wino is an $11 Arduino-like board with Wi-Fi

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Wino is like an Arduino in a much smaller form factor with built-in Wi-Fi.

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Recently launched on Kickstarter, the Wino is an Arduino-compatible board with built-in Wi-Fi that is designed to help bring IoT ideas to life in a cost-effective manner — $11 to be exact.

Boasting a much smaller form factor and lower price tag than other Arduinos on the market today, the Wino is built around the Atmel | SMART SAM D21 — the same chip at the heart of the Zero. This gives users more speed, space and several new features, all while consuming minimal power. The unit runs at an operating voltage of 3.3V, includes 15 digital I/O and seven analog I/O pins (six 12-bit ADC, one 10-bit DAC), 16KB of RAM and 128KB of Flash memory. Meanwhile, its on-board Wi-Fi module comes with a simple web-based setup that makes the device accessible from just about anywhere.

The layout combines an uber small size (26.6mm x 18.6mm) with a 27-pin stackable header, enabling Makers to easily upgrade the Wino with functions like relay and power measurement, battery supply, temperature monitoring, DC and servo motor control, motion sensing, as well as USB which allows a user to program their board by opening a web browser and selecting a Wi-Fi network. Once connected, a Maker can communicate with the module from any TCP/IP device, whether that’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop PC.

Those Makers just starting out will appreciate that Wino comes with pre-installed, open source software, thereby eliminating any prerequisite programming skills. What’s more, the board supports the highly-popular Arduino IDE, giving users the ability to upload existing Arduino codes or employ one of the countless libraries available.

“Since over a year the design of the board was constantly improved and optimized. The goal was to create a hardware which combines als necessary features which makes it a perfect basis for connected devices. And this a a very small size,” its team writes.”The main task was provide the board at a minimum price which makes it easy to use the board even in low cost applications (like wireless switches). We are very confident that we found a good solution that combines functionality, small size, performance and costs.”

Interested in devising a home automation, multimedia or fitness IoT project? You may want to head over to Wino’s official Kickstarter page, where German startup IAN is currently seeking $28,019. Delivery is slated for November 2015.