The RedStick is a USB board with an ATmega328P at its core

---

The SparkFun RedStick is a production version of the BadgerStick, a board you’ve probably seen at a recent tradeshow inside the BadgerHack Badge. 

---

Last year, the SparkFun crew developed the BadgerStick as a fun and interactive way for Makers to learn about soldering and engaging with various boards at trade tradeshows. Now, the team has refined the BadgerStick into something they’re calling the SparkFun RedStick!

At the heart of the new device is an ATmega328P running at 16MHz. Makers will take comfort in knowing that the RedStick is packed with many cool features, including the Arduino Uno’s Optiboot bootloader, its compact form factor, FTDI and the ability to be plugged directly into a computer’s USB port (no FTDI board or USB cable required).

What’s more, the board can be programmed using the Arduino IDE. Simply insert the board, select “Arduino Uno” from the menu and you’re ready to upload code. The RedStick boasts 14 digital I/O pins with six PWM pins, eight analog inputs, UART, SPI, I2C and external interrupts.

The SparkFun RedStick can be juiced up over USB or through its power input (which supports a JST connector). Additionally, an onboard boost regulator provides 5V to the ‘328P from an input range of 2 to 6V. While the RedStick does not included a battery charger, it can be powered over a single-cell LiPo or even a pair of AA batteries.

Intrigued? Head over to its official page, where you’ll find an in-depth overview of the board.

MobileNode is a circular IoT board

---

This open source, Arduino-compatible GSM/GPRS and GPS/GLONASS device provides real-time data anywhere, about anything.

---

The MobileNode is an open source IoT board, which was named a semi-finalist in last year’s Hackaday Prize and is now live on Indiegogo. Measuring just seven centimeters in diameter, the circular device is equipped with an ATmega32U4 MCU at its core, a GPS/GLONASS module for tracking and a GSM/GPRS chip for data transmission.

Makers can easily attach a variety of sensors to the MobileNode, including air quality (CO, CO2, O2, etc.), temperature, humidity, fire and motion, as well as add lights, servo motors and other electronic circuits. This enables the Arduino-compatible board to monitor air pollution, reduce energy consumption, collect real-time data, and even control food production machinery. What’s more, there are four holes for M1.2 or M1.4 screws, making it possible to house the MobileNode inside a box or case.

Every MobileNode comes with an attached tag, which contains both a public and private key. As its creators Oscar Rojas and Camilo Rojas reveal, you can push data to the cloud with the private key, while accessing such information via the public key. Meanwhile, GPS coordinates are shown in a Google Map along with the board’s orientation data given by its e-compass.

Aside from all that, MobileNode features an electret microphone that lets users hear what is happening nearby, a Nano SIM card socket, TVS diodes and Bluetooth. It is also possible to connect an external antenna to the GPS module, since some applications call for the MobileNode to be used indoors.

Intrigued? Head over to its Indiegogo page here, or watch the video below.

17 smart crowdfunding campaigns you may want to back this week

---

Every Friday, we take a look at some of the smartest, most innovative projects that caught our attention on Kickstarter and Indiegogo over the last seven days. 

---

TappLock

This cutting-edge padlock opens with your unique fingerprint — no combinations or keys required. TappLock has already garnered more than $40,000 on Indiegogo.

Orison

This plug-and-play energy storage system powers homes and businesses to reduce costs, provide backup during blackouts, and contribute to a cleaner future. Orison has well surpassed its goal of $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Dome Alert

This simple yet affordable DIY solution offers 24/7 protection from fire, flood, carbon monoxide and freezing temperatures. Dome Alert is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.

ThermalTech

This jacket is made of smart fabric that captures the sun’s heat to keep you warm without adding bulk. ThermalTech has reached its $25,000 goal on Indiegogo.

Prana

This wearable can unlock your body’s relaxation response by training diaphragmatic breathing and good posture, all from your waistband. Prana is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.

JIC

This iPhone case instantly records any call or in‐person conversation without the need to connect to an app or external source. JIC is currently seeking $25,000 on Indiegogo.

TYLT VÜ Pulse

This accessory turns your Pebble Time into a true fitness tracker with heart rate monitoring and wireless charging. TYLT is currently seeking $100,000 on Kickstarter.

Garadget

This cloud-enabled controller lets you monitor and operate existing garage doors from smartphones, wearables and other mobile devices. Softcomplex is currently seeking $20,000 on Kickstarter.

B-Creative

This extremely user-friendly 3D printer can be managed right from your smartphone. B-Creative 3D Tech is currently seeking $50,000 on Kickstarter.

ScopeAround

This multi-functional video camera features interchangeable heads and Wi-Fi connectivity. ScopeAround is currently seeking $100,000 on Kickstarter.

PulseBand A6

This intuitive, intelligent and inexpensive band helps support a healthier life with every pulse. Vidonn Smartband is currently seeking $30,000 on Kickstarter.

Hidn Tempo

This intelligent watch strap allows you to keep tabs on your stress from anywhere, at anytime. Hidn Technology is currently seeking $20,172 on Kickstarter.

Lumiere

This essential oil diffuser can hold up to four capsules and automatically emit scents with just a tap of your phone. Lumiere is currently seeking $32,440 on Kickstarter.

Cowin Ark

This two-piece speaker system combines a detachable mini sound bar and powerful ported subwoofer bass station with wireless charging. Cowin Ark is currently seeking $49,850 on Kickstarter.

EKOOR Beacons

This set of ambient light-powered BLE beacons can automatically control any device depending on your presence inside your home. EKOOR is currently seeking $25,168 on Kickstarter.

CRPO

This tiny, battery-powered, Bluetooth Low Energy sensor platform comes with an SDK that you can program wirelessly with your smartphone. MbientLab has exceeded its $5,000 goal on Kickstarter.

MicroPython on the ESP8266

This open source language with standard API makes creating IoT projects more enjoyable and easier when using the ESP8266 Wi-Fi chip. Damien George is currently seeking $8,540 on Kickstarter.

MobileNode

This open source GSM/GPRS and GPS/GLONASS board is equipped with a fully Arduino-compatible MCU at its core. Oscar Rojas and Camilo Rojas are currently seeking $3,000 on Indiegogo.

Make It!

This Arduino-friendly prototyping kit offers Makers a fun and easy way to explore open hardware projects. Ferran Fàbregas is currently seeking $1,625 on Indiegogo.

Did you happen to miss last week’s notable campaigns? If so, you can check them out here.

Pneuduino is a modular platform for fast prototyping of inflatable structures

---

This hardware system lets you create soft robots, adaptive furniture, smart clothing, breathing art and inflatable food. 

---

Pneuduino is a modular hardware system developed by Felix Heibeck and Jifei Ou of MIT Media Lab’s Tangible Media Group. The platform enables the control of air flow and pressure, which opens endless possibilities for Makers, artists, designers and researchers who want to add unique shape-shifting features to their projects.

“Air is one the most abundant resources on Earth. By adding computation ability to air, we can create new types of materials that enable us to design robots that are soft, furniture that is adaptive, clothing that is intelligent and art pieces that are breathing,” Heibeck and Ou explain. In fact, you can even turn dough into an inflating, shape-shifting interface.

Pneuduino is open source and can be programmed with Arduino IDE. It currently consists of four different modules: a Master Board, a Pneumatic Control Board, an Input Board and a Grove Extension Board.

The Master is based on an ATmega32U4 and can command multiple connected modules using the Pneuduino library. Up to 11 pneumatic control boards can be linked to it, along with an additional Input Board and Grove Extension Board.

What’s more, the Pneumatic Control Board is the hero of Pneuduino responsible for air flow and reading air pressure. Two solenoid valves enable full control of one, or partial control of two air bladders. The pressure sensor can read values up to 58 PSI, while the four LEDs under the sensor reveal the pressure. With an ATmega328P at its core, it can be managed from the Master Board and the Pneuduino library or, for simple applications, can be used individually by programming and powering it through the FTDI header.

If you need a simple button to trigger an event or a dial to tweak a parameter, the  Pneuduino Input Board will come in handy. It features a pair of push-buttons, a potentiometer and can be hooked up directly to the master board.

Beyond that, those wishing to add an extra sensor, LED or other peripheral to their pneumatic system can employ the Pneuduino’s Grove extension board, which can connect any 5V-compatible I2C device.

Pneuduino is currently being used in workshops with high school or college students. While each workshop has a different focus, they all introduce concepts of air as an actuator and sensor, as well as various fabrication methods to create transforming artifacts. Interested? Head over to the toolkit’s page here.

Become a DIY pinball machine wizard

---

This Maker was able to recreate an arcade classic using commercially available parts and an Arduino Mega.

---

Pinball machines might not be a common sight in America anymore, but if you’re nostalgic about these ancestors of video games, chances are you’ve thought about owning one yourself. Since you’re reading this blog, there’s also a good chance you’ve thought about building one!

Bob Blomquist decided to go from thinking about it to actually constructing his own using commercially available parts, including an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560). As you might suspect, as shown at 9:10 in the video below, even a relatively simple table like this requires a massive amount of wiring.

Blomquist’s project features several interesting techniques, including the use of an off-the-shelf voltage divider too step down the 24 volt power used with the “pop bumpers.” This allowed the bumpers to be powered by 24 volts, while this output is reduced to 5 volts for Arduino input. In this case, the circuit tended to leak current, so an analog input was employed to filter out false signals.

The voltage divider is a very useful concept in electronics, and more information on building one of these yourself can be found here.

Besides showing off a few electronics tricks, this detailed video also reveals all kinds of interesting components used in a standard pinball table. They are quite interesting in their normal use, and for that matter, some of them could certainly be repurposed for other Maker projects!

Humans can now be bioluminescent with this LED implant

---

The Northstar V1 is the latest device biohackers are implanting under their skin.

---

There are wearables… and then there are embeddables. The latter is technology you can’t necessarily take off because it’s implanted in your body under the skin. This seems extreme for most people, but not for a group biohackers who recently implanted a coin-sized LED device in their hands.

The Northstar V1 is the latest subdermal technology implant created by Grindhouse Wetware, a Pittsburgh-based collective comprised of biohackers and grinders. For those unfamiliar with the term, grinders are people who are part human, part machine and they share the mission of “augmenting humanity using safe, affordable, open source technology.”

The Northstar is a module with five red LEDs that light up for 10 seconds when activated by a magnet, illuminating the user’s skin. While a light up implantable doesn’t sound too appealing and worth cutting up your hand for, co-founder Tim Cannon says the Northstar is designed to show that things can be inserted safely and be usable under the skin.

The Northstar is coated with Parylene, which is employed in biotech to prevent the body’s rejection of the device. At the heart of it is an ATmega28P. A limitation to the unit, however, is its power. The implant runs on a CR2325 lithium coin cell and is not rechargeable. However, the Grindhouse team believes this simple gadget will pave the way for a more advance and functional Northstar V2 that will be rechargeable, have gesture recognition, Bluetooth capabilities and even deliver biometric data.

At the moment, V1 is purely for aesthetic purposes and has gained interest from the body modification community as a way to backlight body art. If you’re interested in becoming a cyborg, visit Cannon and the Grindhouse Wetware’s website.

[Images: Ryan O’Shea/Grindhouse Wetware]

Build a 3D scanner with infinite resolution for just $50

---

All you need is a DSLR camera, an Arduino, a stepper motor driver, a stepper motor, an IR LED and a LCD shield.

---

Looking for desktop 3D scanner with inifitinite resolution? Well, the good news is that you can get your hands on one for just $50. The bad news is that, you will need a DSLR camera. That’s because Maker Whitney Potter was able to create his own using a Nikon and an Arduino-driven stepper motor.

“Desktop 3D scanning has made great leaps in recent years but it still has great limitations,” Potter explains. “Scanner hardware is built around a specific scan volume and resolution. You can get decent results, but only if your object fits that sweet spot. If you’re object is too small, or too detailed or your scanner is just having a bad day, your scan will look like a potato. Luckily there is another approach.”

The method he is referring to is photogrammetry, which constructs 3D images from a set of partially overlapping 2D images. The limiting factor with this approach is the quality and spacing of the photographs. Each picture must be well exposed and perfectly focused. Plus, there must be sufficient overlap between the photos so the rendering software knows where each shot belongs. Although this can be done with some practice on larger objects, it is virtually impossible with smaller subjects. This is where the Arduino-powered stepper motors come in handy.

As aforementioned, Potter’s DIY 3D scanner employs a stepper motor controlled by an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) to turn the scanned item by a fixed amount. An infrared LED then triggers the camera’s wireless sensor, setting off the shutter. This process is repeated until photos have been collected from all angles, allowing one’s photogrammetry software to reproduce an accurate and high-res 3D image of the subject.

Meanwhile, an LCD display shield with a set of buttons enables a user to command the Arduino. With these buttons, the user can select the number of pictures to be taken per revolution. The scanner can run in two different modes. In automatic, it takes a picture, advances the stepper and repeats until it has completed a whole revolution. Whereas in manual, each push of the button captures a picture, advances the stepper and waits. According to Potter, the latter is particularly useful for scans where each photo needs to be framed and focused manually.

Although Potter’s Arduino sketch has been configured for a Nikon DSLR, it can be set up to work with pretty much any other brand of camera. The Maker utilized Sebastian Setz’s Multi Camera IR Control library, which allows it to work with any model that uses an IR remote.

In terms of photogrammetry software, Potter recommends Agisoft Photoscan and Autodesk Memento, as well as Autodesk 123D Catch for those on a budget. Intrigued? Head over to the Maker’s Instructables page where you can find a step-by-step breakdown of his project.

Creating a new LEGO TECHNIC interface

---

This hackerspace swapped out the Apple II for an Arduino and a touchscreen.

---

Readers that were born in the 1980s or early 1990s may remember something called “LEGO TECHNIC.” These were advanced LEGO components that, along with other interesting mechanical parts, could be electrically driven and even controlled with an Apple II computer.

The LVL1 Hackerspace in Louisville was fortunate enough to receive a set as a donation, including the 70455 interface module. Unfortunately, the space did not have a working Apple II to interface with it, so a member decided to “simply” make an Arduino interface for the device instead.

Going from donation to interface completion took several years, but the first step was to open up the box. Although looking inside things is generally a good thing to try when hacking unknown equipment, this proved unnecessary since it was already documented and available online. Based on research, an Arduino shield was then created to interface the Arduino outputs with the LEGO control box.

After everything was wired, code was written to control it, and thus the TECHNIC components. A touchscreen was added to complete the build as seen in the video below.

Although certainly an interesting exercise in resurrecting “ancient” technology, another alternative would likely have been to directly power the light and motor using a motor shield. Then again, what fun would that be?

Get back at annoying neighbors with this Arduino stereo system

---

This system will automatically blast loud music whenever your neighbors are too loud. 

---

Unfortunately, you don’t get to choose your neighbors. However, what can choose is how you put up with them. Take YouTuber “Jamil,” for example, who decided to take a more passive-aggressive (and rather genius) approach for dealing with the obnoxious folks next door.

As you can see in the video below, the Maker built an Arduino-controlled stereo that automatically blasts annoying music right back at them. The system consists of a microphone that detects when the nearby residents plays loud tunes, which triggers a CD player that emits a snippet of The Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

Do you have a neighbor who you can’t stand? Feel free to seek revenge just like Jamal, but this time, go ahead and pick any overplayed annoying song you’d like.

Wearable sweat sensors provide real-time analysis of the body

---

UC Berkeley engineers have developed new wearable sensors that can measure skin temperature, as well as glucose, lactate, sodium and potassium in sweat.

---

As it turns out, future wearable devices may not be as interested in your activities, as they are the sweat produced during them. That’s because engineers at UC Berkeley have developed a flexible sensor system capable of measuring metabolites and electrolytes in sweat and sending the results to a smartphone in real-time.

According to researchers, these bendable plastic patches can be easily implemented into bands for the wrist and head, and provide early warnings to health problems such as fatigue and dangerously high temperatures.

“Human sweat contains physiologically rich information, thus making it an attractive body fluid for non-invasive wearable sensors,” explained Ali Javey, a UC Berkeley professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences.

The prototype consists of five sensors and a flexible circuit with (what would appear to be an Atmel) MCU and a Bluetooth transceiver. This board measures the concentration of various chemicals in sweat and skin temperature, calibrates the information and then sends it over to its accompanying mobile app.

To test their proof-of-concept, the engineers put the device and more than two dozen volunteers through various indoor and outdoor exercises, such as riding stationary bikes and running trails. In doing so, the team kept tabs on sodium, potassium, glucose and lactate. Monitoring electrolytes like sodium and potassium may help track conditions,  and can ultimately be utilized to assess a user’s state of health.

“When studying the effects of exercise on human physiology, we typically take blood samples. With this non-invasive technology, someday it may be possible to know what’s going on physiologically without needle sticks or attaching little, disposable cups on you,” added physiologist George Brooks, a UC Berkeley professor of integrative biology.

Intrigued? Learn all about the wearable sweat sensor here, or watch the team’s video below!