Maker creates his own hand crank generator

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This 3D-printed, Arduino-based generator is capable of producing 30W of power.

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Have you been wondering what to do with your 3D printer for the next 250 hours? If so, you can make this hand crank generator from Norwegian designer Even Erichsen. The generator is capable of producing 30W of power, so even though it looks amazing, it wouldn’t be the right choice for an off-the-grid power supply.

According to Erichsen, his original goal for this project “was to generate electricity to boil water for food and disinfection,” but realized that one “would have to work the generator for quite some time to boil even a small amount of water.”

Taking this one step further, if his 3D printer used around 100W on average, this would mean that it would take about 830 hours, or nearly 35 days, of cranking to generate enough electricity to replicate itself.

When the crank is turned, as seen in the video below, printed gears multiply the rotational speed, spinning 96 neodymium magnets to generate electricity. An Arduino Nano (ATmega328) measures power output via a nicely made circuit board.

The device itself features 60 3D-printed parts, which called for two 3D printers in order to complete the job: an Ultimaker for the bigger parts, a Makerbot Replicator for the smaller ones. The designer says that, “Until I release a set of instructions, consider this a work of art,” and it really is quite nicely finished. You can find more info on this build on its Thingiverse page, or on JUSTPRESSPRINT with a really cool interactive 3D model.

Turning an NES into the ultimate 8-bit game console

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This system transforms 8-bit side-scrolling console video games into totally immersive multiplayer experiences.

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There’s no denying the nostalgic appeal of blowing into a Super Mario Bros cartridge, slipping it into your Nintendo Entertainment System and immersing yourself in an 8-bit world of blocky graphics and chiptunes. The side-scrolling game that we all grew up playing in our family rooms is pretty limited, though. You constantly move forwards, jumping over obstacles and hitting blocks, until you get to the end of a level — that’s about it. There’s no going back, you can’t zoom out and you can only have a maximum of two players.

What if there was a way to transform the beloved game into a collective, totally immersive experience? That’s exactly what a group from ETH Zurich and Disney Research set out to accomplish by developing the world’s first cooperative 8-player, 8-bit NES capable of continuous, panoramic side-scrolling.

For this endeavor, the team employed a real NES with real cartridges, giving it a true old-school effect. And it should be pointed out that there was no hacking of the actual console; instead, its creators enhanced the game using DIY hardware and software that multiplexes eight gmepad inputs to automatically handoff control from one pad to the next.

To connect eight controllers to the NES, they used an Arduino (ATmega328)-based multiplexer. Video from the NES is fed through an upscaler to get the output up to a solid 576p at 50Hz, whereas audio output goes directly from the NES to the room’s sound system.

Meanwhile, the NES output video signal is first captured and sent for analysis. A “tracking PC” running custom software processes the video stream, tracks the background and creates a wide, panoramic image. This image is then sent to a media server, which outputs the stream via eight projectors — two for each wall. Ars Technica notes that the tracking PC also has a real-time GPU algorithm to correct any distortion, enabling it to display clear graphics.

The Arduino multiplexer has two modes of operation: it can either cycle through each gamepad after a fixed amount of time, or the tracking PC can let the Arduino know to change to a specific gamepad, depending on where the players are in a level.

Once complete, the researchers tested the impressive system at a gathering with over 400 guests inside a Swiss night club. As you can imagine, it was a hit! The hope is that it will bring an entirely new level of social interaction to traditional game play. Think about it: Partygoers can swap in and out as they attempt to go from level to level, all while adding a unique ambiance to the environment. (Not for anything else, it can surely make for one heck of a drinking game!)

For those who don’t happen to have several projectors or giant walls, not to worry. The platform supports a virtual reality version as well, which reproduces a similar environment using an Oculus Rift headset.

Intrigued? Head over to the researcher’s official page to see how they’re ‘unfolding the 8-bit era.’ You can also head over to Ars Technica’s writeup or simply watch it in action below.

[h/t Ars Technica via ETH Zurich]

One Maker has created the synth from hell

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Want a different synth? Just swap the chip for a different program.

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Created by Melbourne-based sound designer Roberto Jordan, Hell Synth is a palm-sized experimental synthesizer that comes in both pre-assembled and kit form. Little noise synths are typically limited in the scope of their sound, either because they grind aggressively or drone in massive arrays of humming square-waves. In an effort to develop something a bit different, the Maker packed a whole lot of sounds in his 8cm x 7cm tool, ranging from oceans of glass to lightening fast arpeggios, that will keep anyone twiddling for hours.

The device is equipped with 9V in and comes with an adapter cable so users can also plug in a 9V battery. Aside from that, it features a power indicator LED, audio and media out ports, six knobs and an ATmega328 at its heart. What’s cool is that Hell Synth’s bottom panel is actually the same circuit board as top.

“This is the fifth version of this synth design and the 10th version of the software. I’ve been working to make sure it is fun to use while being full of awesome sounds,” Jordan writes.

Hell Synth currently features three programs, which allows users to control pitch, waveform, along with some chaotic elements that would appeal to any hard rocker. “FROM HELL!” is a hardcore noise synth with six digital wavetable oscillators, tons of glitch, modulation, waveforms, as well as MIDI out. Secondly, “ARP BOX1” is a little arpeggiator with both audio and MIDI out, capable of everything from Casio-style acid crazy to bleepy-bloops. The latest addition, “Zsynth,” is a space radio with slow warping, phasing sweeps, pulsing beats and hums. Jordan notes that users can either download the aforementioned programs or upload their own.

Want one of your own? Head over to the Maker’s page here.

This sound-reactive LED wall is groovy

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Now you can install an Ex Machina-inspired, music-responsive light fixture in your home.

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If you’ve ever watched the sci-fi flick Ex Machina, then chances are you’re familiar with Nathan’s (played by Oscar Isaac) infamous dance scene. The character flips a switch to transform his home’s concrete-walled lounge into a disco floor, complete with music-synced flashing lights.

For those of us not lucky enough to be billionaires and install high-tech walls inside our homes, engineer Dan Chen has revealed that it only takes some laser-cut cardboard, LEDs and a little ingenuity to devise an affordable replica of the groovy, sound-reactive light fixture of your own.

The movie-inspired project consists of two parts: sound sensing software and the actual hardware installation. To make the embedded LED strip react to the tunes, he employed a sound detection sensor along with an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) programmed to sink or provide current to the LEDs.

Additionally, Chen kicked it up a notch by putting together a more advanced version. For this, he mapped the sound in Max MSP and applied a low-pass and high-pass filter to generate different colors. This signal is sent to the Arduino (or any ATmega-based board, for that matter), which reads the number and then maps the value to the number.

All that was left was creating the geometric wall. Chen was able to reproduce this by using a still from the film to trace and cut the pattern out of cardboard. He proceeded to paint it white and bend it over a cylinder surface for some curvature. The project was then mounted to the wall with a piece of light-diffusing paper sandwiched in between.

Whenever Chen is ready to get down, he just has to sound the music and the lights will move to the beat in red, purple and blue.

Intrigued? Check out the entire project — including its code and wall pattern — on its page here. In the meantime, see it in action below!

 

3D printing an Arduino-controlled stepper motor

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As a way to help teach others how stepper motors work, this Maker designed one of his own. 

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Normal DC motors are fairly easy to use. Connect the propper voltage across the positive and negative leads, and one of these motors should spin. Stepper motors, however, are somewhat more complicated, both in how they are controlled and how they are constructed.

Maker “Proto G” decided to not just learn how to control one of these mechanisms, but actually built one from scratch. To achieve this, he 3D printed a stator (body of the motor) as well as a rotor that he could attach six permanent magnets to. These magnets were then sequnetially pulled by eight electromagnets on the outside, each made out of a nail wrapped with 25 feet of wire. You can see his hand drill wrapping process at around the 1:30 market in the video below.

Control is handled by an Arduino Uno (ATmega328), along with some other electronic components, nicely enclosed in a project box. The motor is turned by energizing the electromagnets in a counterclockwise direction to spin the rotor clockwise, and clockwise to spin in the opposite direction. It is capable of 15-degree full steps, as well as 7.5-degree half steps, accomplished by energizing two pairs of coils at the same time.

As linked toward the end of that video, Proto G has made a version 1.1 version of his motor with a NeoPixel LED ring to show which coils are activated. The results are visually quite interesting, though the video also notes that he’s working on a second version!

Interested? You can check out the entire project on its Instructables page here.

Maker dad builds a MIDI-enabled highchair

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This IKEA highchair hack is tray-mazing!

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We’ve seen Maker parents mod their children’s odds and ends in the past, but this highchair may have taken it to a whole new level. That’s because Phil Tucker has hacked his baby’s $20 IKEA dining accessory into pro-gamer training rig and then some.

To make the aptly named Highscore Chair a reality, Tucker scavenged a pair of joysticks and buttons for true arcade aesthetics, as well as an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) to trigger samples loaded onto an Akai MPC1000 synthesizer via the MIDI interface. There’s also a battery supplying some power. These electronics will be, if not already, housed inside an enclosure underneath the tray for enhanced safety.

“I’ve added MIDI out, which amounts to 10 MIDI triggers, eight for each joystick and one for each button. The Highscore Chair now triggers samples loaded onto an Akai MPC1000, but with MIDI out it could be used as any sort of control surface now,” Tucker explains.

Gaming aside, what’s really cool about this project is that it can become modular with various trays for different activities. (This particular IKEA piece enables you purchase extra interchangeable tabletops.) Think Graco meets LEGO.

Sound like something you’d love for you or your child? Head over to the Maker’s project page here.

Hands full? KickSoul lets you answer calls with your feet

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KickSoul is an embedded insole that maps natural feet movements into inputs for digital devices.

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Have you ever tried to answer a call, respond to a text or look something up on your phone when your hands are full? Thanks to a team of MIT Media Lab researchers, you can try using your feet instead. Introducing KickSoul — an insole that simply slips inside of your shoe and enables you to wirelessly control your mobile devices and appliances with a flick of your foot.

“Most of [today’s] devices have visual interfaces that rely on hand gestures and touch interaction, as they are easy and natural for us. However, there are occasions when our hands are busy or it is not acceptable to make use of them, preventing us from interacting with our devices,” the group led by Xavier Benavides writes.

To bring their idea to life, the Media Lab crew sewed several electronic components onto a spongy insole. These included an accelerometer and a gyroscope to track motion, an ATmega328 to help collect data and a Bluetooth module for wireless communication. The six-axis IMU registers the movements and transmits them to the MCU. From there, the information is analyzed by a special algorithm and relayed to an accompanying mobile app.

The system supports two types of interactions: pushing an imaginary object away with your foot and pulling one closer. The idea is that, with just these two simple foot movements, you can scroll, zoom in and out on a document, turn on a light, accept or reject a phone call, and save or delete a file. Whenever either gesture is detected, KickSoul will search for the nearest compatible device and determine which one the user wants to operate.

“Most of these interactions are short in time and not very complex. As a consequence, feet become a suitable substitute or complement to hands, as they tend to be free when our hands are not,” the researchers conclude.

Intrigued? Check out the project’s official paper here, and see it in action below.

Maker builds a scrapyard truck simulator

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Have you ever wanted to play a truck simulator with a real dashboard on your PC? Now you can. 

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As much fun as flight, truck or giant robot simulators can be when played with a keyboard and mouse, having a realistic cockpit to go with it certainly would enhance the realism. Jeroen vd Velden, who works in tech support at a home automation distributor and is also a licensed truck driver, decided to take this to the next level, using an actual truck dashboard and components with a PC simulator.

As documented on Hackaday.io, this was accomplished via an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) along with a CAN-BUS shield. CAN-BUS is an interface standard that allows one to “pull codes” when a car or truck is broken, and Velden is using this with his new cockpit.

In addition to the CAN-BUS, an Arduino Leonardo and a Pro Micro (both of which are powered by an ATmega32U4) are used to sense other inputs, like handbrakes and switches. When they receive signals, the Atmel chip translates them into virtual keyboard presses that go into the PC simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2.

One interesting aspect is how Velden modified the handbrake to output electrical signals. You can see the process documented in the video below. The project is ongoing, and Velden will be updating the documentation as things progress. As Velden puts it, “The Scrapyard is a great place to start with Arduino!”

mBot is an Arduino-compatible educational robot for young Makers

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Now part of the Arduino AtHeart program, Makeblock is looking help children learn how to program through a user-friendly kit, software and interface. 

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Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a number of easy-to-use robotic kits become available for young Makers in hope of inspiring them to pursue STEM-related fields. Among the more notable companies looking to spur this initiative is Shenzhen startup Makeblock with their low-cost educational robot. 

In the company’s pursuit of an O.R.P.K (or “One Robot Per Kid”) world, mBot was designed to be a comprehensive solution that would provide children with a hands-on experience around graphical programming, electronics and robotics. With simplicity in mind, the kit is comprised of only 45 or so pieces, enabling a sense of achievement for kids to quickly assemble in 10 minutes.

Given the popularity of Scratch 2.0 as a graphical programming software in the classroom setting, the Makeblock team has developed a new line of Scratch-based software — aptly named mBlock — that uses a similar coding style to configure Arduino and robots. The drag-and-drop software is entirely free and supports both Window and Mac operating systems. Beyond that, mBlock supports wireless communication, allowing Makers to use either Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless serial to ‘talk’ with its accompanying mBot. The program is also compatible with Arduino Uno (ATmega328) and Leonardo (ATmega32U4) boards, as well as Makeblock’s own Arduino variant, the mCore.

Powered by an ATmega328, each mBot board features intuitional color labels and four easy-to-follow RJ25 connectors. This lets Makers wire the unit in a matter of seconds, and more importantly, provides them with a hassle-free way to focus on actually devising all sorts of interactive projects — ranging from robots that can avoid walls and follow lines to play music and duke it out in a fight.

The friendly blue robot is currently being offered in a pair of models based on its communication capabilities. The Bluetooth version, which is equipped with a Bluetooth module, is suitable for individual or team use; whereas the 2.4G version, which features two 2.4G wireless modules, is intended for the classroom. Aside from that, each kit consists of a chassis, two motors, an ultrasonic sensor, a line follower, a remote controller, a buzzer, some RGD LEDs, an mCore, and a few other electronic components. mBot can be powered by either a rechargeable lithium battery or four-1.5V AA batteries.

“We designed specially two available wireless communication instead of wired USB cable, so users can enjoy wireless programming to control robots without the limit of USB cable,” the team explains. “The chassis is compatible with Lego and Makeblock parts. And you can use on-hand Raspberry Pi or standard Arduino boards to learn more about electronics or bring kid’s more ideas to life.”

Not only did it garner more than $285,00 from 2,500-plus backers on Kickstarter earlier this year, Makeblock’s mBot has now become a member of the growing Arduino AtHeart program.

Maker rebuilds a pizza oven with Arduino

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Who needs delivery when you can create your own pizza oven?

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If you come across a broken pizza oven that you’d really enjoy using, but the control system is broken, what are you to do? If you’re imgur user “maschlue” — or hopefully many of the readers of this blog — the answer is to retrofit it with Arduino guts!

This build starts out with a mechanically sound pizza oven with just one “little” problem, the temperature regulation didn’t work properly. When turned on, the coils stayed on constantly, so it would seem that the pizza would either be badly undercooked or burned. Fortunately, maschlue didn’t give up, and installed two new thermocouples in the oven with an Arduino Nano (ATmega328) for control.

The oven was first gutted, stripping away much of the original wiring and even the back insulation. The new thermocouples were then installed, and the insulation was replaced. After the replacement, the new circuit — including relays, the Arduino, potentiometers for temperature control, and a Nokia 5110 display unit — were installed in its place.

Once the new electronics were implemented, a beautiful faceplace sourced from Schaeffer AG was installed. Switches and lights were recycled, and along with new knobs and the Nokia display, the end product “Doctor Thunder Cook” looks really great. The resulting pizza looks quite tasty as well!