My Driving Pal lets you keep tabs on the things that matter most

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Get ready for the Internet of Important Things!

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Created by Shahram Rezaei, My Driving Pal (MDP) is a multi-purpose solution that allows users to keep tabs on a variety of facets in their everyday life, whether that’s a child, a bike or a vehicle.

The system is comprised of a credit card-sized device, an accompanying mobile app that wirelessly communicates over Bluetooth Low Energy and a backend server. Built around an AVR MCU, the gadget packs a GNSS receiver, a cellular modem, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a 1500mAh lithium-ion battery, a SIM Card and a mini-USB connector — all housed inside a 3D-printed case.

Whenever the MDP unit and its paired smartphone are within the maximum range approximately 50 feet of one another, the MDP tracks the item and the device goes into idle mode. The data remains on the smartphone and is not transmitted to the MDP server. However, once the thing being monitored goes beyond the designated area, the MDP’s built-in GNSS receiver and cellular modem are activated. From there, the user receives a push notification.

Beyond merely offering location-based services, the MDP can even forward a user alerts regarding the temperature inside of their car, which can come in handy for those with a child or pet. That being said, there is an assortment of other uses for the all-in-one system, ranging from identifying the whereabouts of pets, keeping an eye on older loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s in danger of wandering off, or locating a drone that has gone astray. What’s more, the device can also be helpful in simply recording and logging distances on a road trip, biking or leisurely stroll.

The MDP server runs on the Amazon EC2 cloud. While an iOS version of the mobile app is already available, Rezaei notes that a beta version for Android is currently in development.

Intrigued? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the team is seeking $35,000. At the time of its campaign, My Driving Pal comes in a variety of colors — white, green, blue, yellow and pink — and begins shipping in November 2015.

ShakeIt is an interactive light game

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And the Makers gonna make, make, make, make, make. Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake!

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When it comes to education, learning can be much more engaging with just a little bit of entertainment and gamification. Knowing this, Arkadi Rafalovich has developed an interactive art exhibit that is based on his earlier Smart Juggling Balls project along with a 3D-printed fixture embedded with several RGB LEDs. Dubbed ShakeIt, this Hackaday Prize entry is intended to demonstrate to kids how colors are mixed and then reward them with a fun-filled light game.

The system is comprised of three embedded balls and the light fixture. Each of the juggling spheres are equipped with an Arduino Pro Mini (ATmega328), a 6-DOF sensor, a few addressable LEDs and a LiPo battery. An external magnet activates a reed switch inside the balls and triggers them into action. As for ShakeIt’s light fixtures, these consist of an Arduino Nano (ATmega328), an NRF24L01+ with SMA antenna, a buck converter, 74 addressable LEDs, a Bluetooth module, along with some capacitors, a 3.3V regulator and a Diode 3A for reverse voltage protection.

The fixture connects to an accompanying smartphone app via Bluetooth, allowing it to be utilized as an interface and to adjust the various modes. A built-in accelerometer is tasked with measuring hard a ball is being shaken, while an NRF module handles the communication with the balls. Rafalovich also wrote some code for the system, which is designed to interact with up to 15 small balls at once, mixing up their colors and generating new hues. For this demonstration, however, only three were used.

The real fun starts when the interactive game mode is enabled, though. Rather than simply combining the light, the fixture generates patterns based on how strong the balls are shaken (hence the name of the project). First each kid is given a smart ball, each with a predefined color (red, green or blue). Once the sphere is jiggled, the light inside the ball becomes stronger. Each of the players then battle it out to see who can get their color to fill up the sphere completely until only one color remains. That person is declared the winner.

Not only does ShakeIt make for a great learning tool, it seems like it can be one heck of a party game. Want one of your own? Head over to its Hackaday.io page here to get started. Otherwise, watch the video below to see some grownups have a little fun.

Rolling MCUs, connectivity, security and software into one wearable package

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This Android-based, Bluetooth-enabled wearable badge can act as a compass, watch, slideshow app, battery gauge and more.

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Did you know that 45.7 million wearable devices are expected to ship this year, up 133.4% from the 19.6 million units shipped in 2014? And by 2019, reports are calling for shipment volumes to reach 126.1 million units, resulting in a five-year CAGR of 45.1. Given this emergence of body-adorned technology, the need for a hardware and software-based turnkey solution has never been so paramount. With this in mind, Atmel has unveiled the first-ever wearable solution that integrates its broad solutions offering all rolled into one.

Just in time for Computex 2015, the company has designed a 7cm x 9cm demonstrator around a smart badge concept, which combines low-power embedded processing, wireless, touch and sensor technologies to form an unparalleled turnkey system for virtually any type of wearable application.

This demonstrator converges hardware and software technologies, from Atmel and its partners, into a highly optimized and comprehensive out-of-the-box solution that addresses the complex requirements for the burgeoning wearable market, all while bringing their designs quickly to market. Users can wear it around their neck and display different applications (compass, watch, spirit level, slide show, battery gauge) specialized for the Andriod operating system (OS) and made by Adeneo Embedded.

“Adeneo Embedded has a long standing partnership with Atmel on Linux, Windows Embedded and more recently Android porting activities for AT91SAM ARM based MPUs,” said Yannick Chammings, Adeneo Embedded CEO. “With the collaboration on the Smart Badge concept, implementing Android-based wearable scenarios, Adeneo Embedded will scale OS and SW support to OEMs developing smart, connected, wearable devices.”

Based on Atmel’s embedded connectivity, the demonstrator can interact with other Android mobile phones. The badge uses a 3.5-inch display from Precision Design Associates and embeds MEMS and sensor technology from Bosch Sensortec, as well as memory multi-chip package from Micron combining 4Gb of LPDDR2 + 4GB of eMMC in a single package demonstrator running on the Android KitKat OS. Beyond that, Atmel is also developing a software framework that will allow various software partners to plug in their software and seamlessly work together.

With the anticipated growth of the wearable space, designers are continually seeking solutions that combine all the necessary and complex technologies into a simple, ready-to-use solution, enabling designers to focus on differentiating their products. The Smart Badge is the first demonstrator to bring together the company’s ultra-low power Atmel | SMART SAMA5D31 MPU, the Atmel | SMART SAM G54 sensor hub solution, a maXTouch mXT112S controller and a SmartConnect WILC3000 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth integrated solution.

“Atmel possesses the most complete, lowest power technology portfolio for wearable devices worldwide,” explains Vince Murdica, who is responsible for Atmel’s sensor-centric business unit. “Atmel’s Smart Badge is the first of many wearable reference designs and platforms to come as we want to ensure when customers think wearables, they think Atmel. We are very focused and excited to help accelerate the growth of the wearable market with turnkey, low power, complete hardware and software solutions.”

Watch the badge in action below!

Nuimo is a universal interface for the IoT

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Nuimo is an intuitive and natural way to control your smart lights, locks, thermostats and other apps.

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With the number of connected gizmos and gadgets entering the market on the rise, there will undoubtedly be a need for a universal smart controller that commands them all from one place. And while the smartphone may be the go-to remote at the moment, Nuimo is looking to introduce a much more intuitive, user-friendly interface that doesn’t necessarily have to be joined to the hip of a person.

The brainchild of Berlin-based startup Senic, Nuimo is an entirely programmable, wireless controller that can be used anywhere on just about any IoT object. The puck-like device offers a sleek, natural interface and four basic ways of interaction — click its disc, turn its dial, swipe its surface and gesture above it. Currently available in both black or white, it will be a welcomed addition to any smart home.

Beyond its aesthetics, Nuimo can be integrated right into an assortment of today’s most popular apps and appliances, including Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, Nest thermostats, Philips Hue LEDs, LIFX bulbs, Lockitron smart locks, as well as be paired with any computer as long as it has Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity. Nuimo also features a configurable 11×11 LED matrix that shows simple graphics through its face, allowing users to change programs on the fly or display a timer app in places like the kitchen.

“Unlike the touchscreen, Nuimo has a number of touch-based inputs that feel familiar and suit your needs. It incorporates capacitive touch, gesture recognition and a 360-degree analog ring that gives you precise control over everything from the volume of your music to switching off your lights. These inputs are easily mappable to the devices and applications you care about most,” its team writes.

Like a number of successful Kickstarter campaigns before it, the Nuimo team turned to the stalwart Atmel based Arduino platform for rapid prototyping. And to no surprise, Senic has even made it so that the all-in-one controller can sync with Arduino and other DIY projects. Since it was built on an open platform, Nuimo enables developers to create even more integration with their favorite apps and smart devices over time.

With a magnetic mount and a rechargeable battery life of up to four months, Nuimo can be placed pretty much anywhere. Sound like something you’d want in your smart home? Head over to its Kickstarter page, where the team has already surpassed its pledge goal of $61,374. Shipment is expected to kick off in October 2015.

Turn the page on your e-reader through voice

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This DIY device allows a user to turn the page on a Kindle with nothing more than their voice. 

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With over 250,000 Americans alone affected by a spinal cord injury, projects like this one from Justin Shaw can prove to have a long-lasting, life-changing impact on a tremendous number of people. Nearly half of those injured are quadriplegic, meaning unable to use their extremities, like Shaw’s friend Steve. One of the most simple things that he missed was the act of reading a book. And while there are e-readers out there, like the Kindle, they still require a user to turn the page. But what if that could be accomplished through the sound of one’s voice?

That’s what Shaw set out to do with a DIY system comprised of MCUs, Bluetooth and voice recognition. The first prototype consisted of a big blue button, which when pressed with a forearm, would send an ASCII code for “right arrow” over Bluetooth, turning one page at a time. This worked well until multiple pages turned, and with no back button, it became quite a nuisance.

Upon testing the voice recognition capabilities of an Amazon Echo, the duo wondered if the same technology could be applied to switching pages on a Kindle. And so, the second iteration of the project — entitled Voice Page Down (VPD) — was conceived.

“We live in a magical time. VPD would have been a huge undertaking 10 or even 5 years ago. Today, it is practially a drag and a drop,” Shaw explains.

In order to bring this fruition, the Maker employed an Arduino shield stack for most of the project: an EasyVR Shield 3.0 to detect “page down” commands, a Bluefruit EZ-Key module to send HID commands to the Kindle via Bluetooth, and a Power Boost Shield for power management. Meanwhile, VPD is based on an AlaMode MCU (ATmega328P). These electronics are all housed inside a 3D-printed and laser-cut custom enclosure, which also includes a microphone and speaker.

Interested? Head over to the project’s original write-up to learn more.

17 smart crowdfunding campaigns you may want to back this week

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

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NEA

This sleek, unibody machine comes in three different sizes, making it like the Golidlocks fairytale of 3D printing — one for papa, mama and baby bear. NEA 3D is currently seeking $75,000 on Indiegogo.

C.H.I.P.

This $9 computer lets you save documents, surf the web over Wi-Fi and play games via Bluetooth. Next Thing Co. is currently seeking $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Modulo

This set of tiny modular boards will take the hassle out of building electronics for Makers. Modulo Labs is currently seeking $10,000 on Kickstarter.

CyPhy LVL 1 Drone

This easy-to-use, intuitive drone shares captures high-quality footage effortlessly. CyPhy Works is currently seeking $250,000 on Kickstarter.

Smart Plate

This connected plate instantly tracks and analyzes everything you eat. Maker Anthony Ortiz is currently seeking $100,000 on Kickstarter.

Wallet Drone

This mini drone, which is being billed as the world’s smallest quadcopter, fits into a wallet-size controller. Maker Robert Morrison is currently seeking $11,894 on Indiegogo.

Linkitz

This set of electronic components simply snap together in different combinations to create custom wearables. Dr. Lyssa Neel is currently seeking $95,000 on Kickstarter.

ARbot

This spherical robot and mobile app combination allow you to partake in augmented reality tank battles in your office, at home, or just about anywhere. Roboboom is currently seeking $32,000 on Indiegogo.

NFTY

This all-in-one charging solution acts a portable power bank for your wearable devices, smartphones and tablets. NFTY is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.

auris zwing

This smart boombox is equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen and built-in Wi-Fi that connects to an Android platform for uninterrupted streaming of today’s most popular apps. auris zwing is currently seeking $75,000 on Indiegogo.

Radian 2 Bluetooth

This Bluetooth-enabled controller is ideal for creating still, panning, tilting and sliding time lapse footage. Alpine Labs is currently seeking $153,471 on Kickstarter.

Lumkani Fire Detection

This early-warning fire detection system integrates the mesh network of in-home fire detectors and sends text alerts with GPS coordinates to community leaders and authorities in the event of a fire. Lumkani is currently seeking $45,000 on Indiegogo.

nScope

This portable device boasts a USB-powered oscilloscope, function generator and power supply to transform any laptop into an electronics workbench. nLabs is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.

Wond

This handheld stylus excites, sustains and controls vibration of your guitar strings or any steel-stringed instrument. Innovator Paul Vo is currently seeking $35,000 on Kickstarter.

Fizzics

This battery-powered countertop machine transforms store-bought beer into a draft-quality beverage through oscillation and high-frequency sound waves. The Fizzics team is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.

HearNotes

This pair of earbuds deliver uncompressed, high-fidelity stereo audio without a single wire to get in your way. HearNotes is currently seeking $75,000.

Remocam

This smart security camera can be placed anywhere — at home or in the office — and controlled remotely from your smartphone. Remocam is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.

Did you happen to miss last week’s notable campaigns? If so, you can check them out here. Also, if your project is powered by Atmel MCUs and you’ve been featured on our blog, be sure to download the respective badges here for use in your ongoing marketing efforts. 

Play a board game connected to your iPhone to earn a full-time job

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Trying to land a job is tough. What if it became fun? Thanks to one group of Makers and a BLE Arduino, it can.

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Led by designers Guillaume Beinat and Alexandre Suné of Tazas Project, a dozen graduate students from France’s École de Communication Visuelle Aquitaine created an immersive board game that highlights the experience of being a marketing agency intern.

The aptly-dubbed InternTrip game is based on a Blend Micro (ATmega32U4) and pairs with an iPhone to serve as its interface. As its name would imply, the project recreates the experience (or “trip”) of landing a job at a communications firm, from starting as an intern to landing a full-time position. The system relies on the use of the Arduino BLE chip to calculate a player’s position on the board and simultaneously relay the information over the mobile device.

The received coordinates enable the player to discover inside the walls of the agency by moving their smartphone over the exterior of the building, which in this case is the game board.

“From table football to the terrasse, passing by the coffee machine or the photocopier, they invite us to visit the agency, to talk with the team and to compete with our colleagues in head to head questionnaires about the world of advertising. This is your time, young, exploited interns, to take your revenge and land that job,” the team writes.

Pretty interesting concept, if you ask us. Watch the video below to see it in action! (Nice find, Arduino!)

This smartphone microscope is saving lives in Africa

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UC Berkeley engineers develop a new smartphone microscope that can detect infection by parasitic worms.

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Access to a hematologist is not something that is all too common in many parts of Africa. That’s why a research team led by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley has developed a new mobile phone microscope that uses video to automatically detect and quantify infection by parasitic worms in a drop of blood. The latest iteration of UC Berkeley’s CellScope technology could potentially revive efforts to eradicate debilitating diseases in Africa, such as river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, by offering critical information to health providers in the field in a more accurate and efficient manner. This would allow workers to make potentially life-saving treatment decisions right on the spot.

River blindness, which is the second-leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide, is typically transmitted through the bite of blackflies. Meanwhile, the second-leading cause of disability worldwide, lymphatic filariasis, is spread by mosquitoes and leads to elephantiasis — a condition marked by painful, disfiguring swelling. Both are endemic in certain regions in Africa.

Treatment often revolves around the drug ivermectin, or IVM. Yet, public health campaigns to administer the medication have been halted, and rightfully so, due to potentially fatal side effects for patients co-infected with Loa loa — a common cause of African eye worm. When there are high circulating levels of microscopic Loa loa worms in a patient, treatment with IVM can ultimately lead to severe or fatal neurologic damage.

The standard method of screening for levels of Loa loa involves trained technicians manually counting the worms in a blood smear using conventional laboratory microscopes, making the process impractical for use in field settings and in mass campaigns to administer IVM. That’s why the team of UC Berkeley engineers joined forces with Dr. Thomas Nutman from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and collaborators from Cameroon and France to develop the incredible, Arduino-based gadget.

For their most recent version of a mobile phone microscope, the aptly named CellScope Loa, the researchers paired a smartphone with a 3D-printed plastic base where the sample of blood is positioned. Fortunately, the parts housed within its base were relatively easy to allocate. These include an Atmel powered Arduino board, a Bluetooth module, LED lights, a USB port, as well as some gears and circuitry.

As the researchers explain, control of the device is automated through a custom app that was designed solely for this purpose. With just a touch of the screen by a healthcare worker in the field, the phone wirelessly communicates over Bluetooth to controllers in the base to process and analyze the sample of blood. Its gears move the sample in front of the camera, and an algorithm instantly analyzes the telltale “wriggling” motion of the worms in captured in the video by the phone. From there, the worm count is displayed on the screen.

Impressively, the entire procedure takes under two minutes, starting from when the sample is inserted to displaying its results. According to UC Berkeley associate chair Daniel Fletcher, this processing time enables health workers to quickly determine whether or not it is safe to administer IVM on site.

“The availability of a point-of-care test prior to drug treatment is a major advance in the control of these debilitating diseases,” added fellow UC Berkeley professor Vincent Resh. “The research offering a phone based app is ingenious, practical and highly needed.”

At the moment, the engineers are looking to expand the trial of the hardware to around 40,000 people in Cameroon. If successful, there’s a hope that the kit could one day be used to screen out those infected with Loa loa and assist countless others who would otherwise suffer.

Intrigued? You can read all about the project here, or watch its demonstration below.

Creating a 3D-printed, Arduino-powered plumbob

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Turn yourself into a Sim by building your own Bluetooth-controlled, 3D-printed plumbob.

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As many of you probably know, the plumbob has become the iconic symbol of the super successful The Sims franchise, typically used to denote a character being controlled and to convey its mood. If the Sim happens to be in a good mood, the plumbob will be a bright, deep green; whereas, if a Sim is on the grumpier side, it will become a shade of red. The intensity of the color varies based on how the extremity of their feelings.

Inspired by the life-simulating game, Maker Daniel Harari decided to devise a Sims plumbob of his own, which displays his happiness for the world to see. The accessory consists of a headband, an aluminum tube and a crystalline shape that was 3D-printed using translucent filament.

The Maker packed the 3D-printed enclosure with an Arduino Pro Mini (ATmega328), six RGB LEDs, a Bluetooth module for communication with an Android app, and a step-up converter so that the entire device can be powered by a pair of AAA batteries. At the moment, this battery pack is mounted along the side of the aluminum pipe. However, Harari notes that for his next iteration, he would probably install a rechargeable LiPo with a small switch and charging port instead.

Unfortunately, Harari reveals that he didn’t have time to write an Android app of his own, but was able to discover a free one on the Play Store that was able to satisfy his project’s needs. Beyond that, the Maker also used the Arduino Software Serial Library.

Harari reveals that in the future, he is thinking about modding the plumbob with an EEG reader, like the ATmega328P based OpenBCI platform, which would enable the LEDs to actually reflect the wearer’s mood.

Intrigued? Head over to the Maker’s project page here.

The Wired In sign eliminates unwanted distractions in the office

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Finally, there’s a Bluetooth sign that tells your coworkers when you’re busy.

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Every office has that one guy. He walks around the floor, gazing into each cubicle, looking to spark a conversation. Not before long, he glances your way, makes eye contact and begins to head in your direction. As he approaches, he utters the infamous words, “It’ll be quick.” However, let’s face it, it’s never quick. An hour later, not only has he drained you of your creative energy, but you just lost 60 minutes of productivity.

With open workspaces on the rise, it’s important for companies to maintain in-office efficiency. Chances are, that by now, you’ve seen the movie, The Social Network. Recall the scene when Eduardo Saverin (played by Andrew Garfield) approaches an unresponsive Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), only to learn from Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) that he’s “wired in?”

For years, headphones like those worn by Zuckerberg in the flick were pretty clear indication that someone didn’t want to be bothered. However, thanks to one Salt Lake City-based startup, the universal sign for “I’m in the zone” will literally a sign that reads “I’m in the zone” — or whatever you would like.

The device, which is aptly-dubbed Wired In, works exactly how it seems: When you want to focus on a task at hand, turn on your sign and eliminate unwanted distractions. When powered, the acrylic lights up with a series of LED lights in your favorite color, sending a clear busy signal to those around you. Once turned off, it blends right into your workspace.

Wired In features a sleek aluminum base with rounded edges and a clear replaceable laser-etched acrylic sign. What’s nice is that the signs are completely customizable. Not only can you change the color of the light, you can replace the acrylic message as well. While it comes with standard sayings like “On Air,” “Wired In” and “In the Zone,” users are encouraged to come up with their own clever text or even upload a vector image to be etched into the sign (keep in mind, this is the portion that is illuminated). Ultimately, this lets owners explore their imagination and be as unique as their own personality!

The much-needed piece — which is the brainchild of Maker trio Josh Howland, Caleb Hicks, Andrew Madsen — was devised to sit nicely on your desk without taking up too much space. Because after all, that would be a distraction in itself. The base measures about 238mm x 48mm x 25mm, while the sign adds about another 80mm in height. Wired In will come in a few different versions: one that is powered by USB connection, another by rechargeable batteries. However, for its initial model, the gadget is juiced up by a pair of AA batteries. Unlike the others, though, this one lacks any connectivity or integrations. Simply turn it on and off like a lamp.

Wired In is equipped with a fully open-soure Arduino controller and Bluetooth 4.0 which allows it to sync with any other BLE device, such as a Mac, an iPad or an iPhone. What’s more, the gadget integrates with everything from a mobile remote app to the newly-launched Apple Watch to third-party services like IFTTT and Slack. Users can easily control their sign with its accompanying iOS app, and with REST API, developers can create their own programs. The sign also works with iBeacons, which for example, enable you to brighten your sign as you approach your desk.

At the moment, pilot signs have already been implemented in a number of offices, from Walmart to Adobe. (Maybe soon Atmel?) Want one of your own? Head over to Wired In’s official Kickstarter campaign, where the team is currently seeking $25,000. Shipment is slated for November 2015.