Atmel and Arduino: Inspiring DIY Makers

Atmel MCU Applications Manager Bob Martin recently went on camera to discuss Atmel’s unique relationship with Arduino, Maker Faire and the DIY Maker Movement.

As Martin points out, Atmel’s 8- and 32-bit microcontrollers have been the MCUs of choice for Arduino since the boards first hit the streets for DIY Makers way back in 2005. More specifically, he attributes the success of Arduino to its easy-to-use, free cross-platform toolchain and its simple do-it-yourself packages with Atmel MCUs.

“These factors helped initially steer the Arduino team to choose our AVR microcontrollers – and today, both our AVR and ARM-based MCUs,” Martin explained.

The Atmel MCU Applications Manager also noted that one of the coolest Maker technologies to surface in recent years is 3D printing technology, an industry expected to be worth $3 billion by 2016. To be sure, says Martin, almost every major 3D printer is currently based on Atmel AVR MCUs.

As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the Maker Movement is growing exponentially by taking advantage of 3D printers, inexpensive microcontrollers, robotics, CAD and the ability to control machines with computers, tablets and smartphones.
According to Larry Magid, a technology journalist who writes for the San Jose Mercury News, we are all Makers to a certain extent, even if some of us don’t know it yet.

“All of us – even Leonardo da Vinci – were late comers as far as the Maker movement is concerned,” he explained. “Our prehistoric ancestors millions of years ago, figured out how to turn stones into tools so that they could make things. Only they didn’t have fairs, books and websites to document the process.”

Similarly, Will.i.am, the technophile founder of The Black Eyed Peas, recently offered a ringing endorsement of the Maker Movement and related culture on Facebook.

“Every young person is going to be inspired to be a maker from now on,” said Will.i.am. “It’s like how everyone used to want to be a musician, an actor, an athlete — but a maker is what people are going to want to be.”

Indeed, as Arduino’s Massimo Banzi once famously noted, “You don’t need anyone’s permission to make something great.”

A flexible LIMBERboard for Makers

LIMBERboard – powered by Atmel’s versatile ATMega168  – is targeted at the rapidly growing DIY Maker Movement which is currently shaping the wearable future. Created by Infinite Corridor Technology (ICT), the flexible platform is a stretchable, programmable microcontroller (MCU) board with an open source design philosophy.

“LIMBERboard is the perfect tool for wearable projects like health monitors, activity monitors, impact detectors and more,” the ICT crew explained. “The Bluetooth featured in our first iteration also allows you to send data from the microprocessor to a smartphone, making LIMBERboard great for all mobile projects. Despite its many capabilities, we’ve developed LIMBERboard to weigh less than a nickel so it’s ideal for applications that need to be lightweight.”

The market-ready LIMBERboard will be equipped with a mini-USB port and is programmable using Arduino dev tools. Meanwhile, the very first LIMBERboard features an ATMega168 microprocessor, three-axis accelerometer, lithium ion battery, Bluetooth and boasts the ability to flex, fold and twist more than 120,000 times – all while maintaining full functionality.

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered LIMBERboard? Be sure to check out the project’s page on Dragon Innovation here. LIMBERboard is currently seeking crowd-sourced funds, with an initial goal set at $40,000.

Repairing damaged skulls with 3D printing tech

3D printing technology is quickly becoming mainstream in the medical world. Indeed, researchers recently managed to design and print a 3D splint that saved the life of an infant born with severe tracheobronchomalacia – a serious birth defect that causes the airway to collapse.

Melbourne scientists also took a big step towards the development of “grow your own” cartilage to treat cancers, osteoarthritis and traumatic injuries using 3D tech, while 3D printed orthopedic implants were successfully fitted in Peking’s University Third Hospital in Beijing.

Similarly, doctors at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan transplanted 3D printed bones into four patients with cervical spine (cervical) disc herniation. Following the transplants, symptoms such as gait disturbance and hand numbness improved.

The latest 3D medical news? Doctors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University used the technology to repair a patient’s damaged skull.

“Dr. Wang Mao De, Chen Wei and their team began the process with a CT scan of the patient’s skull. Then the printer printed a matching piece of the skull’s missing part, layer by layer,” a post published on 3Ders explained.

“Unlike existing implants made from materials like titanium, the plastic implants are light and non-corroding. The precise manufacturing technique can not only mimic a real skull, but also add detailing on the surface and edges of the implant to help existing bone attach to the implant more easily.”

According to 3Ders, the implant is made from a type of thermoplastic known as polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), which is biocompatible, mechanically similar to bone, and radiolucent so as not to interfere with X-Ray equipment.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the DIY Maker Movement has used Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap for some time now. However, 3D printing recently entered a new and exciting stage in a number of spaces including the medical sphere, architectural arena, science lab and even on the battlefield.

Going back to school with Arduino

Jim Town, a math teacher at West Sacramento Prep, began incorporating Arduino boards in his math lessons last year. He soon found that the Atmel-powered hardware helped facilitate a “different type” of learning with high levels of engagement.

“Pre-calculus is a class that has many opportunities for creative teaching. Since we are a smaller school, there isn’t enough interest in computer science to justify a full class so I try to embed some of these skills into my math classes to help students become ready for the computer heavy careers that may await them,” Town explained in a recent blog post published in Makezine. “One way I’ve found to do this is through Arduino. My students had heard of Arduino because we had a few students working on Arduino projects last year, but had never worked with them. They were excited at the opportunity to ‘play’ in math.”

In the above-mentioned project, students learned about exponents and counting in binary, but probably did not learn the rules for simplifying exponents or other ultra-specific standards. However, Town says he views math more as a way of thinking, rather than a specific set of skills.

“In conjunction with the unit on exponents, I challenged students to make a binary counter using either a dip switch or a momentary switch. A dip switch is a row of on/off switches conveniently labeled 1-8; they are like a bunch of little tiny light switches,” said Town. “For these students, when the switch labeled 6 was turned on, they needed to display a 6 in binary on the three LED’s they were given (on-on-off). A momentary switch is a single button that is ‘on’ when pushed and is ‘off’ when not pushed. The students had to keep track of how many times the button was pushed and display that number in binary on the LED’s. That is, if they button was pushed 4 times, the three LED’s would show on-off-off.”

In addition to the DIY Maker Movement, Arduino boards are wildly popular in the educational community, with science and computing teachers in secondary schools using the versatile platform to teach kids the principles of programming and computational thinking.

According to Brock Craft, author of Arduino Projects for Dummies, the Atmel-powered boards are also used in colleges and universities, where they are often found in design programs, particularly in product design.

“[This is] because Arduinos can quickly be used to prototype products that do physical things – like toasters or dispensers or remote controls, for example. It is also widely used in digital arts programs for making interactive artwork, music, and performances,” Craft told ItProPortal. “[Yes], there have been similar products on the market for many years and education curricula have used other alternatives. But what makes Arduino different – and is driving teachers to use them – is that Arduinos are easy to use. And if they need help, it’s easy for teachers and students to get it in the extensive online communities.”

In addition, Craft confirmed that Arduino boards are deployed throughout the corporate world, as the hardware is being used by designers, architects and engineers for prototyping purposes.

“It’s very easy to try out design by building a prototype so that they can see what solutions work and toss out those that don’t. This is much easier to do early in the design process before more money has been spent on bringing an idea to fruition; Arduino can play a key role here,” he added.

Dean Camera talks engineering, Atmel style

Atmel Applications Engineer Dean Camera recently sat down with EEWeb to discuss Atmel-powered Arduino boards, his favorite dev tools, tricky bugs and the contents of his bookshelf.

On the subject of DIY Makers and encouraging an interest in electronics from an early age, Camera said he recommends getting involved, asking questions and experimenting ASAP.

“The Arduino platform is a great start into the world of embedded systems; it gives you known working hardware and a simple environment,” Camera explained. “However, remember to gradually tear it down and replace bits and pieces with the less ‘kid glove’ versions so you learn how it all works.”

In terms of his favorite dev tools, Camera highlighted JTAG ICE-3 and Rigol DS1052E.

“For hardware, my JTAG ICE-3 and my Rigol DS1052E. If a problem can’t be solved with one, it can probably be solved by the other. Granted I need to invest in some more specialized equipment some day (the Saleae logic analyzers was a god-send at work) but for now those are my main gotos,” said Camera. “For software, Sublime Text is my one and only editor, and Git. PEOPLE, LEARN GIT.”

And the trickiest bug Camera’s ever fixed? A USB Mass Storage Class driver.

“My problem is that I forget problems once I (eventually) solve them – but I’ve gone through my share of Heisenbugs that change based on how you observe them. Race conditions are unfortunately a huge part of my life and I’m resigned to solving them with a smile, but it’s a grim task,” he added. “I can say from experience however that debugging a USB Mass Storage Class driver using the same host Windows platform is not fun, as the default behavior of the Windows storage driver appears to be ‘bluescreen.'”

And last, but certainly not least, Camera says he’s long kept the Forest Mims book on his bookshelf, along with books from Joe that helped him make his entry into the world of embedded C.

Interested in reading more about Dean Camera? The full interview can be found on EE Web here.

World Maker Faire 2013: 70,000 attendees and 650+ Makers

The long-awaited World Maker Faire will be kicking off September 21st in the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI). According to Sherry Huss of Maker Media, the best of DIY invention, creativity and resourcefulness are expected to be showcased at the Faire.

“World Maker Faire at NYSCI has become an anticipated experience for New Yorkers and, really, folks from all over the world to see, learn, and do more in the world of making,” Huss explained.

“This year we expect to have more than 70,000 Faire goers over the course of the weekend engage with 650-plus makers who will be exhibiting their amazing projects. As usual, there will be makers representing all types of projects around engineering and technology, health and science, food and sustainability, fashion, crafting and so much more.”

World Maker Faire New York 2013 is slated to bring back some Faire favorites as well as showcase new makers and their DIY ingenuity. For example, attendees can meet more young Makers, get the latest on 3D printing (MakerBot, RepRap) and experience the best of Maker start-ups. Makers will also be offered hands-on experience with various boards, including various Atmel-powered Arduinos.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the rapidly growing Maker Movement is a passionate one, and Atmel is quite passionate about being a part of it. Atmel, of course, makes the microcontroller (MCU) that powers the incredible open source Arduino board and is therefore at the very center of the whole Maker revolution. For many makers, Atmel-powered Arduino boards are the easiest and fastest way to go from platform to prototype. The best part? As with most of the Maker hardware, you don’t have to be an engineer to use it. Like Arduino’s Massimo Banzi says, “you don’t need anyone’s permission to make something great.”

Larry Magid, a technology journalist who writes for the San Jose Mercury News, recently expressed similar sentiments by noting that we are all Makers to a certain extent, even if some of us don’t know it yet.

“All of us – even Leonardo da Vinci – were late comers as far as the Maker Movement is concerned,” he opined. “Our prehistoric ancestors millions of years ago, figured out how to turn stones into tools so that they could make things. Only they didn’t have fairs, books and websites to document the process.”

Will.i.am, the technophile founder of The Black Eyed Peas, also offered a ringing endorsement of the Maker Movement and related culture a few weeks ago on Facebook.

“Every young person is going to be inspired to be a maker from now on,” said Will.i.am. “It’s like how everyone used to want to be a musician, an actor, an athlete — but a maker is what people are going to want to be.”

If you can’t make it to World Maker Faire in NYC and visit Atmel in the Arduino pavilion, no sweat. You can follow all the goings on via Twitter. Just look for the hashtags @makerfaire, @atmel, @arduino.

DIY tech – from kindergarten to Kickstarter

Brandon Lewis, Associate Editor at Embedded Computing, recently noted that the current popularity of the Do It Yourself (DIY) community is driving a wide range of open hardware platforms and offering Makers easy access to embedded development.

“Outside of hobbyist toys and educational devices, however, ‘hacker’ boards are increasing performance and I/O flexibility, and have become viable options for professional product development,” Lewis wrote.

According to Lewis, the Maker Movement is quickly gaining traction in the education and hobbyist markets with open hardware boards advertising a “less-is-more” architecture at a price to match with DIY boards like the Atmel-powered Arduino. The boards allows easy exploring for novice devs and sufficient flexibility for advanced hackers to create some pretty remarkable projects.

“Outside of the low barrier to market entry presented by these low-cost development platforms, Maker boards are being implemented in commercial products because their wide I/O expansion capabilities make them applicable for virtually any application, from robotics and industrial control to automotive and home automation systems,” Lewis explained.

Brock Craft, author of “Arduino Projects for Dummies,” recently expressed similar sentiments about Atmel-powered Arduino boards. In addition to the DIY Maker Movement, says Craft, Arduino is wildly popular in the educational community, with science and computing teachers in secondary schools using the platform to teach kids the principles of programming and computational thinking.

“[Of course], Arduino is also used in colleges and universities, [where] they are often found in design programs, particularly in product design, because Arduinos can quickly be used to prototype products that do physical things – like toasters or dispensers or remote controls, for example,” Craft told ItPortalPro.

“It is also widely used in digital arts programmes for making interactive artwork, music, and performances. [Yes], there have been similar products on the market for many years and education curricula have used other alternatives. But what makes Arduino different – and is driving teachers to use them – is that Arduinos are easy to use. And if they need help, it’s easy for teachers and students to get it in the extensive online communities.”

In addition, Craft confirmed that Arduino boards are deployed throughout the corporate world, as the hardware is being used by designers, architects and engineers for prototyping purposes.

“It’s very easy to try out design by building a prototype so that they can see what solutions work and toss out those that don’t. This is much easier to do early in the design process before more money has been spent on bringing an idea to fruition; Arduino can play a key role here,” he continued. “Just a simple example – I know a lighting company that recently used Arduino to control dimmable lighting effects for architectural lighting products they were developing. Using an Arduino helped them try out their ideas in an afternoon, rather than waiting weeks.”

ATtiny13 MCU powers DIY digital dice kit

A new Atmel-powered DIY digital dice kit recently surfaced on eBay. Designed and sold by eBay member “applemount,” the DIY digital dice kit features Atmel’s ATtiny13 MCU, front and center.

Aside from the ATtiny13, additional key components include:

• 1 – Lead-free professionally printed circuit board (2″x2″)
• 7 – Red LED’s
• 1 – Battery holder
• 1 – Button switch
• 1 – CR2032 battery (included)

“Push a button and the die will display a random number from 1 to 6 just like a dice! [The kits are] great for board games. [Plus], you get a free CR2032 battery with each kit!” applemount wrote in a description posted on eBay.

“[The kit] uses advanced on-board entropy collection to generate real random numbers. Soldering is required, [although] each part is clearly labeled on the printed circuit board for easy assembly.”

Interested? Step-by-step assembly instructions are available on Instructables here, while the DIY kit can be purchased for US $12 here.

An open source DIY Arduino cellphone

David A. Mellis is working on an open-source, DIY cellphone as part of his PhD research at the MIT Media Lab. According to Mellis, the current version of the device is based on the Arduino GSM shield and Arduino GSM library.

“It sports a deliberately low-resolution screen (8 characters, each a 5×7 matrix of LEDs), a laser-cut wooden enclosure, flexure (living hinge) buttons, and a ~1000-line Arduino program that powers the user interface,” Mellis explained in a post published on the official Arduino blog.

“The phone can make and receive phone calls and text messages, includes a phone book and caller ID, and keeps the time. Everything you’d expect from a 20-year old Nokia! (except snake.) I’ve been using various iterations of the project as my primary cellphone for the past six months or so.”

As expected, the phone is open-source and the design files are available on GitHub (hardware,software), with full assembly instructions stored on David’s website.

“The phone has undergone numerous revisions as I’ve tried to get it into a robust, usable form. Here you can see some of those variations. I started with an LCD screen like those found on old Nokia phones, but it would break after a month or so in my pocket, so I switched to the more-robust LED matrix,” Mellis continued.

“The enclosure has had a few tweaks as well, primarily to find a good design for the flexure buttons. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the current incarnation. It seems to be relatively robust, simple enough to assemble by hand and functional enough to use everyday (although a long way from a smart phone). That’s my DIY cellphone.”

Interested in learning more about the DIY Arduino cellphone? Be sure to check out David’s official page here.

Atmel-based Arduino boards fuel artistic expression

Although some schools may be cutting back on arts education, young people are continuing to follow their artistic passions outside of traditional programs. This trend is fueled by a wide range of DIY hardware and software, including Atmel-powered Arduino boards.

“Young people are producing this art solely because they want to and are motivated by their own pride in their work and curiosity, not because of what others think or want,” explained Kylie Peppler, an Indiana University assistant professor of learning sciences, and author of New Opportunities for Interest-Driven Arts Learning in a Digital Age, a recent report commissioned by the Wallace Foundation. “These interest-driven arts projects offer valuable insights about what make youth engage and persist in arts activities.”

According to Peppler, new technologies are expanding the possibilities for creative production. For example, Atmel-powered Arduino boards are being used to help artists and designers create their own robotic sculptures or interactive environments.

One specific permutation of Arduino is the e-textiles community built around the versatile LilyPad kit. As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, electronic textiles enable artists to integrate sensors and LED lights into clothing, which can be programmed for informative feedback and artistic purposes, such as interactive dance costumes capable of controlling electronic music software in real time.

Interested in learning more? The full text of New Opportunities for Interest-Driven Arts Learning in a Digital Age is available here.