Arduino powers the world’s first analog Snapchat

Albert Einstein once proclaimed, “Life is a preparation for the future; and the best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.”  In today’s constantly-connected, FOMO-ridden society, too many of us possess a compulsive concern that we may very well miss out on an opportunity for “a social interaction, a novel experience, profitable investment or some other satisfying event.” In other words, we can’t simply can’t let go of the fact that nothing lasts forever — not even in the digital world.

In an attempt to illustrate the passage of time, a group of London-based Makers decided to create a collaborate project entitled “The Eraser” to convey the significance of living in the moment using an interactive analog Snapchat along with a hair straightener, thermal printer and an Atmel-based Arduino.

“140-character tweets and Instagrams get lost amidst those of everyone else fighting for their 15 minutes of fame. The irony is that despite the fleeting nature of social media, we continue attempting to preserve ourselves through ‘grams and apps like Snapchat. But even Snapchats don’t stick around forever,”  revealed Complex writer Susan Cheng.

To depict this 21st century tragedy and that there is ‘value in ephemera,’ the Makers elected to use the metaphor of Snapchat as it showcases moments with an expiry date.

“We felt expiration dates are important because it asks humans to reflect on the value of information by showing the movement of time: our present never staying still; it vanishes in a constant instance, and is erased to become a permanent past. Having an expiration date on information might also encourage people to leave their virtual worlds and live in the moment,” creator Shawn Soh explained on the project’s official page.

Viewers are directed to stand in front of the camera, which snaps a picture and immediately starts printing it out via a thermal receipt printer. You can see your photo for a few seconds before it slides through the hair straightener and turns black, gone forever. Just like Snapchat, the machine showcases moments with an expiry date. And no, you can’t screengrab it.

Watch “The Eraser” in action below.

 

Arduino powers this breathing plant

Generally speaking, plants tend to lack many humanlike vital signs, like that of a heartbeat, which would enable a grower to easily check its current status. Instead, one typically has to rely on more subtle clues.

But what if your plant could breathe and react to the touch of a human? That is exactly what Seoul-based Maker Yongho Jeong set out to do with Uncanny, a breathing plant installation creating unusual sensations using an Atmel-based Arduino Uno (ATmega328), an air pump and a current measurement circuit.

Derived from the German term Das Unheimliche, or “the opposite of what is familiar,” uncanny refers to a Freudian concept of an instance where something can be both familiar yet alien at the same time, resulting in a feeling of it being uncomfortably strange.

“The subject of this project is interaction between human and plant. My first thought was that, ‘Do plants breathe like we human do?’ I was amazed after learning that plants breathe and that their breathing is very similar to ours. So I wanted to show that plants do breathe llike humans and react to touch of human.”

Interested in learning more about this breathing plant installation? Check out the project’s official page here.

 

Why educators can learn a lot from Makers

Writing for KQED, Katrina Schwartz asks Dale Dougherty, editor of Make Magazine, if the notion of DIY and hands-on learning will ultimately make its way into mainstream classrooms.

Image Credit: New York Hall of Science/Maker Faire

“Most of the people that I know who got into science and technology benefited from a set of informal experiences before they had much formal training,” Dougherty replied.

“And I mean, like building rockets in the backyard, tinkering, playing with things. And that created the interest and motivation to pursue science.”

According to Dougherty, the spirit of play and discovery of knowledge is missing from much of formal education, with students lacking access to appropriate DIY tools and strategies.

“Schools haven’t changed, but the students have. They don’t come with these experiences,” he explained.

“Even at the university level we’re choosing talent based on math scores, not on capabilities and demonstrated abilities.”

However, Dougherty says he is hopeful that events like the recent White House Maker Faire will help accelerate a movement that accepts maker-style self-directed learning in schools.

“I think kids are going to be the drivers of change in this. They’re going to be the ones asking for this, and asking if their parents can support them in this,” he concluded.

“The key idea here that I’ve promoted is I want people to see themselves as producers, not just consumers. I’d like to see it become a capability that we use in home life and at work and that we’re proud of it, where we see ourselves as having these powers to do stuff.”

The full text of “Can the Maker Movement Infiltrate Mainstream Classrooms?” is available here on KQED.

Why Makers will drive the IoT

Writing for M2M World News, James Mack of KORE reports that some Makers are leaving traditional jobs to start up their own businesses.

“In true Internet of Things style, the frontier DIY spirit is pushing some great innovation in both the consumer and B2B space,” Mack explains.

“An essential part to the Maker Movement is the concept of play and to give people the freedom to let their wild ideas loose. This is the type of creativity that gives birth to revolutionary ideas that fundamentally redefine the way we live, work and play.”

In his article, Mack lists the following five point describing why the Maker Movement will ultimately drive the Internet of Things (IoT):

• Creativity
• Rapid prototyping
• Working around limitations
• Reductions in complexity
• Community development

Indeed, as Mack notes, Makers aren’t concerned with waiting around for approvals, or for the tools to come along to let them build things.

“[Plus], open source is a pillar of the Maker community with everything from software, designs and even revolutionary mass transport systems (Thanks Elon Musk!) being available online,” he adds. 

”By building IoT devices around either Open Source development from Day 1 or having an end of life plan which opens the firmware up to the community, when it’s no longer supported, is going to dramatically reduce the questions around security.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out the full text of “5 reasons the Maker Movement will drive the Internet of Things” here and our extensive Bits & Pieces article archive on the subject here.

Designing a DIY 125 KHz operated deadbolt

A Maker by the name of “jeepdude48507” has designed a 125 KHz operated deadbolt with Atmel’s ATmega328 microcontroller (MCU) under the hood.

As jeepdude notes, the DIY platform is based on a store-bought electronic deadbolt.

“It was battery operated and had a keypad on the outside to allow entry with a user defined code,” he wrote in a recent Instructables post.

“I removed all of the electronics from the indoor housing keeping only the electric motor and mechanism. The mechanism has a built-in clutch that prevents damage should the motor remain on for too long when cycling. My motor is set for a cycle time of about 1.25 seconds.”

Essentially, the project comprises two boards. One houses the ATmega328 MCU with all input / output connectors attached.

“[This board] allows the resonator, voltage regulator, reset switch, power jack and power conditioning in one convenient place. Power for the entire project is fed into this board from a wall-wart (9VDC @ 1A) AC adapter,” jeepdude48507 explained.

“Power before the 7805 regulator is taken to run the motor. Power after the 7805 regulator and filtering is used to power everything else.”

Meanwhile, the RFID reader component is located on the small green circuit board on the lower left end of the controller board.

“It comes with a rectangular coil of wire which is the antenna. I housed it inside a plastic project box,” he added. “Be sure the use the UART type and not the WEIGAND. Only the UART will work with the code I have written for this project.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out the project’s official Instructables page here.

Businessweek says Makers are gaining ground in China

Writing for Bloomberg Businessweek, Christina Larson confirms that the Maker Movement continues to gain significant ground in China.

Indeed, the popularity of XinCheJian, which means “new factory,” is a sign of China’s continued participation in the global Maker Movement, which former Wired editor Chris Anderson describes as a “third industrial revolution” characterized by open-source design, 3D printing, and crowdfunding.

As Larson notes, 30 independent hackerspaces, including XinCheJian, have already opened across the country.

“DIY culture may be a little slower to pick up in China, but we’re closer to the supply chain,” David Li, a Taiwan-born programmer who co-founded XinCheJian in 2011, told the publication.

“Everyone knows someone who works in manufacturing. That makes it easier to move ideas from hobbyist tinkering to larger production runs. Makers turn startup much faster in China. That’s why governments in Shanghai and other cities, eager to jump-start innovation, are supporting the movement.”

To be sure, the Shanghai government initiated a program in 2011 to create 100 hackerspaces in the city, offering each up to 500,000 yuan ($80,000) in funding.

Shenzhen (Image Credit: Wikipedia)

In 2012, XinCheJian and DFRobot co-sponsored a Shanghai maker carnival with the Communist Youth League.

Unsurprisingly, the Maker Movement has captured the attention of numerous Chinese industry leaders, including Foxconn and PCH International, two co-sponsors of Maker Faire Shenzhen.

Interested in learning more? The full text of “The Maker Movement Gains Ground in China” can be read here on Businessweek. Readers may also want to check out our Bits & Pieces article archive on the subject here.

ATtiny85 operates (fingerprint) garage door opener

A high school sophomore known by the Instructables handle “nodcah” recently designed a DIY fingerprint scanning garage door opener powered by Atmel’s popular ATtiny85 microcontroller (MCU).

Fortunately, the DIY project isn’t limited to just garage doors, allowing Makers and tinkerers to create various types of simple motorized locks by modding the initial Instructables.

Aside from Atmel’s ATtiny85 microcontroller (MCU), key project components include:

• 

Fingerprint scanner and JST connector
• Serial LCD kit with Atmel’s ATmega328 MCU
• 
PNP transistor
• Buzzer
• Speaker wire
• 3D printed case
• Copper tape
• 5V voltage regulator
9V battery and connector
• SPDT limit switch

“The serial LCD kit sold by Sparkfun comes with an ATmega328 MCU to control the LCD. The ATmega has extra processing power to be used for other tasks besides controlling the LCD. Because of this, we can use it as an Arduino to communicate with the fingerprint scanner, send an ATtiny85 commands, control the LCD and use a buzzer to play tones,” nodcah explained in a detailed Instructables post.

“To prevent the module from running continuously, I’ve added a limit switch to detect when the case is closed. If it’s closed, power will not be supplied to it (saves battery power).”

After gathering the above-mentioned materials, drawing the circuit and assembling the serial LCD kit, nodcah builds the circuit boards, programs the ATmega328 and ATtiny85, configures the fingerprint scanner, writes the sketch and 3D prints a basic case.

“To open the garage door I wired my module to the button that normally opens the garage. Instead of a physical connection being made, the module uses a NPN transistor to ‘press’ the button. The wires should first be measured and cut to size, leaving a little extra wire just to be safe,” nodcah added.

“Then, the hard part: soldering the wires from the button to the FPS module. The wires should next be wrapped with a generous amount of tape. To get the signal from the ATmega outside of the garage to the ATtiny inside the garage, three wires (power, ground and signal) will need to be fed through the wall. On my garage, there was a piece of wood that I just drilled right through.”

Last, but certainly not least, nodcah notes that the module’s built-in enroll feature can be used to open the garage and create personalized messages for each profile.

Interested in learning more? You can check out the project’s official Instructables page here.

Atmel celebrates first-ever White House Maker Faire

Atmel Corporation, a global leader in microcontroller (MCU) and touch solutions, calls the first-ever White House Maker Faire a success. With a goal of making technology simple, accessible and easy to use, Atmel is an ardent supporter of the Maker Movement and shares the passion for tomorrow’s innovators, visionaries and manufacturers.

From powering 3D printers to Arduino boards, Atmel’s 8 and 32-bit microcontrollers enable makers to create an extensive range of projects, further strengthening the DIY experience and government funded initiatives such as STEM, (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

“The Maker Movement is the next great revolution of industry and embodies the American Spirit,” said Sander Arts, vice president of marketing at Atmel.

“We congratulate the White House for putting on such a great event and appreciate its recognition and advocacy for the Maker Movement. Whether a hobbyist or an engineer, the power of this community is inspiring and Atmel is honored to be at its heart, providing the technologies that empower makers of all ages to turn imagination into reality.”

As seen at Atmel’s booth during Maker Faire Bay Area 2014, Atmel attended the White House Maker Faire joined by key makers who showcased their technologies including Quin Etnyre, age 13, CEO of QTechknow and Sylvia Todd, age 12, from Super Awesome Sylvia.

Additionally, Arduino, the popular open source platform and community for prototyping, was represented at the White House Maker Faire. Leveraging Atmel’s technology in a series of development boards, communities such as Arduino aim to enable open source collaboration, foster creativity and promote tinkering.

Follow the whereabouts of Atmel, Quin and Sylvia online and join the conversation with @Atmel and @TheAVRMan using the hashtag #NationofMakers.

For questions about the event and Atmel’s participation at White House Maker Faire, please email events@atmel.com.

More Information

Atmel at White House Maker Faire 2014: http://www.atmel.com/atmel-makes/default.aspx
About Maker Faire: http://makerfaire.com/
Embedded Design Blog: www.atmelcorporation.wordpress.com
Atmel Twitter: www.atmel.com/twitter
Atmel AVR Man: https://twitter.com/TheAVRMan
LinkedIn: www.atmel.com/linkedin

ATmega328 MCU drives this LazerBlade

Designed by Darkly Labs, the LazerBlade is an entry-level laser cutter and engraver kit targeted at Makers, artists and DIY hobbyists.

“LazerBlade is a precision device that can both cut and engrave many materials. It’s compact, quiet, portable and handsome enough to sit on your desk while packing an amazing punch for its price,” a Darkly Labs rep wrote in a recent Kickstarter post.

“You will be able to cut or engrave with vector graphics, CAD designs or even photos. [You can] work with the LazerBlade ready software bundle offered as part of this campaign, or use your favorite program.”

The LazerBlade features a custom designed main-board (controller) and high-efficiency laser diode driver, with an Atmel ATmega328 MCU running modified GRBL software.

Additional key hardware specs and features include:

• Two watt, M140 5.6mm 445nm laser diode
• Three element glass laser lens
• Custom designed, fan assisted cooling system to protect laser diode, optics and eyes
• Available in A4 and A3 sizes
• Variable laser power control, 0% to 100% (not just on/off)
• Stores vertically when not in use, with included stand
• 110-240V AC Mains / 12V 2A DC Power Adaptor (included)
• Step-by-step illustrated assembly instructions
• A special anodized aluminium focus tool
• One pair of laser safety goggles
• 110-240V AC mains / 12V 2A DC power adapter
• USB cable

“To achieve its professional feel and performance, we chose to make the chassis from an industrial plastic that is very strong and will not be susceptible to warping from moisture.
 All the parts are designed and manufactured to fit together precisely, [so there is] no need for drilling or special tools [and it can be] easily assembled within two hours,” the rep explained.

“We used a combination of ‘off the shelf’ components along with a custom designed main board and laser driver. [Meaning], we keep the electronic’s cost down by tailoring features specifically for our requirements and design in expandability for the future.”

On the software side, the LazerBlade is fully compatible with industry standard Gcode, offering Makers easy access to numerous open-source and free packages to create cutting files, such as Inkscape.

In addition, Darkly Labs is supported by Vectric with Cut2D-Laser and John Champlain with PicLaser-Lite. Both packages – ready to use with the LazerBlade – are included at no charge to Kickstarter kit backers.

Interested in learning more? You can check out LazerBlade’s official Kickstarter page here.

Atmel powers Mirobot WiFi robotics kit

Mirobot – created by Ben Pirt – is an Atmel-powered (ATmega328 MCU) DIY WiFi robotic kit designed to help children learn about technology and programming.

“It’s fun to build and easy to start programming it to draw shapes. The chassis is laser cut and snaps together quite easily. Mirobot is robust, but also quite simple. Kids can understand how it works and what it does,” Pirt explained in a recent Kickstarter post.

“There’s no slick plastic casing because I think children are more interested in things when they can see what’s going on inside. With Mirobot, the mechanisms are all easily visible – it’s designed to remove the mystery and help understanding.”

Aside from the ATmega328 MCU, key tech specs include:

• WiFi module that also acts as an access point
• Battery powered with AA batteries
• Two stepper motors for control
• Self-hosted javascript application to control Mirobot from a web page (no software to install)
• Open WebSocket or raw socket JSON-based command protocol
• Easily reprogrammable
• All unused pins brought out to an easily accessible header
• Uses the standard external USB programming connector

Mirobot can be programmed in a number of different ways, including a web-based GUI which is similar to LOGO, albeit with drag and drop.

“Mirobot is a completely open robotics platform – all of the code and designs are open-source so you can modify them to make it do exactly what you want. One of the big benefits of this is that as people make it do new and interesting things, they can be shared with the community to everyone’s benefit,” Pirt added.

“If you want to experiment with the Arduino then you can easily reprogram Mirobot with your own custom code. Want to add some sensors and make it sentient? There’s an expansion port designed for just that.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out Mirobot’s Kickstarter page here and the project’s official page here.