Control your window shade with your smartphone

This development from RCGuy out of ALP Electronic Innovation takes us one step closer to complete DIY home automation. No longer is there a need to mess around with those fussy window blinds, just swipe your way to perfect lighting!

Using an Arduino Uno (ATmega328), this device hosts a simple wiring schematic that enables a smartphone app to control a motor driven window shade. A Bluetooth connection is used to establish a connection between the Arduino Uno and the smartphone of choice. From there, a DC motor controls the shade track — allowing in light to wake you up or blocking out the rays to let you catch a few extra minutes of shut-eye!

For easy identification, a series of LED lights notifies the user of the shade’s current status. Now this project may not be as refined as the Homey or as large as these automated blinds, but this project is a true Maker endeavor. The ease of this build almost leaves no excuse as to why your windows aren’t automatically controlled. For those interested in installing a set of connected blinds into their living room, a step-by-step tutorial of the build can be seen below or  on the Maker’s original lnstructables guide.

 

A DIY Arduino lock that can protect and track your bicycle

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A smart lock to outsmart potential bike thieves! 

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Those of us who live in cities know how easy it is to get around on two wheels instead of four. After all, congested traffic and packed streets make the bicycle the ideal form of urban transportation. Not only are they easy to maneuver in between cars and along sidewalks, but are a rather fun way to explore an area while staying in shape. One drawback, however, is that they are often prone to being stolen.

Maker Scott Bennett was worried about the high bike theft rate of his city, and rightfully so. Vancouver averages over 1,500 cycles stolen each year. In order to keep his means of transit safe and sound, he decided to create an Arduino-based lock system that would notify him should anything happen. With the help of an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) and an Arduino GSM shield, the small apparatus is capable of monitoring the bike at all times, while being tucked away just below his seat.

When starting this project, one of Bennett’s major concerns was battery life. He didn’t want to worry about the power failing and the device itself becoming practically useless in fending off potential thieves.  And so, he employed a two-cell LiPo battery that boasted a high charge rate.

The way that the system functions is pretty straightforward: If the bike’s lock cable is cut, the Arduino starts a 15-second timer. If the lock is not reconnected within this short timeframe, the device considers the bike stolen and sends out a text message with the GPS location coordinates. Using this data, the user can then alert the authorities to the exact whereabouts of their stolen bike. It should be noted that the project does require a (prepaid) phone plan from a carrier with a GSM network.

“This project is pretty cheap, especially if you compare it to the cost of replacing your stolen bike! I was able to use some old parts I had lying around and hopefully you will too. If I had bought everything needed brand new this would have cost about $225,” the Maker writes.

Do you live in a city where bike theft is a major problem? Get started on your own lock by heading over to Bennett’s Instructables page here.

Make yourself an automatic ice bucket challenge machine with ATmega32u4

You have likely seen your fair share of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos over the last few weeks, but this new automatic Ice Bucket Challenge vendor demonstrated by gckulo changes the game.

We featured Christopher Lewis’ automatic Ice Bucket Challenge device last week and this contraption fits in the same innovative bill. The ATmega32u4 based RoMeo V2[R3], which behaves like an Arduino Leonardo, serves as the brains of the DIY build. This Arduino-compatible device dumps the bucket of ice water whenever the sensors linked to its central control system are triggered.

“When the guy is standing in front of the machine, the Arduino controlled system will pull the rope and pour out the ice and water in the bucket,” the Maker describes his contraption.

An ultrasonic sensor is employed to trigger when a user enters the specified splash zone. “The range of this ultrasonic sensor is about 10 meters. However the detecting angle is about 15 degrees. So it could achieve the detection in a specified range,” gckulo adds.

In all, this project works to raise awareness for ALS and the Maker community. What a great combo!

To read the initial tutorial, you can browse through the project’s Instructables page here.

Creating a gesture-controlled rover with ATmega328P

Who needs joysticks when you can control a robot with a flick of your wrist? A Maker going by the name “electro18” has merged his passions for both electronics and robotics to create a gesture-controlled rover.

Using an Atmel ATmega328P-based design, electro18 has developed a roving robot that can be maneuvered by simple hand movements. The Maker has appropriately dubbed this creation, Project Titan.

The robot itself is made of a 4mm acrylic platform and two motors. Additional acrylic strips are fixed to the edges of the design to add support. The rover also features a temperature sensor that can relay information back to an LCD information screen on the control glove.

In addition, the Maker installed an Android phone onto the rover to allow for a first person camera view to be transmitted back to the controller. He also included an ultrasonic sensor so that the unit can be aware of the objects around it.

The control glove’s main components are an accelerometer to read movement and an LCD screen to display information. Upon completion, hand movements can control the robot, relay data to an LCD screen, and even operate the vehicle on a 45-degree angle.

To build your own robot control glove, take a look at electro18’s Instructables page to see if you want to take the task on yourself!

Creating a full-size Lego replica of Han Solo’s blaster

A Maker by the name of Julius von Brunk has created a full-size replica of Han Solo’s iconic blaster using Lego pieces and an Atmel-based Arduino Uno.

Originally designed for Star Wars Day 2014, the Maker elected to build an electronic DL-44 blaster using the Lego Digital Designer program and more than 400 Lego pieces, including a fully-functional trigger that sets off the blaster’s lights and sounds. These light and sound effects were made possible via an Arduino Uno (ATmega328).

As Hackaday notes, the electronics for the project are tied to a moving trigger mechanism, which are also made from Lego. “The trigger mechanism hits a momentary pushbutton which tells the Arduino to activate the LEDs and a separate 555 timer and sound recording/playback device which handles the classic blaster sounds. The whole thing is powered by a 9V battery and housed in the front of the blaster, and all of the code (and the LEGO schematics) are available on the project’s site.”

Should you be brave enough to build one of these for yourself, von Brunk has posted an in-depth tutorial on Instructables. If you’re willing to take on this challenging project, may the force be with you!

Build your own wireless home security system with Arduino

Are you planning on installing a security system in your home soon? Before you start pricing, take a look at this DIY guide from Instructables user Deba168. After all, why buy when you can make your own?

Deba168’s system utilizes a pair of Arduino boards, an RF transmitter, a PIR motion sensor and a few other components to piece it all together. The device primarily uses a PIR motion sensor to detect movement, once triggered, this sensor pings an Arduino unit that catalogs the data. Along with the infrared sensor and Arduino, another Arduino board is employed to control alarms and alerts. The Maker notes that he selected an Arduino Nano (ATmega328) for the transmitter, but that either an Atmel-based Arduino Uno or Pro Mini would also suffice.

In an effort to further secure his home, Deba168 lengthened the range of his device by including an antenna on the RF transmitter and receiver module. “If you look carefully in to the RF transmitter and receiver module there is no external antenna included,” the Maker notes.

While the system now alerts users to motion, Deba168 hopes to include even more functionality in the future. The Maker plans on looking into including an alert for open doors and another notification if appliances are left on. He is also is contemplating how to incorporate a digital camera to take pictures when the motion sensor is triggered.

Pieces this all together and you’ve got a pretty cheap and easy way to keep an eye on things around the house. To read Deba168’s full tutorial, you can check out the original Instructables post here. If you want to browse other ingenious Arduino-powered projects, head over to our Bits & Pieces archives.

Disco is back with this LED coffee table

Apparently disco will never die in the Maker community! Combine the Pixel Drop ceiling we previously showed you with this disco LED coffee table from Instructables and you’ll have the funkiest living room in the neighborhood!

Blair over at Instructables has shared a detailed guide on how to build this hip, customizable LED tabletop. The Maker was in need of new coffee table for her apartment, so in true DIY fashion, turned to her passion of electronics and engineering to create one herself.

She started the project by mocking up a prototype build in CAD. From there, she set out to assemble the frame. Knowing that this table was going to be a centerpiece of the room, Blair built the entirety of the frame in a woodshop. She took plenty of steps to assure the table could withstand daily use.

Next, she began to solder the LED strips that would provide the table’s effects and began to wire them. “Rather than soldering long wires between the strips, I used connectors and cables that I could easily unplug in case something wasn’t working,” she notes.

She proceeded to make the circuit board that would serve as the brains behind the table. Next, the Maker moved on to create the code for the Arduino Mega (ATmega1280) that would provide the dazzling light show. She added a series of diffused plastic dividers to enhance the table’s glow and then began the final assembly.

Once she found her entire contraption was working, she affixed the plexiglass top and sat back to admire her work! If only she had this disco-inspired NeoPixel dress, it could have been a real party!

To build your own Disco LED table, head over to Blair’s comprehensive Instructables guide.

Transmit tunes anywhere in your house with Arduino

Thanks to one Maker’s ingenious thinking, you will no longer need to strategically place separate iPod docks throughout your house. In a recent Instructables post, Kameo3155 has devised a multi-zone audio system that be controlled by any device with a web browser.

“This system solves the seemingly ubiquitous problem of being able to listen to your music from anywhere in your house,” the Maker noted. An extensive materials list was required to assemble this device, yet still only costs a fraction of what a typical house-wide audio system would to install. Our Maker details the key components below:

• Speaker wire run from a centralized location
• Speakers of your choosing for each zone
• 6 channel amp or multiple small 2 channel
• Power supply for the amp
• Spare 3 prong AC power cable
• SPST Relay
• Arduino Uno (ATmega328) with Ethernet Shield
• Male to female jumper wires
• Custom PCB for the PT2258
• The PT2258 IC
• 10uF Capacitors
• 100 kOhm resistors
• 5mm through hole jacks
• Male .1″ spaced headers
• A microSD card
• Google Chromecast
• HDMI audio extractor (I used this one)
• RCA to 3.5mm cables

Kameo3155 began by soldering the PT2258 board and then connecting it to the Atmel-based Arduino Uno. Once the wires were attached and the Uno was hooked up to a home Ethernet connection, the Maker set out to install the code that would enable the machine to pipe music throughout his home speaker setup. “This is where the magic happens,” the Maker describes the integral step.

Once the code was installed, a system to control the actual music was required. This Maker thought a Google Chromecast would be an ideal technology to utilize in order to obtain the desired results. “This allows us to take the audio the Chromecast outputs and plug it into our PT2258 control board,” he believed. “We can simply cast our favorite Pandora station or music from Google Play Music to the Chromecast and control the volume from our Arduino.”

To read through the full tutorial for this cost-effective home audio control unit, check out the original Instructables post here.

Beach Buddy is a 3-in-1 necessity for a day in the sun

Planning and packing for a day at the beach isn’t easy. At times, it can seem that amount of supplies needed for just a few hours of fun almost takes away from the enjoyment. A Maker by the name of Starwisher has attempted to solve this issue by creating the 3-in-1-phone charger, boom box, and sunburn timer, appropriately dubbed the “Beach Buddy.”

The Beach Buddy started out as a final project for the Maker, where she set out to develop a device that “harnesses the power of Arduino, a UV sensor, and simple mathematics to make one nifty gadget sure to boost your outdoor summer fun!

The first function to be developed was the phone charger. Starwisher adapted the Solar Charger tutorial from Adafruit to fit her design. She then proceeded to follow the Beach Bag Boombox design, also from our friends at Adafruit, to further elaborate her creation. Though, the Maker did depart from the original guide to some extent by noting, “Instead of soldering a simple SPST slide switch into the wire, we’re going to solder in one of our SPST panel mount rocker switches.”

Within the code of her device, Starwisher included a simple formula to calculate how long you can stay in the sun with sunscreen on before a burn will develop. She had the idea for this option after getting a nasty sunburn at the beach, even after applying sunscreen.

By providing the Beach Buddy with some simple information via an LCD input, the gadget used this simple code: (Skin type time to burn ÷ UV Index) x SPF rating = time before reapplication of sunscreen) to alert the user to possible sunburn.

In all, Starwisher’s design is much more than a school project. In fact, it may very well become a summer necessity for anyone looking to spend day in the sun! The Beach Buddy can consolidate a multitude of devices that a common beach goer desperately requires, all with sun safety in mind!

To read the incredibly informative tutorial for the Beach Buddy, head over to Starwisher’s Instructables post here.

Rubber Duckymeter, you’re the one

This project just quacks us up! Earlier this year at Maker Faire North Carolina, we had the chance to see Maker Raptor_Demon’s Arduino-compatible bathtub unit billed as the “Duckymeter.”

Rubber ducky, you’re the one, You make bathtime lots of fun… …and safe with the ATmega328P-powered #Duckymeter! pic.twitter.com/npxTkcrZ2T

— Atmel Corporation (@Atmel) June 7, 2014

In what appears to be just your average rubber ducky, this contraption actually eases a parent’s stress when it comes to temperature, overflow or bubbles when drawing a bath for a child. The automated Duckymeter handles each of these tasks in a much more fun, safer manner while providing a happy bath for your little one!

The main controller box — which is built around an ATmega328P MCU — monitors incoming water temperature, tub temperature and the amount of time the faucet has been running. As long as pressure on the faucet is constant, the device automatically shuts off when it has been activated for selected period of time.

Also powered by ATmega328P MCU and Arduino bootloader, the charming Duckymeter serves as a remote sensor for inside the bathtub by transmitting the temperature each second back to the main unit, which is then displayed on an easy-to-read LCD. Essentially, the little duck patrols the bathtub to assure the bath experience is as relaxing (or enjoyable) as can be!

Included in this build is a hacked soap dispenser, which releases bubble bath into the water. Using an IR sensor and a photoresistor, the Maker created a system that when a beam is broken by a hand wave, bubble bath is poured directly into the water.

To follow along with the full build tutorial and track future additions to the device, you can visit the Maker’s original Instructables post.