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.

What is driving the hardware boom?

Boris Wertz, the founder of Version One Ventures, has identified a number of prominent trends driving the current hardware boom. As Wertz notes, it seems as if everyone is talking about the Maker movement, with hardware startup meetups on the rise from New York to San Francisco, Stockholm to Toronto.

“The Maker Movement is [clearly] increasing the talent pool. The increased focus on hardware brought about by the maker movement is rapidly bringing a new influx of hardware developers to the market,” Wertz wrote in a recent guest column published by CNET. “With access to a bigger talent pool, startups (and established companies too) can develop products more quickly and at a lower cost. The associated lower costs and faster time to market can be a game changer.”

According to Wertz, open hardware such as Atmel-powered Arduino boards significantly increases the speed of innovation.

“The open source movement when applied to hardware accelerates innovation, enabling developers to build derivatives of the original design, such as alternate use cases and accessories,” he explained. “With open source hardware, developers and startups don’t need to seek the approval of the creator. They can just start working, without any patent or licensing hoops to jump through.”

Wertz also commented on the rapidly evolving Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable tech, both of which are being propelled by an increase in connected devices.

“The common hardware purchase model was always ‘one and done; customers bought their hardware and that was it. With today’s influx of connected devices, consumers expect more than great hardware,” said Wertz. “Connected software now defines the hardware experience. Examples include wireless wearable devices that track a person’s activities or connected home devices that encourage a greener lifestyle.”

The full text of “Five trends driving the hardware boom,” is available here on CNET.

Wearable tech and the IoT

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, wearable tech and the rapidly evolving Internet of Things (IoT) are intertwined. Simply put, the IoT refers to a future world where all types of electronic devices link to each other via the Internet. Today, it’s estimated that there are nearly 10 billion devices in the world connected to the Internet, a figure expected to triple to nearly 30 billion by 2020.

Recently, Ben Arnold, director of industry analysis for consumer technology at the NPD Group, told the AFP that traditional tech companies will have to start paying attention to how sensors are enabling us to live.

“[People] are ultimately going to become more aware of their data in the digital ether,” he explained. “I suspect wearables are going to disrupt the way tech firms are doing business now.”

Yesterday, Mike Muller, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of ARM, expressed his belief that wearable technology will indeed play a “key role” in taking the Internet of Things (IoT) to the next level.

“Wearable technology will be all about creating highly personalized experiences that enhance day-to-day leisure, work, convenience and health. These elements have become known as ‘the quantified self’, which is a movement to incorporate technology into data acquisition on many aspects of a person’s daily life,” he told Business Today.

“This technology encompasses self-monitoring and self-sensing, which combines wearable sensors and wearable computing. The IoT will enable devices to be joined, anywhere, anytime. The challenge is to make this new world work as easily and as seamlessly for the user, as for web pages to link to devices today.”

According to Mr. Muller, the future of the IoT will be realized when all of today’s devices (and future tech) are connected, sharing trusted data.

“The Internet of Things is an enabler. It will be driven by whoever has the energy and the best solutions. It will have many facets. Like the Internet, it is not one thing. Wearables will also disrupt app development. While fitness apps started the trend, it is set to branch out to cover other life and social functions,” said Mr. Muller.

“Interfaces continue to play an important part in this ecosystem – but the best ideas will undoubtedly drive some interesting new developments here too and even redefine what an interface actually is.”

Interested in learning more about wearable tech? Check out what Atmel has been up to in this exciting space.

Wearable computing with Atmel MCUs

Atmel is smack in the middle of the rapidly evolving wearable tech revolution. First off, Atmel’s SAM4S and tinyAVR MCUs are inside the Agent smart-watch which recently hit Kickstarter.

Atmel MCUs have also tipped up in a number of Maker projects for wearable tech, like the LED pocket watch we featured earlier this month, as well as Adafruit’s Flora, which is built around Atmel’s Atmega32u4 MCU.

And why not? Simply put, Atmel offers a wide range of wearable computing platforms designed for ultra-low power consumption – both in active and standby modes. Indeed, Atmel’s EventSystem with SleepWalking allows peripherals to automatically connect with each other even in ultra low power modes, thereby simplifying sensor interfacing and further optimizing power consumption. Meanwhile, “Wakeup” times are minimized, facilitating the use of low-power modes without missing communications data or sensor events.

In addition, Atmel devices integrate numerous features to save circuit board space, such as USB transceivers and embedded termination resistors. Many devices are offered in very small form factor packages, a critical characteristic for engineers and Makers designing wearable tech.

On the software side, the Atmel Software Framework (ASF) includes communications libraries to support external Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, mesh and point-to-point networking on Atmel’s 802.15.4/Zigbee AT86RF radios as well as a full range of USB drivers. The ASF also contains libraries and driver functions for many popular third-party sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers.

In addition, standalone Atmel controllers support off-the-shelf capacitive buttons, sliders and wheel (BSW) implementations. Plus, all our microcontrollers can directly manage capacitive buttons via provided software libraries, while the maXTouch series of capacitive touchscreen controllers are capable of managing optically clear touch sensors overlaid on LCD displays.

And last but certainly not least, Atmel’s touch platforms may be tuned to function when moisture is present – which is often a key requirement for wearable applications. Interested in learning more? Check out Atmel’s white paper on wearable tech here.

Atmega32u4 MCU takes center stage in wearable tech challenge

Known as “FLORA,” Adafruit’s wearable electronics platform is built around Atmel’s Atmega32u4 MCU. The microcontroller boasts built-in USB support, eliminating the need for pesky special cables and extra parts.

According to Adafruit’s Limor Fried, FLORA is extremely “beginner-friendly.” Indeed, the device is difficult to accidentally destroy by connecting a battery backwards, thanks to a polarized connector and protection diodes. Meanwhile, an onboard regulator ensures even connecting a 9V battery won’t result in damage or tears.

Numerous Makers are using FLORA to design a wide range of creations, a fact that has caught the eye of the folks at element14. To be sure, the Newark Corporation recently issued a challenge to engineers and Makers to develop their own piece of wearable technology. The platform of choice for the contest? Adafruit’s versatile FLORA kit.

“Wearable technology is incredibly popular at the moment. Yet, we’re still waiting for a product that brings wearable technology together with clothing and that’s what makes this competition and the Adafruit kit stand out,” explained Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14.

“In this challenge we’re calling on our talented community to create something new in wearable technology that will make a difference to the everyday lives of the user. From tracking the vulnerable or elderly to finding a lost handbag in a nightclub, wearable technology is only just getting started and has the potential to do so much and this is why we’re all really looking forward to seeing the submissions in this competition.”

As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel is right in the middle of the wearable tech revolution. First off, Atmel’s SAM4S and tinyAVR MCUs are inside the Agent smart-watch which recently hit Kickstarter. Atmel MCUs have also tipped up in a number of Maker projects for wearable tech, like the LED pocket watch we featured earlier this month.

Clearly, wearable tech is getting a long overdue makeover, as Internet-linked computers are woven into formerly brainless attire such as glasses, bracelets and shoes.

“We are heading for the wearable computing era,” Gartner analyst Van Baker told the AFP. “People are going to be walking around with personal area networks on their bodies and have multiple devices that talk to each other and the Web.”

Ben Arnold, director of industry analysis for consumer technology at NPD, expressed similar sentiments.

“Traditional technology companies will have to start paying attention to how sensors are enabling us to live,” he added. “Consumers are ultimately going to become more aware of their data in the digital ether. I suspect wearables are going to disrupt the way tech firms are doing business now.”