Makers can now wirelessly connect their Arduino in less than a minute.
Last year, InXus Interactive launched a crowdfunding campaign for its versatile sensor shield for Arduino units, which enabled Makers to connect a plethora of sensors to their board in just seconds. The campaign for the aptly named EasyPlug was successfully funded, garnering well over double its initial goal. Now, several months later, the Irvine, California-based startup has returned to Kickstarter with what they call the EasyPlug Air, a wireless spawn of its original shield.
“In the months ensuing delivery of EasyPlug, it became painfully obvious that people wanted wireless. So, we listened to the people and here we are,” the team writes.
According to a company rep, the EasyPlug Air can wirelessly connect to any Atmel based Arduino in less than a minute. Whether a Maker is looking to remotely control their board with a banana or track when someone comes in and out of their house, the Air is hoping to make that possible.
How it works is simple. A user selects a sensor, plugs it into a receiver and progresses with their project. Each sensor plug on the receiver is labeled with a corresponding number (0-5). This number refers to the analog pin on the Arduino. That way, when a Maker connects a sound sensor into sensor plug #1, for example, the board will automatically start reading sensor data on analog channel one.
EasyPlug Air comes in two different models: MegaMote and MiniMote. The first version is comprised of a receiver shield, a wireless sensor hub with six sensor inputs, a rechargeable battery, sensors, sensor connection cables and a recharge cable; while the latter packs all of the same components except that it boasts three smaller wireless sensor hubs with two sensor inputs on each.
Makers can choose from an assortment of easy-to-use sensors for just about anything, each of which are optimized for performance, feature six unique colored cables and provide onboard circuit protection. Currently, sensors include pushbutton, light, turn, motion, magnet, sound, capacitive touch and force. What’s more, the Create Sensor is designed for those seeking to connect their own sensors to the original EasyPlug or VERVE. As the company notes, “We’ve picked the most useful and fun sensors for you and we’re adding more all the time, so you should be able to find a sensor to fit your needs.”
Key wireless shield specs:
- Onboard LEDs
- No extra code (Uses the standard “analogRead(pin#)” command)
- Stackable with other shields
- No soldering required
- Communication through 2.4GHz ISM band
Notable wireless transmitter specs:
- 50 meter range
- 1kHz sample rate
- 14mA peak current draw @ 3.3V
- 6 analog sensor inputs
- Rechargeable battery via microUSB cable
- Compatible with ever-growing list of inXus sensors
Interested in learning more? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page, where InXus Interactive is seeking $20,000.
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