Schlagwort: mega

  • Twinky, the Arduino robot assistant

    Twinky, the Arduino robot assistant

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    Twinky, the Arduino robot assistant

    Arduino Team — October 5th, 2018

    In the middle of a project, you may find that what you’re making is similar to something that’s been done before. Such was the case with Adrian Lindermann when he started constructing his “Twinky” robot and found the Jibo social bot had a similar design. 

    Like any good hacker, he pressed ahead with his build, creating a small yellow companion that can respond to voice commands via a SpeakUp click module, along with pressure on its face/touchscreen.

    Control is provided by an Arduino Mega, and Twinky can interact with other devices using a Bluetooth module. The robot’s head can even turn in order to point the display in the needed direction, and it’s able to play sound through an audio amplifier and speaker. 

    IT CAN SPEAK! PLAY MUSIC, SET TIMERS, ALARMS, TURN ON/OFF THE LIGHTS OR OTHER APPLIANCES. IT HAS A CALCULATOR AND A WEATHER STATION! DATE & TIME, BLUETOOTH 4.0, EVERYTHING WITH VOICE COMMANDS!!! And also with a touchscreen, it has one little motor so it can turn around when one of the two microphones hear you talk or make a noise.

    For more on this wonderful little robot, check out the project’s write-up and and build files here.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLzlS3UOq9Q?feature=oembed&w=500&h=375]

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    Website: LINK

  • 3D-printed “orbament” lights up with movement

    3D-printed “orbament” lights up with movement

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    3D-printed “orbament” lights up with movement

    Arduino Team — September 18th, 2018

    What would you get if you crossed a gigantic Christmas tree ornament with an LED strip and Arduino/IMU control? Perhaps you’d come up with something akin to this colorful “RGB LED Ball” by James Bruton.

    The device features eight curved supports along with a central hub assembly, forming a structure for APA102 RGB LED strips. Each of these is linked together via wiring that winds through the central hub making them appear to the Arduino Mega controller as one continuous chain of lights. 

    Several animations can be selected with a pair of control buttons, and the ball even responds to movement using an MPU6050 IMU onboard. Files for the build are available on GitHub.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMBejIlcKSM?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • Build an Arduino Mega fingerprint door lock

    Build an Arduino Mega fingerprint door lock

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    Build an Arduino Mega fingerprint door lock

    Arduino Team — September 13th, 2018

    If you don’t want to carry keycard or memorize a passcode, this build from Electronoobs might be just the thing. 

    The system uses a fingerprint reader to check to see if you have access, and if approved, the device’s Arduino Mega unlocks the theoretical door using a micro servo motor. Three push buttons and a 16×2 LCD screen complete the user interface, and allow more authorized fingers to be added with the main person/finger’s permission.

    While you might question the security gained by a hobby servo, the video notes that this could trigger any sort of security device, perhaps via a relay or electromagnetic coil lock. Besides security, the build gives a good introduction to Arduino fingerprint scanning, as well as the use of an SD card for data logging functions.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xq6hQUJ4Fk?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • Sip and puff Morse code entry with Arduino

    Sip and puff Morse code entry with Arduino

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    Sip and puff Morse code entry with Arduino

    Arduino Team — September 10th, 2018

    Those that need a text entry method other than a traditional keyboard and mouse often use a method where a character is selected, then input using a sip or puff of air from the user’s mouth. Naturally this is less than ideal, and one alternative interface shown here is to instead use sip/puff air currents to indicate the dots and dashes of Morse code.

    The system—which can be seen in action in the video below—uses a modified film container, along with a pair of infrared emitters and detectors to sense air movement. The device was prototyped on an Arduino Mega, and its creators hope to eventually use a Leonardo for direct computer input. 

    A tube connected to a custom made bipolar pressure switch drives an Arduino which translates puffing and sucking into Morse code and then into text.

    Puffs make repeating short pulses (dots) and sucks repeating longer pulses (dashes) just like ham radio amateurs do with a dual-lever paddle.

    Code for this open source project can be found on GitHub.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo1gskJ759Q?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • Electric-powered fan rocket takes off and lands(?) vertically

    Electric-powered fan rocket takes off and lands(?) vertically

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    Electric-powered fan rocket takes off and lands(?) vertically

    Arduino Team — August 13th, 2018

    Does a rocket need to use a certain type of fuel, or even be capable of spaceflight? While James Bruton’s build might not fit everyone’s definition of this type of craft because of its electric ducted fan (EDF) propulsion, it does face the same major challenge of controlling a tall pipe-like structure from thrust coming from the tail. It’s meant to both take off and land in a vertical orientation as well, something inconceivable in traditional rockets until very recently.

    For control, Bruton uses an Arduino Mega inside the main fuselage of the craft, which regulates the speed of the three EDFs. It also turns two of these fans with a servo and linkage system in order to compensate for unwanted roll. A second Arduino and an IMU are embedded in the nose cone, which passes data to the Mega board via a serial connection. 

    The build and early tests can be seen in the video below, and a full test is planned for the future alongside Ivan Miranda, who has been working on his own version.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCzXICeH7hY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • Check the weather on this Arduino-controlled split-flap display

    Check the weather on this Arduino-controlled split-flap display

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    Check the weather on this Arduino-controlled split-flap display

    Arduino Team — August 9th, 2018

    Split-flap displays show information using characters changed by an electric motor. While they’ve largely been replaced by more modern means, hobbyists like “gabbapeople” have been keeping this this technique alive, in this case as a four-character IoT weather display.

    The device is built using laser-cut plexiglass, and uses four individual servos to actuate the character flaps. Control is accomplished using an Arduino Mega programmed in the XOD visual programming environment, along with the requisite driver modules. Weather data is pulled from the AccuWeather API. 

    You can see it flapping away in the video below, displaying the weather in abbreviations such as “ICLO” for intermittent clouds, as well as the temperature in degrees Celsius.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUt0KVzSsMc?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • Generating waves with Arduino

    Generating waves with Arduino

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    Generating waves with Arduino

    Arduino Team — August 6th, 2018

    Need a wave generator to test out your latest boat, barge, or submarine design, but can’t quite afford one? If so, then you might consider Subham Bhatt’s DIY tank that he was able to construct for around $1,200 USD. 

    Bhatt’s device features a pair of stepper motors and lead screws that push a stainless steel paddle through the water, producing waves formed to his precise specifications. An Arduino Mega is used for control, along with a single stepper driver to power both motors. 

    User interface is provided through the Arduino IDE’s serial interface, set up to take commands via a simple text-based menu system. 

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wovaaC5p6dg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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  • Light painting rig is a masterpiece of artistic hardware hacking

    Light painting rig is a masterpiece of artistic hardware hacking

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    Light painting rig is a masterpiece of artistic hardware hacking

    Arduino Team — July 30th, 2018

    Light painting is an art form where dark areas are selectively lit to form interesting effects. While normally a manual operation, Josh Sheldon has come up with a rig to automate and enhance the process. The results are nothing short of spectacular, producing not static images, but astonishing animated light displays.

    His device resembles a 3D printer made out of aluminum extrusion. X,Y, and Z axes are controlled by a series of stepper motors, but it uses a point of controlled light instead of melted plastic to form shapes. 

    Light animations are set up in Blender, and a hardware and software toolchain including Processing, an Arduino Mega, and a Dragonframe module are implemented for control.

    Check out the whole story in the video below, or see code/build documentation are available on GitHub.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1bY66X1JKA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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  • Ceiling-mounted cable robot with Arduino Mega

    Ceiling-mounted cable robot with Arduino Mega

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    Ceiling-mounted cable robot with Arduino Mega

    Arduino Team — July 30th, 2018

    Cable-based robots are a common sight at sporting events as remote camera operators, but what about one for your living room? As spotted on Reddit, Nathaniel Nifong decided there was no reason not to have one of these devices, and made his own personal Skycam-like robot.

    The system uses four servo motors to wind cables attached to the ceiling around 3D-printed wheels, and can be controlled using a smartphone via Bluetooth and an Arduino Mega. 

    The prototype—constructed using cardboard and what appears to be LEGO components—is seen moving around Nifong’s dwelling in the videos below, and the eventual goal is to let it move items around using a servo gripper assembly.

    This is the first wireless movement demonstration of a robot I’m building. It’s based on parts from an XYZ 6-DOF robotic arm.

    The Bluetooth control is done by using Nordic toolbox to send commands to a an MDBT40 Bluetooth module that was reprogrammed with an ST-Link V2. The module forwards the command to the Arduino.

    Commands are to move 10 cm in any direction. It calculates what the change in rope lengths would be to achieve the new position.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bum5dCi5UIg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py4l7_BlmFs?feature=oembed&w=500&h=375]

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  • Stop motion short filmed with the help of Arduino

    Stop motion short filmed with the help of Arduino

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    Stop motion short filmed with the help of Arduino

    Arduino Team — July 30th, 2018

    One can imagine that making a stop motion animation film is a lot of work, but if you’ve ever wondered what one involves, James Wilkinson decided to document the process of making Billy Whiskers: The Mystery of the Misplaced Trowel. 

    The main character of this film is a mystery-solving feline, who is animated with the help of five servos that control mouth movements under Arduino control.

    In order to get shots that move properly, Wilkinson also came up with his own motion capture rig, moved by a number of stepper motors via an Arduino Mega. His documentation is certainly worth checking out if you’re interested in animatronics or advanced filming techniques, and you can see a trailer for the film below.

    [embedded content]

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  • Smart hydroponic assembly made with Arduino Mega

    Smart hydroponic assembly made with Arduino Mega

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    Smart hydroponic assembly made with Arduino Mega

    Arduino Team — July 23rd, 2018

    If you love electronics as well as plants, what better way to combine the two than with a smart hydroponic system? Students at the Juan de Lanuza School decided to do just that, creating a portable hydroponic assembly that’s automatically controlled with the help of an Arduino Mega.

    The system uses six lengths of PVC pipe to house plants and pass a nutrient rich liquid solution through their roots. The control assembly measures elements such as temperature, humidity, and pH, then adjusts the lighting, water pump, and nutrient feeder to accommodate for conditions. 

    The device transmits data to ThinkSpeak for human monitoring, and also features a smartphone app for visualization. Build details are available here in English, or you can see a video of the setup in Spanish below.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWkw4pRXUVg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • An Arduino “Whack-a-Button” Reaction Game

    An Arduino “Whack-a-Button” Reaction Game

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    An Arduino “Whack-a-Button” Reaction Game

    Arduino Team — July 16th, 2018

    After Instructables user R0RSHACH’s son won a place at the World Scout Jamboree in 2019, the maker decided to create a fairground-style game for fundraising. 

    The resulting device is akin to a Whack-a-Mole or Batak game that can be found at high-end gyms, and features eight large light-up buttons per player on a wooden frame.

    When activated, an Arduino Mega turns on the button-lights in sequence to test how long it takes participants to push each one. While it can be made in a single-player version, the two-player game looks like a lot more fun, allowing participants to compete on opposing boards. 

    Code and instructions are available here, and you can see it demonstrated in the videos below.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOvo6Ga6lLo?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgFIRdTokmk?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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  • TerraDome is a Jurassic World-themed terrarium

    TerraDome is a Jurassic World-themed terrarium

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    TerraDome is a Jurassic World-themed terrarium

    Arduino Team — June 25th, 2018

    If you need a warm place to keep your tropical plants, then look no further than the beautiful “TerraDome” from maker “MagicManu.”

    The device is equipped with an Arduino Mega that helps regulate the temperature inside its clear octagonal structure via a reptile heating pad, along with a fan salvaged from a PC power supply. A DHT11 sensor is used to sense temperature and humidity, shown on top of the dome by a small LED display.

    Aside from taking care of plants, the project is decidedly dinosaur-themed, specifically Jurassic Park/World. It even features a servo-driven wooden door assembly on the front that looks like it came straight out of the movie, which swings open automatically to allow heat (or dinosaurs) to escape. 

    You can check out the build process in the video below (in French), or see the second for a short dino-style glimpse of the assembly.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtoiuGWk26w?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xadcDBo6ESE?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • An Automated Paper Cutter

    An Automated Paper Cutter

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    An Automated Paper Cutter

    Arduino Team — June 15th, 2018

    Are scissors and manual paper cutters not working for you? Well, “Mr Innovative” has the solution in the form of an Arduino-driven device that cuts paper to length automatically. 

    As you can see in the video below, a user simply inputs the length of paper and the number of strips needed via a series of buttons and a tiny OLED display, and the automated machine does the rest.

    The system works by pulling paper inserted into the machine’s body at precise intervals using a stepper motor and rollers. When in place, a second stepper moves a razor blade over the paper, cutting it into perfect strips for whatever craft project you have in mind. An Arduino Mega controls the device, along with a pair of stepper drivers via a custom designed PCB shield. Code and PCB files are available here for download.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6Vu3OT-UKg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • SmartCash can sort and give out change

    SmartCash can sort and give out change

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    SmartCash can sort and give out change

    Arduino Team — June 15th, 2018

    If you run a small business where transactions are made, handling out coins is a necessary part of the job. While a cash register does the trick, perhaps you could try out the SmartCash device—a cylindrical electromechanical system running on an Arduino Mega—to help you count coins and make change.

    Aside from sorting coins, there’s the added benefit that customers will want to come and try it out, maybe even using more cash (and letting you as the owner avoid pesky credit card charges). 

    SmartCash is currently designed to work with Euro coins ranging from 5 cents to 2€. Build information is available in this write-up and on the project’s official site. You can also see it in action in the first video below, or how it’s assembled in 3D CAD in the second.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmCQcnMhYL0?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVXJjUbtwVs?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • Meme Weaver guides users through fabric creation

    Meme Weaver guides users through fabric creation

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    Meme Weaver guides users through fabric creation

    Arduino Team — June 14th, 2018

    We all need to wear clothes, but where do they come from? If you answered “the mall,” then perhaps it’s time to play a couple rounds on the “Meme Weaver.” 

    As seen here, this project by the husband and wife team of David Heisserer and Danielle Everine prompts users to adjust levers correctly in order to control how yarn travels through the machine, weaving fabrics together that reveal poems, quotes, and other interesting sayings.

    Control for the device—which in turn “commands” humans via a series of audio-visual cues—is accomplished using an Arduino Mega, along with an Adafruit Audio FX sound board. 

    Part mechanized tool and part arcade game, Meme Weaver is an interactive machine that weaves poems. Meme Weaver is a complex instrument with large-scale elements of a traditional loom – beams, rollers, yarns, shuttle, beater – with people operating individual treadles. Blinking lights and buzzers create an arcade game feel by lending a bit of Dance Dance Revolution ambiance to the loom.

    We have chosen to weave a collection of memes, poems, quotes and maxims from a wide range of authors. The selections include personal favorites, well-known classics and contemporary works within the theme of knowledge sharing. The scroll will be written with poems that remind us that we are standing on the shoulders of giants when we make new technologies.

    More info is available on the Meme Weaver’s website , or you can see it on display at the Northern Spark art festival in Minneapolis on June 15–16th.

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    Website: LINK

  • Pull small planes around with this Arduino Mega-based tug

    Pull small planes around with this Arduino Mega-based tug

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    Pull small planes around with this Arduino Mega-based tug

    Arduino Team — June 12th, 2018

    While there are many ways to move an airplane on the ground, Anthony DiPilato decided to create a “tug” of his own.  

    The treaded device looks like a tiny tank, and when it slides under the aircraft’s front wheel it locks in place, allowing a 5,200-pound plane to be pulled around courtesy of the RC system’s wheelchair motors. Onboard, an Arduino Mega serves as the brains of the operation along with an H-bridge for motor control. User interface is handled by DiPilato’s iPhone via Bluetooth.

    For small aircraft, a towbar is sufficient, but for larger aircraft a power assisted tug is necessary for maneuvering the aircraft. Commercially available aircraft tugs are considerably expensive, so many people use small tractors or golf carts to pull their aircraft.For this project I wanted to see if I could build a remote controlled aircraft tug for a reasonable price.

    The goal was to design a remotely controlled tug capable of pulling a Cessna 310 with an estimated weight of 5,200 lbs while keep the cost under $1,000.

    Build details can be found in his blog write-up. The Arduino code is available on GitHub, as well as the iOS program. Finally, you can see the tug in action in the first video below, while the second clip shows how the locking mechanism works.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8N9eN2YPqI?feature=oembed&w=500&h=375]

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sSGMLb5aT4?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • A DIY Automobile Black Box with Arduino Mega

    A DIY Automobile Black Box with Arduino Mega

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    A DIY Automobile Black Box with Arduino Mega

    Arduino Team — June 8th, 2018

    If you’d like to monitor your driving habits, or perhaps keep them handy in the event of an accident, a “black box,” or more properly a “telematics” device is just what you’re looking for. 

    Monitoring driving habits can be interesting, but what if you’d like to make a telematics box yourself, giving you total control over how data is collected and used?

    That’s just what maker “TheForeignMan” did, using an Arduino Mega to take in data from his car’s OBD-II port, along with position information from a GPS module. Vehicle speed, engine RPM, and throttle depression are saved on an SD card, which can be removed and graphed on the driver’s computer.

    DISCLAIMER: This custom-made black box may not always be valid evidence in a court of law. Some countries/states/local laws may not allow installation of custom monitoring units into moving vehicles unless authorized by an approved installation team. For these reasons, and any other associated to tampering with the OBD port, the author(s) of this article and website hold no responsibility over the outcome of your driving, your car, your car’s electronics (including on board computer), and any other incidents occurred with a custom-made monitoring unit fitted.

    Instructions for this build are available here and code can found on GitHub. 

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    Website: LINK

  • These high school students built their own vending machine

    These high school students built their own vending machine

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    These high school students built their own vending machine

    Arduino Team — June 7th, 2018

    If you’re a high school student and would appreciate a vending machine in class, what’s to be done? Most of the time the answer is “not much,” but Tustin High T-Tech students were able to get one—by building it themselves!

    In fact, this excellent device functioned both as a class project and as a fundraiser for their engineering program. It can be seen working in the video below, and uses an Arduino Mega for control, along with motor drivers and steppers to actuate six snack pusher coils. 

    Customers simply insert a dollar into the bill acceptor, punch in the correct number in the keypad, and snacks drop out. Arduino code is published here, and Solidworks design files are also available for your DIY vending edification.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rVAdPPPhCo?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • DIY submersible ROV flies through the water

    DIY submersible ROV flies through the water

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    DIY submersible ROV flies through the water

    Arduino Team — May 31st, 2018

    If you’d like to check out your pool or a lake without getting wet, this underwater ROV looks like a great solution. 

    The DIY device features a sturdy PVC frame with six thrusters that allow it to move through water like a drone through the air (complete with depth and heading hold), and uses the same kind of controller configuration as its airborne cousin.

    Onboard control is handled by an Arduino Mega along with an FPV camera, which transmits signals back to a base station via an Ethernet cable stuffed inside a length of polypropylene rope. The driver can then see what the ROV sees on a small display, supplemented with data from the base station’s Arduino Uno and an onscreen display (OSD) shield.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7RhCNqM7I8?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yslKyiAI5jw?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]



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  • Wake up to an Arduino-based overhead alarm clock

    Wake up to an Arduino-based overhead alarm clock

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    Wake up to an Arduino-based overhead alarm clock

    Arduino Team — May 29th, 2018

    Tired of wondering what time it is at night, only to have to roll over to look at your alarm clock? If you’d like to avoid this nighttime inconvenience, then Kurt Andros has a great solution with his Arduino Mega-based Overhead Alarm Clock. 

    The device consists of a nice wooden housing that gets mounted to a wall above where you sleep, and has separate displays for the alarm time and current time.

    Instead of a menu system that you must navigate through to tune settings, the clock features buttons to change both current time and alarm time, as well as potentiometer knobs to modify brightness and alarm volume. The result is a simple interface that requires little thought to set up, and no snooze button since you can simply reprogram the wake-up time with a single button.

    The overhead alarm clock offers the following features: 

    • Time and alarm time can be read effortlessly and glare-free even in the dark; without glasses, without pressing buttons, without having to leave the right or left side position.

    • The alarm clock can also be operated in the dark and with only one hand.

    • The alarm clock can be used by a first-time user by looking at the control panel. Reading any operating instructions is not necessary.

    • It wakes you up with a pleasant, volume adjustable sound (MP3 song).

    • It also functions reliably in the event of a power failure.

    • It is very accurate and independent of the reception of a radio signal, the power line frequency and the ambient temperature.

    • It does not occupy space on the nightstand.

    Sound like something you’d like in your bedroom? You can find Andros’ full project write-up here.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5isrQVwpdug?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • Arduino Mega + former nuclear indicator = coolest Nixie clock ever?

    Arduino Mega + former nuclear indicator = coolest Nixie clock ever?

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    Arduino Mega + former nuclear indicator = coolest Nixie clock ever?

    Arduino Team — May 11th, 2018

    There have been countless clocks made using Arduino boards, but you’ve likely never seen anything quite like this display. It features four Nixie tubes that alternate between the time, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity, in addition to a clock-like hand as a secondary indication of atmospheric pressure. That is interesting in itself, but to top it off, the synchroscope display housing used is actually recycled from a nuclear power plant!

    An Arduino Mega coordinates data from the sensors and an RTC module to control the Nixie tubes via driver ICs, along with a micro servo to move the pressure indicator. Power for the electronics is provided by three separate transformers in order to accommodate the tubes. 

    The clock displays the time from the top of the minute to 15 sec in, and then displays the temperature (F), then back to time until the bottom of the minute (30 sec.), then it displays atmospheric pressure (mm Hg), then back to time until 45 sec into the minute and displays relative humidity. Upon reaching 60 sec. it increments the time and repeats the cycle. The BMP280 has a very poor temperature sensing capability and is not nearly as accurate as a DS18B20 waterproof temperature sensor that I used in another project of mine. I may just swap this out. Also I had a nice mesh cage around the sensors to protect them from damage and this too led to inaccurate results so I modified that as well. The indicator arrow is scaled for the low and highest pressures found in my state. the indicator arrow does a good job of showing changes in the pressure when a storm or clear skies are developing.

    A full write-up on the build can be found here and the Arduino code in this repository.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zIeVyw2Jqg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]



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