Schlagwort: Nano
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Reliving elementary school with a robotic recorder
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe recorder is a type of flute that is very popular in elementary schools because the instrument is so simple and inexpensive. If you were born in the last four decades and grew up in a western country, then there is a very good chance that you were required to learn how…
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Electronic game of Connect Four played on an 8×8 LED matrix
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe childhood classic tabletop game of Connect Four entails dropping either a red or yellow disc into one of several columns in a grid with the hope of lining up four in a row. And even though the game has existed digitally for a while now, it is mostly played on LCD…
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This cheap robot arm can follow recorded movements
Reading Time: 2 minutesThere are many ways to control a robot arm, with the simplest being a sequential list of rotation commands for the motors. But that method is very inefficient when the robot needs to do anything complex in the real world. A more streamlined technique lets the user move the arm as necessary,…
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Enabling automated pipeline maintenance with edge AI
Reading Time: 2 minutesPipelines are integral to our modern way of life, as they enable the fast transportation of water and energy between central providers and the eventual consumers of that resource. However, the presence of cracks from mechanical or corrosive stress can lead to leaks, and thus waste of product or even potentially dangerous…
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DIY spectrum analyzer is an easy project for beginners
Reading Time: 2 minutesSpectrum analysis is a technique that allows someone to observe the amplitude of various frequency ranges within a signal. The most common use case is in the world of audio engineering, as it is useful for tuning audio output. It can, for example, show you that a particular audio signal has little…
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Mini Cyclone game doesn’t require a trip to the arcade
Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of the most popular machines in any arcade is the Cyclone game, where a ring of LEDs illuminate in sequence and the player must push a button at the exact moment that a specific LED lights up. Get it just right and you can win a whole pile of tickets to…
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This robotic beer tray keeps servers from spilling suds
Reading Time: 2 minutesExperienced servers are masters of balance and coordination, being able to carry several full glasses on a tray without spilling a drop. But many of us lack that skill and can’t carry even a single glass across a room without splashing half of it on our feet. To help the clumsy among…
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Shape-changing user interface improves haptic navigation
Reading Time: 2 minutesAlmost all haptic feedback today comes in the form of vibration. But vibratory haptic feedback is clearly lacking, as it cannot convey information with any kind of precision or granularity. The user notices the vibration and very course patterns may be recognizable, but that is a rudimentary approach that requires a lot…
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TactorBots is a complete toolkit for robotic touch
Reading Time: 2 minutesSo much of the research and development in the area of haptic feedback focuses on universal devices that can create a wide range of tactile sensations. But that has proven to be a massive challenge, as it is very difficult to package the number of actuators necessary for that flexibility in a…
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This basketball sculpture sinks shots for socialites
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you aren’t part of that world, you may be making the mistake of thinking that art galleries are full of boring paintings for stuffy socialites. In reality, there are all kinds of different art galleries and some of them have some pretty interesting pieces. Kinetic art is always the most exciting,…
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Furby modified to recite the wisdom of Jorge Luis Borges
Reading Time: 2 minutesFor our younger readers: the Furby is a toy released in 1998 by Tiger Electronics and that saw tremendous success in the following years. Each Furby is a little animatronic creature that resembles the Mogwai from the Gremlins films, but more colorful. When first unboxed, they speak “Furbish,” but then transition to English. While…
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ECLIPSE is a beautiful ring lamp that lightens progressively
Reading Time: 2 minutesHave you ever exited a dark movie theater in the middle of the afternoon and found yourself blinded by the sudden transition to bright sunlight? Etienne Leroy faces the same problem after watching a movie on his home projector and turning on the lights. Because those lights are intense and instantly come…
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Mini WALL-E robot delivers gifts
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhile brainstorming gift ideas, Professor Boots settled upon creating a tiny present-delivering robot that could move around on its own power. Because WALL-E’s design already has a built-in compartment and is quite memorable, it became the jumping off point for the project. The entire robot is 3D-printed from a combination of rigid PLA for the…
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Automated winding machine features a self-reversing screw
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe world of mechanical engineering is full of interesting and ingenious mechanisms. The Geneva drive, for example, translates rotary motion into intermittent ticking — perfect for a wristwatch or clock. With a clever mechanism, one can reduce the need for complicated control electronics. That was the case with the self-reversing screw that…
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Digital European roulette wheel takes advantage of charlieplexing
Reading Time: 2 minutesRoulette is one of the classic casino games, along with poker, blackjack, baccarat, and craps. There are two popular versions of roulette: American and European. The American version features an additional zero (green) pocket and the numbered pockets in a different arrangement. Mirko Pavleski built a digital European roulette wheel and used charlieplexing to…
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This beautiful clock features circuit sculpture faux Nixie tubes
Reading Time: 2 minutesEveryone loves a nice Nixie tube clock, but Nixie tubes are expensive and difficult to find. Even if you can source a working set, driving the vintage tubes is a complicated undertaking by modern standards. Nixie tubes require high voltage and multiplexing, which is a pain. To solve these problems while retaining…
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HEXA LEDs make Bluetooth-controlled accent lighting affordable
Reading Time: 2 minutesLED accent lighting is very trendy right now, as it can add quite a lot of visual interest to a room without introducing clutter. But commercial products are often either very expensive or subpar in quality and capability. Fortunately for makers, this kind of project is perfect for a DIY weekend build.…
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Ping pong robot lets you dial-in the serves
Reading Time: 2 minutesPing pong is one of the most popular sports in the world, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy to find people to practice with. Lone players are typically forced to practice by using return boards (or one half of the table flipped up), but that is overly predictable. To provide…
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The Periodic Table Clock oozes nerdy charm
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe periodic table is arguably the most popular symbol of nerd pride. Everyone knows what it is, but few people are familiar enough with it to make real use of it. There aren’t, for instance, many people that can tell you the atomic number of darmstadtium. If you’re one of the nerdy…
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A DIY peristaltic pump controlled by an Arduino
Reading Time: 2 minutesThere are many different fluid pumping mechanisms to choose from, but the peristaltic pump is a great choice when you don’t want the liquid to contact any moving parts. That is ideal for beverage dispensers and medical equipment, because the liquid only touches the tube it runs through and that is easy…
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This original video game console features a VFD
Reading Time: 2 minutesVFDs (vacuum fluorescent displays) were common a few decades ago and have a nice, distinct glow that many find appealing. But like Nixie tubes and CRTs, VFDs have are outdated and almost obsolete at this point. They can’t come close to matching the price or functionality of modern LCD and OLED screens,…
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Iana’s smart glove in real life
Reading Time: 2 minutesRainbow Six is a series of tactical shooter video games dating back to 1998. The series contains many individual titles set in various points of time, from historical wars to fictional futures. Rainbow Six Siege (2015) is set in the future and the character Iana has the ability to project a virtual clone of herself,…
